Challenge Test

​​​​​DMACC English Department Challenge Tests

DMACC's English Department offers challenge tests for COM 73: Communication Skills, ENG 105: Composition I, ENG 106: Composition II, and ENG 108: Composition II: Technical Writing. "Challenge tests give students who have met the entrance requirements of DMACC and who are matriculating in a program of study leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate the opportunity to test out of a class. Because students are allotted only ONE opportunity to challenge out of a class, students (and instructors, if instructors' recommendations are given) should feel confident that they are adequately prepared to take the challenge test."

Rules for the challenge test from the DMACC Catalog are as follows:

  • "Students make take a challenge test for a course only once. This can occur at any time prior to formal registration in that course or, if the students are enrolled in the course, by the drop date for the course."
  • "If the examination is requested prior to formal registration in a class, a nonrefundable fee equal to one-half the tuition for that course shall be charged. If the examination is unsuccessful, that ​fee may NOT be applied if the student subsequently formally registers for that course."
  • "A course that is a prerequisite to a course that has been successfully completed cannot be challenged."
  • "A challenge test cannot be used as a repeat course."​
  • "Credit earned by challenge testing is entered on the students' permanent records only when the students have earned 12 credit hours at DMACC. An 'I' mark is used and is not included when computing grade point average if the student doesn't have 12 credit hours."

Contacts for starting the process of taking an English Department course challenge test for the different campuses are as follows:

​​​A​nkeny Campus
Contact Lind​say​ Simpson​ in Building 2, Room 5Y​ 
(phone: 515-964-6535, email: lasimpson@dmacc.edu)
Boone CampusContact Krystal Cox, English Professor, Boone Campus 
(phone 515-433-5212, email: kncox@dmacc.edu)
Carroll CampusContact Administrative Assistant Christy Schettler in the Business Office, Room 108
(phone: 712-792-8306, email: clshettler@dmacc.edu)
Newton CampusContact Lind​say​ Simpson, English Professor, Newton Campus 
(phone: 641-964-6535, email: lasimpson@dmacc.edu)​
West CampusContact Beth Baker-Brodersen, English Professor, West Campus 
(phone: 515-633-2418, email: bmbakerbrodersen@dmacc.edu)