ATB (Ability to Benefit) Testing

Who should take an ATB exam?

Students with a high school diploma from a country other than the United States
Students without a high school diploma or equivalent who want to apply to the 24-Credit Hour Program

If you are…

A student with a high school diploma from a country other than the United States:

You may need to take the ATB exam to qualify for NYS financial aid (TAP award)
There is a deadline set by NYS and the Financial Aid Office to qualify for the TAP award each semester. Once this date has passed, any exam attempts will count towards the next semester.

A student without a high school diploma or equivalent seeking acceptance into the 24-Credit Hour Program:

You must first apply with the Office of Admissions before proceeding with the ATB exam. Visit the 24-Credit Hour page for more information
Once Admissions confirms your application and provides you with your next steps, please contact the Testing Center to make an exam appointment.

ATB Exam Facts

You will need to pass all three (3) portions of the exam to qualify for the TAP award:
- Reading: 233
- Writing: 235
- Arithmetic: 230
Students must complete all three portions on their first attempt, but are allowed to re-test portions of the exam they did not pass:
Students must wait 14 days from their test date(s) for each re-test
Students are allowed 6 attempts within a single semester
No hand-held calculators or dictionaries are allowed
You can and should practice for the exam using the Accuplacer practice test materials.
You can find a printable version of this information here: ATB (Ability to Benefit) Testing Information

Please Note

if you are seekingATB (Ability to Benefit) testing as a non-SUNY Schenectady student, we are unable to proctor your exam per the ATB Accuplacer guidelines. Students may only test for ATB at the institution in which they are enrolled or plan to enroll.