Pete Moye’
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California community colleges are moving toward a centralized assessment testing system, which policy makers believe will simplify the placement process and save the state money.

The system will enter a testing phase in spring 2012 at some community colleges, and is expected to be fully implemented in 2013.

Cerritos College will not be among the schools that will be testing the new system, which was signed into effect by Gov. Jerry Brown in October, along with the Dream Act.

“It has the potential to be better because it will be flexible,” Terrie Lopez, director of career and assessment services, said, “it will make it easier for students to transfer their scores between schools.”

Currently, assessment testing is managed by the local district. An assessment test at one community college may not be compatible with an assessment at another. Students who transfer between community colleges may have to retake the tests, according to Lopez.

The new system will be internet-based and will also feature an online practice test that students can access anytime to gauge their basic skills.

“The online practice test should be beneficial for students,” Mario Jimenez, undeclared major, said.

“It could have helped me prepare because I didn’t know what to expect on the assessment test.”

The new system is expected save community colleges tens of thousands of dollars by eliminating redundancy and by incorporating better assessment tools, according to an October press release from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.