Ability to Benefit Test (ATB)
Students seeking financial aid awards under the NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) who do not have a high school diploma or GED from the United States must fulfill the New York State Ability-To-Benefit test requirement. The Office of Admissions will notify students who are required to take the ATB test and the Testing Center will provide information regarding the testing appointment.
Students subject to the ATB requirement must take and meet the minimum cut scores established in the Reading, Arithmetic and Writing (Sentence Skills) modules of Accuplacer.
Students who do not achieve the minimum cut scores on the test upon initial testing are eligible to be retested after receiving intervention. However, all retests must be completed before the deadline stated in “Please Note” below. Students who test and meet the cut scores after the deadline qualify for TAP for their next semester.
The minimum cut scores on the Accuplacer Ability To Benefit (ATB) tests are:
- 233 in Reading Comprehension
- 230 in Arithmetic
- 235 in Writing (Sentence Skills)
Please Note: NYS HESC requires first time recipients to pass the ATB by the first day of classes of the term to be certified in order to be eligible for financial aid under the state’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Please visit
Grants and Scholarships – Ability to Benefit Questions and Answers for more information.
