Mathematics Placement Frequently Asked Questions
How can I take the Mathematics Placement Test through APTP (at locations other than WSU)? Academic Placement Testing Program (APTP) offers the exam at various locations statewide throughout the spring and summer. Registration is required. To take the test through APTP, click here for registration information and a list of locations/dates. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Requests for testing dates must be received by the Academic Placement Testing Program at least four weeks in advance of the test date. How can I take the Mathematics Placement Test during WSU's Summer Orientation?The Mathematics Placement Test is offered at Alive! for incoming freshmen participating in summer orientation. The summer orientation booklet is mailed to new students in late April. Use the registration form in that booklet to sign up for the appropriate summer orientation session and indicate that you plan to take the test the evening before the session begins. Registration is required. The $25.00 test fee will be collected at test time. Please bring photo ID, WSU student ID number, social security number and some sharpened #2 pencils to the test. Contact the New Student Programs Office (telephone 509-335-4242) for further details about the Alive! program. How can I take the Mathematics Placement Test at WSU during the academic year?Both versions of the Mathematics Placement Test are offered at WSU once each month, and once during the orientation week. If you plan to take the test at WSU, you should check your orientation
packet or check with your academic advisor for the time and place of the
test. The $25.00 fee for the test will be collected at test time. Please
bring photo ID, WSU student ID number, social security number and some
sharpened #2 pencils to the test. Contact WSU Testing Services (telephone
509-335-1744) for details about time and place for on-campus tests. Test
dates for the current semester are here.
The Math Placement Test you will need to take depends upon the WSU math course you wish to take first. If you plan to start with a calculus course (Math 140 or Math 171) you will need to take the Advanced Math Placement Test. The Intermediate Math Placement Test CANNOT place you into these two courses. If you do not intend to start in a calculus course you can take the Intermediate Math Placement Test instead. Information about what scores are required on the Math Placement Test to place into a particular math course at WSU can be found at http://www.sci.wsu.edu/math/placement/. If you do not know which math courses are required for your major, consult with your advisor. If you do not have an advisor you can contact the Student Advising and Learning Center (SALC) at http://salc.wsu.edu/Advising/ or call 509-335-6000. Are calculators allowed for the math placement exam?No, calculators are not allowed for the math placement exam. I took the Math Placement Test at WSU. Now I am now transferring to another university in Washington and need to have a memo sent to the school stating that I took the Math Placement Test, the date I took it, the version I took, and my score so that they may determine my placement into a math class at their university.Math Placement Test information and scores are not kept on file in the WSU Department of Mathematics. The Math Placement Test is managed by the Academic Placement Testing Program (APTP) and they distribute the scores as needed. You can contact them at (206) 543-1790 or visit their website at http://www.washington.edu/oea/aptp.htm for more information. I will be a new transfer student this coming semester. I have not taken any math classes as a college student. I'm not sure whether I should take the Math Placement Test or not. Is the exam only for freshmen, or do I take it even though I'm a transfer student?The Math Placement Test is not only for freshmen. Transfer students are encouraged to take the Math Placement Test if they have not taken any college math courses previously or if the courses they have taken do not transfer to WSU as a prerequisite to their desired WSU math course. Otherwise, the only option would be to start at Math 100 at WSU, which does not require a prerequisite. I took a math placement test at my community college but I never took a math course while I was there. Can my community college placement score be used for placement at WSU?The Math Placement Test that is used at WSU is the same test that is used at Central, Eastern, Western, and UW. However, the community colleges in Washington do not use that same placement test. Community college transfer students that did not take a transferable math course must take the Math Placement Test, unless they have taken the SAT and obtained a score high enough for placement into their desired course. Can I use my ASSET score for placement?The WSU Department of Mathematics does not use ASSET scores for placement. Running start students at community colleges usually take a math course at that college, but if they don't (and if they don't take the SAT) they'll need to take the Math Placement Test at WSU. I have been enrolled in International Baccalaureate mathematics for two years and will receive my I.B. exam scores soon. Do I still need to take the Math Placement Test? Also, whom do I contact for information about using my I.B. exam scores for college credit at WSU?A score of 4 or better on the mathematics portion of the International Baccalaureate exam is sufficient for placement into Math 210, Math 251, or any of the first semester calculus courses (Math 140, 171, 202, or 206). For information about WSU credit for International Baccalaureate work, contact the admissions office at 1-888-468-6978 or visit their website at http://www.wsu.edu/admissions/admission.html. I am trying to determine if I would need to take the Math Placement Test. I will be a freshman in the fall but I am currently enrolled in Running Start, and I have taken a math course at another college.Students who have taken a math course for college credit are not required to take the Math Placement Test as long as that course transfers to WSU. It will be important to know which WSU course is equivalent to the course you took since some community college courses don't transfer to WSU as an equivalent. You can find the WSU equivalent of your course at http://www.wsu.edu/advise/transfer-courses. If your math course is transferred to WSU you should be able to register for the appropriate math course at WSU without trouble. Once you enroll you may receive a letter stating that you do not appear to be eligible for the math course in which you have enrolled. This will happen if your transfer credits are not evaluated in time to show up on your electronic file. This is fairly common since it takes some time for transfer credits to show up on a student's record. If you should get a letter of this sort, you will need to provide a copy of your transcript (unofficial is okay) to the math department to verify that you have met the prerequisite. I've heard that you can use your SAT math score in place of a Math Placement Test score. Is that true? If so, what steps need to be taken?Students who have taken the SAT may use the score from the math portion of the SAT for placement instead of taking the placement exam. Students are encouraged to check the placement table at http://www.sci.wsu.edu/math/placement/ to make sure their SAT math score is sufficient to place them into their desired course. If you think you should start with a higher course than your SAT score allows, you will need to take the Math Placement Test to try to improve your placement. Once you are enrolled at WSU your SAT score should be available in your student records and you probably wouldn't need to provide your score for the math department. However, if you have recently taken the SAT, if you are a new student at WSU, or if for some reason your SAT scores are not correctly listed in your student file, the math department will need to see a photocopy of your SAT score report for placement. I obtained a fairly high score on the math section of my SAT exam. If I take the Math Placement Test anyway and earn a low score do I still qualify for the same course based on the SAT?You may still take the Math Placement Test. If your Math Placement Test score is low, you can still be placed based on your SAT score. In general, if more than one type of test score is available (such as an SAT and a Math Placement Test score) placement will be based on the score that places you into the highest course. I have recently taken the (SAT or AP Calculus AB test) and I won't get my score back for awhile. Should I take the Math Placement Test or wait to see if I obtained an appropriate score on the (SAT or AP Calculus) test?If you will have a chance to take the Math Placement Test before the semester starts, you should still plan to take it if you do not get your other score in time. Otherwise you run the risk of having to wait a semester before taking the course you want to take, if your other exam score does not turn out to be as high as you had hoped. Do I need to take the placement exam if I want to take Math 101 on the Pullman campus through Spokane Falls Community College?You do not need to take the placement exam to get into the Math 101
course offered on the Pullman campus through Spokane Falls Community College.
Note that credit for Math 101 does not apply towards graduation.
If you have further questions you may send email. Click here Further Math Placement Questions (mplace@math.wsu.edu). Back to: Mathematics
Placement Test Home Page.
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