A study was conducted at Broward Community College (BCC) to examine the academic achievement of students who scored below or just above college level on placement examinations and who did not take college preparatory classes. Students who entered BCC for the first time in fall 1986 or fall 1987 intending to obtain a degree or certificate were selected for the study. Course grades in college-level mathematics and writing were compared for students placing below, just above, and well above passing on the ASSET placement test. Study findings included the following: (1) in the writing course, students placing just higher than the passing standard tended to withdraw from class at higher rates than those who scored below passing or those who scored well above passing; (2) 27% of the students who scored below passing on the writing test circumvented remedial writing instruction, enrolled directly in the college-level writing course, and successfully completed the college-level course at a higher rate than students who first took the remedial course; (3) students who scored just above passing on the writing test, and yet took the remedial course, passed the college-level course at a higher rate than students who did not take the remedial course first; and (4) 11% of the students who scored below passing on the mathematics placement test took no remedial courses, and, of these, 32% successfully completed their college-level mathematics course. Based on study findings, it was concluded that mandatory placement into or out of remedial course work based on placement test scores with questionable predictive validity may not be the ideal solution for students. (JMC)