The ALEKS Math Placement Exam

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has instituted a new procedure for placing students into their first-year UIUC math courses. It is based on the ALEKS Math Placement Exam.

Effective immediately for the 2008-2009 academic year, all new students (freshmen as well as transfers) are required to take the ALEKS exam.

The ALEKS Math Exam is an online, adaptive test administered through ALEKS Corporation and coordinated by the Mathematics Department at UIUC. It assesses your knowledge of a broad spectrum of pre-calculus material. You must take it during the five months prior to enrolling in a UIUC math course.

We will place you into a math course based on your percentage-correct score. You must earn at least a 50 to enroll in Math 115 (“Precalculus”) or Math 234 (“Calculus for Business I”) and at least a 70 to enroll in Math 220 (“Calculus”) or Math 221 (“Calculus I”). Click here for cutoffs.

As with the other UIUC placement exams, new students do not have to pay to take the ALEKS Math exam. The initial ALEKS assessment is free. However, unlike the other UIUC placement exams, you are allowed to take the ALEKS exam as often as you wish to try to improve your score. If you choose to take the ALEKS exam again, you will need to pay $3.50 each time you take it. Alternatively, you could pay $35.00 to enroll in the online “assessment + learning module.” The cost is charged to your credit card, not to your UIUC student account.

To learn about the ALEKS Math exam, click here. If you still have questions about it after reading this information, email the Math Department at advising@math.uiuc.edu

If you are a new student coming to UIUC for Fall 2008 and you would like to take the ALEKS Math exam, click here.

If you are a continuing student who is already enrolled at UIUC and you need to take the ALEKS Math exam, you need to contact the Math Department. Click here.