Ability to Benefit
ATB Study Guide and Materials for Financial Aid TAP Eligibility (Foreign Diplomas)
The Ability to Benefit (ATB) testing requirement is for students who are seeking financial aid awards under the state’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and do not have a high school diploma or its equivalent (GED) from a United States high school. In order for you to be considered for a New York State grant, such as the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), you must successfully complete the Ability to Benefit (ATB) Test. Do not use this page/form if you are applying to take the 24 Credit GED Program.
This test is separate and in addition to the College placement test you may have already taken. Please be aware, the ATB test is not the sole determinate in the distribution of these awards.
All testing will take place in coordination with the Testing and Assessment Center. You must schedule your ATB exam below. ATB tests are scheduled separately from regular placement exams. They will be offered multiple times per month at both the Valhalla Campus and extension sites.
Please Sign Up for the ATB Exam below:
Questions regarding the ATB test can be directed to the Placement Testing Office at Testing.Center@sunywcc.edu or 914-606-6969.
Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) Testing Scores
ATB recipients must achieve or exceed the scores listed on the following ATB tests:
- Reading: a score of 55 or higher
- Sentence Skills: a score of 60 or higher
- Arithmetic: a score of 34 or higher
You must take and pass all three sections in ONE sitting to qualify for state aid. As per New York State regulations, handheld calculators are not allowed during testing unless they are prescribed accommodation.
Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) Retest Policy
If you fail to reach the minimum score in any single section of Reading, Sentence Skills, and Arithmetic you will not qualify for state aid and must be retested.
As a reminder, ATB re-tests may be given to students who did not initially pass after fourteen (14) days have elapsed from the initial test date. Should a student not pass the re-test, they must wait a full three (3) months from the first testing date to test again. For students needing additional retests, an additional thirty (30) days must pass between the last re-test dates before subsequent re-tests can be taken.
Students who do not pass all three tests during the initial testing must retake and pass all three tests in order to meet the required ATB passing scores. Scores from two different administrations cannot be mixed or combined. A student must pass all three tests during a single test session.
ATB Study Guide and Materials for Financial Aid TAP Eligibility (Foreign Diplomas)
ATB Study Guide and Materials for 24-Credit GED Program
YOU MUST PRESENT PHOTO ID.
- If you do not have photo ID you will not be permitted to take the exam.
No food, beverage, cell phones, scrap paper, books or other materials are permitted in the testing room.
24 Credit GED Program
Do not sign up below. For the 24 Credit GED Program please register for the Placement Exam.
The Ability to Benefit (ATB) Exam schedule for the Summer and Fall 2020 semester is available below. If you have immediate testing needs for Ability to Benefit, you will need to schedule an appointment to take the ATB Exam at the Valhalla campus. Please call our office at 914-606-6969.