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A student applying for New York State financial aid (e.g., TAP, Excelsior, NYS Scholarships, APTS, AIMS) for the first time and earned a high school diploma or equivalency outside of the United States.

Please note:

• Passing the ATB exam does not guarantee financial aid eligibility. You must also meet all academic, financial, and residency requirements.
• If you have earned a U.S. high school equivalency diploma (GED/TASC) you do not need to take the ATB exam. Be sure to upload your diploma to CUNYfirst to confirm eligibility.

Important Deadlines:

• You must take and pass the ATB exam within the add/drop period of the semester to be considered for aid that term.
• If you do not pass all sections, you may retest after 14 days.

Exam Structure
The ATB exam includes 3 sections:

• Reading – 233
• Writing– 235
• Arithmetic – 230

What to Know:

• You must pass all 3 sections to complete the exam
• If you do not pass a section, you will only retake the section(s) you did not pass
• Once you pass a section, it is complete and does not need to be retaken

Next Steps

• To find out if you need to take the ATB exam:
  Email: testing@qc.cuny.edu
• Complete the ATB Testing Survey included in the automatic reply

Important:
If you see “ATB Testing Required” in your CUNYfirst To Do List, you must contact Testing and Placement to confirm your requirement.

Resources for Accuplacer ESL (English as a Second Language)��

Download the  and review the tests:��

• Reading Skills��
• Language Usage��
• Listening��
• Sentence Meaning��

��Learn about and review a sample of the Accuplacer ESL writing test:��

• ��
• Ability to Benefit (ATB) Sample Questions��
• ��
• ��
•  ��

For more information and test preparation resources, click here:  ����

GENERAL����

Acceptable forms of ID��

• Driver’s license��
• High School or College ID��
• State or federal ID card��
• Military ID card����
• Passport (with western characters)��
• Tribal ID card��
• Naturalization card or certificate of citizenship��
• ��

��Can I take the test at a private testing center or outside of CUNY and import the scores?��

• No, because CUNY cannot verify the validity of any scores taken outside of a CUNY institution.��

��Can I take the ATB and/or ESL tests virtually?����

• No, the ATB and ESL tests are in person only.��

��Can I use my calculator for the Arithmetic section?��

• No, students are encouraged to use provided scrap paper. The Accuplacer exam also provides a screen-based calculator for the arithmetic section for some, but not all, Arithmetic questions.��

��How do I become a resident or prove New York state residency? ��

• Please refer to the  for more information and application/documentation to be submitted. In general, students must have been living in New York for the preceding 12 months and have permanent resident status or other eligible status��

��I have a questions, what should I do?��

• ESL and ATB Test Inquiries: email testing@qc.cuny.edu ����
• Residency Status: email admissions@qc.cuny.edu��
• Financial Aid: email FinancialAid@qc.cuny.edu��

ESL��

Is the ESL test required in order to register or take classes at ����ר��?��

• Yes, the ESL test is required for students with an ESL testing hold to register for courses at ����ר��. It is recommended that you take the ESL exam as soon as possible so that you can register for classes.��

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ATB����

Is the ATB test required in order to register or take classes at ����ר��?��

• No, the test is not required, and students can freely register for courses without taking the exam.����
• If you take the test and do not pass, you can maintain your enrollment but should seek guidance/support around your financial need.��

Where can I find more information about NY State financial aid and the ATB exam?��

• For more information, please see HESC’s website here: ��

What is the process to apply for the U.S. High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma instead of taking the ATB test?��

• If you have 24 U.S. college credits (including required subject areas), you may apply for a U.S. High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma instead of taking the ATB exam.��

What You Need to Do��

Step 1: Complete Form J (Part A Only)��

• Fill out Part A of  ��
• Leave Part B blank (completed by the Registrar)��

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Step 2: Request Your Official Transcript��

• Order your transcript through Parchment using this ��
• Select ����ר�� Registrar����
• Upload  with your request (Part A only)����

Important:
When prompted, send your transcript to:��

New York State Education Department
High School Equivalency (HSE) Office
89 Washington Avenue, EBA 460
Albany, NY 12234��

Step 3: Upload Your HSE Diploma��

• Once you receive your diploma, upload it to CUNYfirst����
• Follow instructions here: ��

Timeline & Important Note��

• This process can take 10–15 weeks or longer����

If you are within 8 weeks of the start of the semester:
It is strongly recommended that you take the ATB exam instead to avoid delays in financial aid.��

Need Help?��

• You can follow up with the Registrar by submitting a ��