How to Complete Your Placement Exams
Your academic advisor cannot develop your first-term schedule until you complete your placement exam(s). The goal of these exams is to ensure that you are placed into courses for which you are well-prepared. Because the knowledge you've attained in a particular subject area may vary depending on your previous studies, the placement exams present an opportunity to tailor-fit your first-year courses according to your skill level.
Please be sure to configure your computer as described below in order to avoid any technical issues as examinations are only taken once.
Deadline
Placement exams for the incoming fall first-year class open in May and must be completed by June 26.
Please note: It is crucial that you complete your required placement exam(s) by the established deadline. Your first-term course schedule will not be created until all required placement exams are completed. Late submission of examinations may result in a suboptimal fall schedule.
Required Exams
Incoming first-year students are required to take the placement exams that are predetermined by their major. To see which exams you are required to complete, log in to DrexelOne. In the "Student Checklist," a list of required exams will be available.
Modern Language Placement Exams
Many Bachelor of Art programs at Drexel University require modern language coursework, and therefore students in these programs must take the modern language placement exam. If you have not been assigned to the modern language placement exam but intend to take a language course, please contact your academic advisor to request registration.
To take any 101 language course, all students must, at minimum, answer the preliminary question in the modern language examination regarding past experiences with the selected language. Depending on experience, students may be placed into a 101 course or be prompted to complete further assessment. Additional assessment will come in the form of a written online examination that is timed or an in-person examination. You can find out more about this process in placement exam outcomes.
Completing Your Exam(s)
Note: If you believe you will need an accommodation (such as extended time to take your examination(s)) due to a disability, please first make arrangements with Disability Resources. Learn more about receiving accommodations for placement exams.
1. Pick Up Your Drexel University Account
You will need to obtain your official Drexel University account in order to access your placement exams. If you have not done so already, please pick up your account now by visiting Drexel's Information Technology (IT) New Accounts page.
2. Configure Your Computer
It is important to verify that your computer is properly configured to take the placement exams. According to Information Technology, you can verify that your web browser is compatible with the system we use for placement exams, Blackboard Learn, by:
- Using a valid web browser
- Ensuring Java is installed/up-to-date
- Enabling cookies and JavaScript
- Turning off pop-up blockers
- Disable all browser extensions
3. Take Your Placement Exam(s)
Please set aside 90 minutes before taking each placement exam as all exams are timed (with the exception of the preliminary experience question in the modern language exam; subsequent online language examinations are timed). We strongly urge you to utilize a desktop or laptop computer with a reliable internet connection to take your exams, not a mobile device. Once accessed, you must complete the exam in a single sitting during the prescribed time (which will be tracked by the timer.)
When you are ready to take your exam(s), please log in to DrexelOne. In the "Student Checklist" you can access your exams by expanding the checklist item "Placement Exams."
4. Review Placement Results for Next Steps
Your placement exam results will appear in DrexelOne on the Academics tab in the Complete Exams section. Select "Expand All" to review these results.
Summer Preparatory Reviews
If you are eligible for a summer preparatory review on taking your exams in May-June, you will be automatically registered into these reviews (with the exception of Preparatory Chemistry) and must opt out in the Complete Exams section via the link provided. You will be dropped from the review within three business days. After July 31, students can no longer be dropped and the review will remain visible on BBLearn for the remainder of its duration. Summer preparatory review scores do not appear on academic transcripts. Review scores are only visible to administrative staff/advising. Review scores only serve as prerequisites for coursework as described in the Complete Exams section under your DrexelOne Academics tab.