About Testing Services

Testing Services serves students through the Academic Proctoring Center and supports students completing the placement process at MiraCosta College. 

Placement 

The placement process provides students with the information needed to get started in the math, English, or ESL courses that best support their educational pathway.

For students who have attended/graduated from a United States high school, the MiraCosta application will ask for multiple measure information (high school GPA, coursework, and grades). This information is utilized to generate an automated placement for math and English. Students who provide this information will receive an email shortly after their application has been processed containing their placement details.

 Students who do not provide their high school transcript information on the application can complete the placement process by doing any one of the following:

• Submitting an official or unofficial high school transcript to Testing Services.
• Completing the Multiple Measures Self-Report Update Form.
• Completing a guided self-placement tool for math and/or English/ESL course placement.

English, ESL, and math course placement tools are offered at three Testing Center locations. Students may also request to have the tools assigned to their SURF Student Center to be completed online. 

Testing Services proctors the prerequisite challenge process for Spanish, Japanese, and Chemistry. These challenge processes are offered on a drop-in basis at all three campus locations. 

Academic Proctoring Center

MiraCosta Testing's Academic Proctoring Center (APC) provides on-ground proctoring for students enrolled in online or hybrid courses at MiraCosta who have an on-campus testing requirement. The APC works collaboratively with students, faculty, and outside organizations to arrange exam proctoring for out-of-area MiraCosta students who need exams proctored at eligible sites across the world. Additionally, the APC provides instructor-authorized makeup exam services for students who cannot make a scheduled exam for their on-ground or online class due to extenuating circumstances.

Testing accommodations are available to students referred by Student Accessibility Services. MiraCosta College serves as a test center for the SAT and PearsonVue GED test and, by individual arrangement, proctors external examinations for non-students and community members.

Please note: Photo identification is required for all testing in the APC.

Testing Center Locations and Contact Information 

• Oceanside Campus, Room 3334. Phone: 760.795.6685
• San Elijo Campus, Room 1114. Phone: 760.944.4449, ext. 7752
• Community Learning Center, Room 312. Phone: 760.757.2121, ext. 8841

California Equitable Placement Legislation

AB 705 is California legislation that aims to increase student completion rates and close achievement gaps by requiring community colleges to consider high school coursework and GPA as primary factors for student placement. It ensures that students are enrolled in transfer-level courses by default and provides tools for their success. AB 1705, signed into law in 2022, builds on AB 705 by addressing inequitable implementation and supporting strong and equitable placement and completion outcomes. Additionally, AB 1805 ensures that colleges inform students of their rights to access transfer-level coursework.

More information about California placement legislation is available on the Testing Services webpage.