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Placement Exam Outcomes

Your performance on the placement exams will assist your academic advisor in creating your fall schedule. Below, you'll find a brief explanation of the potential placement outcomes for each exam.

Please note: While AP scores will also be taken into consideration as your fall schedule is developed, they are not a substitute for the placement exams. You may be eligible for alternative courses but it will require a "course override" with the help of your academic advisor.

Calculus Placement Exam

Depending on your placement exam performance and your major's curriculum, taking this exam will place you into one of the following courses in the fall:

  • MATH 121, Calculus I
  • MATH 116, Calculus & Functions I
  • MATH 110, Pre-Calculus (For CMGT and ET majors)
  • MATH 105, Algebra, Functions & Trigonometry
  • MATH 101, Introduction to Analysis (For BIO, ENVS, and S000 [Undeclared] majors)
  • MATH 100, Fundamentals of Mathematics (For BIO, ENVS, and S000 [Undeclared] majors

Please note: The below information applies only to the fall quarter. If you take a placement exam for a different term, please contact your academic advisor for information about your results. 

Based on your performance and major, you may also be registered into Elements of College Algebra (For Precalculus) or Elements of Precalculus, our online, self-paced, summer preparatory reviews of mathematics. Successful completion of these reviews will positively impact your Math placement for the fall. These tuition-free, six-week reviews will begin July 10, 2023.

For more information regarding the content of this exam, please visit the Department of Mathematics placement exam page.

The Calculus placement exam will also contribute to determining your course placement into Physics (if Physics is a requirement of your major). Along with demonstrating mastery in MATH 121, taking this exam will help place you into one of the following courses:

  • PHYS 101, Fundamentals of Physics
  • PHYS 100, Preparation for Engineering Studies

Based on your performance, you may also be registered into Preparatory Physics for ENGR Studies — an online, self-paced, summer preparatory review of physics. Successful completion of Preparatory Physics for ENGR Studies will positively impact your Physics placement. This tuition-free, six-week review will begin July 10, 2023.

Math Analysis Placement Exam

Depending on your placement exam performance and your major's curriculum, taking this exam will place you into one of the following:

  • MATH 171, Mathematical Analysis
    (For CST, DANC, EDUC (English & Social Studies concentrations), ELEM, HOSP, and ISYS majors)
  • MATH 119, Mathematical Foundations for Design
    (For DSMR, FASH, FMTV, FMVD, GRDS, IDM, PHTO, SCRP, and TELE majors)
  • MATH 107, Probability and Statistics for Liberal Arts (For BHC majors)
  • MATH 101, Introduction to Analysis
  • MATH 100, Fundamentals of Mathematics

Please note: The below information applies only to the fall quarter. If you take a placement exam for a different term, please contact your academic advisor for information about your results.  

Based on your performance, you may also be invited to take Elements of College Algebra — an online, self-paced, summer preparatory review of mathematics. Successful completion of Elements of College Algebra will positively impact your Math placement for the fall. This tuition-free, five-week review will begin July 10, 2023.

For more information regarding the content of this exam, please visit the Department of Mathematics placement exam page.

Chemistry Placement Exam

Depending on your placement exam performance and your major's curriculum, taking this exam will place you into one of the following:

  • CHEM 121 (Chemistry majors only)
  • CHEM 101, General Chemistry I
  • CHEM 111, General Chemistry I
  • CHEM 108, Health Chemistry I (Nursing majors only)

Please note: The below information applies only to the fall quarter. If you take a placement exam for a different term, please contact your academic advisor for information about your results.  

Based on your performance, you may also be invited to take Preparatory Chemistry — an online, self-paced, summer preparatory review of chemistry. Successful completion of Preparatory Chemistry will positively impact your Chemistry placement for the fall. This tuition-free, six-week review will begin July 10, 2023.

For more information regarding the content of this exam, please visit the Department of Chemistry placement exam page.

Modern Language Placement Exam

Online placement exams are offered for:

  • Chinese
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Spanish

In-person placement exams are offered for:

  • Arabic
  • Hebrew
  • Japanese
  • Korean

Depending on your placement exam performance, you will be placed into an elementary, intermediate, or advanced-level language course.

Please note: If your major does not require a modern language course, but you wish to enroll in one this fall, please contact your academic advisor. Locate your advisor in the Undergraduate Advising Directory.

For more information regarding the content of a modern language exam, please visit the Department of Global Studies and Modern Languages Placement Exams Web page.

Information Science Placement Exam

This exam is for Data Science, Information Systems, and Computing Security Technology majors only. Students are allowed 60 minutes to complete the exam. Depending on your placement exam performance and your major's curriculum, taking this exam will place you into one of the following:

  • INFO 151, Web Systems and Services
  • INFO 152, Foundations of Software
  • CS 171, Computer Programming I