Orientation and Placement FAQs

Click below to view answers.


  1. For Math and English, please bring your high school transcript and go to the Orientation and Placement office, Room 121 for placement assistance.
  2. For ESOL Students, please schedule an appointment for Multiple Measure Placement (Click Here ).
  3. Special Admit students (students who are attending Middle school or High school) need to also have a Concurrent Enrollment Form completed by the middle or high school counselor and principal, along with the intended classes you need to take, signed by middle/high school counselor, the parent’s signature, and a copy of your middle/high school transcript(s).
  4. Students with disabilities: If you need special accommodations for the Orientation &/or Placement, please contact the Staff at Programs and Services for Students with Disabilities (PSSD) at (510) 981-2812 to make arrangements.

The online orientation is available to all students. Students are recommended for orientation because when you submit your admissions application you have noted an educational goal that identifies you as matriculating students. Matriculating student’s educational goals are one of the following: to obtain a bachelor’s degree (with or without an associate degree); to earn an associate degree, vocational degree, or vocational certificate or they are “undecided” on an educational goal. In the orientation, you learn to navigate in the college, calculate GPA, identify programs, services, and policies that support your success, learn study skills and time management skills.


During the orientation session, we will review the next steps in the enrollment process, and students will receive program-planning materials. Your transcript(s) will be reviewed by a college academic counselor to confirm which of the recommended courses are best for you. The multiple measures placement, along with other information you provide, will be used to evaluate these recommendations. All students should read the descriptions of their recommended classes, and be prepared to discuss the courses you would like to take in the upcoming semester when meeting with a counselor.


Not always. At times a student and counselor will agree that another course is more useful or appropriate for the student. In some cases students may want to challenge a pre-requisite course (the required successful completion of a course before enrolling in another course); you may ask a counselor about the process to challenge a pre-requisite class. However, we highly recommend that you take math and English in your first semester. Tutoring and other support services are available.


We highly recommend you take the online orientation because we have policies and procedures that are unique to Peralta Community College District.


All incoming and returning students are required to take the online orientation. Some students are exempt from orientation because they already earned a degree from an accredited institution, have successfully completed recent transfer-level English and/or Math courses at another college, have an educational goal that does not require transfer level Math and English, or have Advance Placement (AP) scores from high school with a 3 or higher. In order to be approved for exemptions, bring your documents with you and see a counselor. Please see a full description of this information in the class schedule, college catalog, or ask counseling or placement staff for more details.


To sign up for a Chemistry Placement Exam or if you have any questions regarding Chemistry related matters, please contact Sam Gillette: sgillette@peralta.edu.