Remediation has become one of the greatest barriers to student success and disproportionately affects the persistence and retention rates of African American community college students. Nearly 70% of the African American students at community colleges required remediation, which results in low persistence and graduation rates for these students. Many of these students, not understanding the consequences of the placement test, do not approach the placement exam prepared or knowledgeable and often perform poorly (Bailey, 2009; Swail, 2003), often resulting in developmental or remedial course placement. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how African American community college students perceived their placement test experiences after participating in the SmartStart orientation program and further explore the pre-college experiences (enrollment choices, early tracking and academic preparation, college readiness, family support, peer support, and motivation to learn) of these students in relation to placement testing. Specifically, this study sought to provide solutions for administrators and policymakers as they design retention programs aimed at increasing the persistence and completion rates of African American community college students. The Smart Start Placement Test Orientation Program (SMART) is a researcher developed intervention, developed to provide a more holistic assessment of African American community college students' academic skills by exposing them to the computer adaptive format of ACCUPLACER®, brushing up their skills, and ensuring that students are aware of the purpose and importance of the course placement system. SMART utilized a hybrid or "blended" model, which included both face-to-face and online instruction and was not intended to be a placement test cram session, but instead attempted to instill a sense of confidence in the participants. The goal was for the students to be fully equipped and knowledgeable about the effect of developmental education on the length of study, program cost, and financial aid. The research methodology followed a qualitative approach. Data was collected from the in-depth interviews of six African American community college students who applied to the community college as freshmen for the 2016-2017 year and were required to take the placement test. This research explored the individual lived experiences of the students who participated in SMART through semi-structured interviews. The results from this study indicated that the pre-college experiences of African American students were significant factors in the participants' perceptions about their academic abilities and significantly impacted their approach to the test, resulting in low test scores. The participants were not knowledgeable about placement testing and did not even know the true purpose of the test. Participation in SMART however, positively impacted the participants' perceptions, approach, and sense of confidence in their academic abilities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]