TCAT Admission Requirements

TCAT programs are first come, first served. While you may meet the admission requirements for a particular program, you are not guaranteed a seat in the class.
Returning students who have previously attended college or already have a college degree should submit a copy of their transcript to the Admissions Office for evaluation, as he or she may be exempt from the admissions test requirement.

• All first-time TCAT students must meet eligibility requirements through appropriate scores on the ACT or SAT tests. (See requirements for various programs below.)
• Students who have not taken ACT or SAT may take the ACCUPLACER tests, offered free of charge through the Chattanooga State Testing Center.
• All TCAT programs except Practical Nursing require the ACCUPLACER Reading & Arithmetic test.
• Practical Nursing applicants must instead take the ACCUPLACER Reading & Quantitative Reasoning tests.
• Commercial Truck Driving (CDL) Program requires CDL permit for admittance.

TCAT Age Limits

• 17 and under - with a high school diploma or GED.
  (Note: students are not eligible for the Commercial Truck Driving program until they're age 18.)
   
• 18 or over - no high school diploma or GED is required for most programs.
  (Note: a high school / GED / HiSet Diploma IS required for Federal Financial Aid. There is no minimum GPA requirement.)

Transcript Information 

Official transcripts are an important process for admissions into a TCAT program. They provide the ability to satisfy required placement levels, as well as satisfy an eligibility requirement relating to financial aid. A transcript should be submitted if the incoming student has completed one or multiple of the following: GED/HiSET Program, Secondary Education/High School Graduate, Post-Secondary/College and/or University (attended or graduated).

Please note, the college cannot accept official transcripts directly from a prospective student. If submitted, they will not be accepted and could impact your ability to enroll.

Notes:

• Official transcripts (GED/HiSet, High School, and/or College) will not prevent enrollment into a TCAT program. However, minimum placement scores are required based upon the program. If you are planning to enroll without submitting a transcript, we advise speaking with a TCAT Student Services Counselor to move forward with enrollment.

Minimum Test Score / Placement Level

Prospective students must meet a program's minimum test score or placement level to register for that program.
Passing of college level or required development courses can be used as placement. As well as equivalent earned scores on EdReady, SAT, or Compass. Test scores must be less than 5 years old for placement.

Accuplacer: Testing at Chattanooga State

All Accuplacer testing will be facilitated by appointment at the Chattanooga State Testing Center (IMC-122) on the main campus or at the Dayton or Kimball site. Students are allowed to take each subject test a maximum of two times per term. Most students will take the TCAT Reading and TCAT Math (Arithmetic) tests for entry into majority of our TCAT programs. However, some programs do require a different Accuplacer test so be sure to check with TCAT Student Services for specific test. 

• Schedule your test.
  • Line 1: Select “College Placement - Accuplacer” from the dropdown menu.
     
  • Line 2: Select “Main Campus or Kimball Campus”
     
  • Line 3: Select the appropriate test(s):
    • Select – TCAT Reading & Math for all TCAT programs except LPN.
    • Select – Reading & Math for LPN applicants.
       
  • Lines 4 & 5: Select your preferred date and time for testing.
     
  • Lines 6: Complete the remaining lines with your personal information and complete the scheduling in its entirety.