Math Placement Exceptions

College-level transfer credit earned through another institution or by examination (AP, Cambridge A-level, CLEP, IB or SBAC) may exempt you from taking the WSU Math Placement Assessment (MPA). Please read on for specific requirements for exemption of the MPA and placement into WSU math classes.

Transfer Credits

• You might be exempt from the MPA depending on your transfer math credit. You may search for transfer course equivalencies in the WSU transfer credit database at transfercredit.wsu.edu by clicking on the “Transfer Course Search Tool” link. If your transfer credit is not equivalent to a required math course for your desired major or is not equivalent to a prerequisite math course, then you are required to take the MPA. To see required math courses for different majors, please visit the WSU Academic Program Search page.
• If you do not see your transfer math course listed in the WSU transfer credit database and you are an undergraduate degree seeking student admitted to WSU, then you may submit a Course Evaluation Request Form. Please allow 2 weeks for your results to be emailed to you. If you do not receive a response before your New Coug Orientation and you expect to be placed into Calculus 1 or below, then we recommend you take the MPA. If you expect to be placed into Calculus 2 or higher, you can enroll yourself into a math class after your New Coug Orientation is over once you receive a response regarding your transfer math course. General questions regarding transfer course equivalencies will also be addressed during your New Coug Orientation.
• If you have completed college-level transfer credit from a previous institution, you must send the official transcripts to the WSU Admissions Office. Please allow up to 2 weeks for the official transcripts to be processed. For more information please visit the WSU Admissions Office Frequently Asked Questions page.
• Admitted WSU students may view their transfer credit by logging into their myWSU account and clicking on the "Academic Advising" tile and then "View Transfer Credit Report.” It may take up to two weeks for official transcripts to be processed in the WSU system.
• In-progress transfer credit will not be displayed in an admitted student's myWSU account until their transfer course is completed and a final transcript is sent to the WSU Admissions Office. In the meantime, you can search for transfer course equivalencies in the WSU transfer credit database at transfercredit.wsu.edu by clicking on the “Transfer Course Search Tool” link.
• If your transfer credit is still in-progress or has not been transferred or processed into the WSU system before your New Coug Orientation, you must bring a copy of your unofficial transcript with you to your New Coug Orientation.

High school-level classes do not count for math placement or WSU credit:

• However, college-level courses taken in high school is the same as college transfer credit. More information is found under the “Running Start or ‘College in the High School’ Credits” section (below).

• These courses are not prerequisites for any higher-level math courses. If your desired major requires Math 106/201 precalculus or higher, then you are required to take the MPA. To see required math courses for different majors, please visit the WSU Academic Program Search page.

• This is equivalent to Math 106 college algebra and Math 108 trigonometry, which is the precalculus series at WSU.
  • If calculus is a required math course for your desired major and you received a grade of C or higher, you place into Calculus 1 as either Math 140, Math 171, or Math 202, depending on your major.
  • If Math 106, Math 108, or Calculus 1 is not required for your desired major and you received a grade of D or higher, then you are not required to take the MPA. The Math 1XX [QUAN] Precalculus credit satisfies the WSU Quantitative Reasoning [QUAN] UCORE requirement.
• If you received a grade of C- or lower and wish/need to retake the course, you must take the MPA and receive the required score for placement into Math 106 or the Accelerated Math 106 and Math 108 courses. A PDF of the WSU Math Placement Chart may be found on this page.

• Math 101 Intermediate Algebra does not provide credit toward a student’s degree, but it functions the same as Math 103. With the Math 101 transfer credit, students can place into either Math 103 (if need a refresher), Math 105, Math 106, Math 201, Stat 212, or Math 251, depending on your major. To see required math courses for different majors, please visit the WSU Academic Program Search page.

• Students may repeat a course if it is a grade of C- or lower.
• You are required to retake the course and receive a grade of C or higher, if you need the course to move onto higher-level math for your desired major.
• Students do not need to go through the Math Department's third time repeater policy during their New Coug Orientation if their previous two attempts are from another university.
Read below if you still need to take the MPA:
• If the transfer course is equivalent to Calculus 1 or lower, you must take the MPA and receive the required MPA score to place into the math course you need to repeat. A PDF of the WSU Math Placement Chart may be found on this page.
• If the transfer course is equivalent to Calculus 2 or higher, you are not required to take the MPA. When you meet with your academic advisor at your New Coug Orientation, they will enroll you into the math course you need to repeat.

• You may request to audit a course. This may act as a refresher of course material before you move onto higher-level math courses. Click here to download an audit form. Fill in your information, the course information, have the instructor sign it as proof of permission, and return the form to French Administration, room 346. The MPA is not required to audit a course.
• You may request to repeat the course for no additional credit. This will not raise or lower your WSU grade point average. You will still need to receive a grade of C or higher to move onto higher-level math. This option was solely created to help students who have not seen their math course material for two years or more and need to repeat them before continuing onto higher-level math courses.
• These requests will be processed on a case-by-case basis. To enroll, you can send an email to math.stats@wsu.edu on the last day of your New Coug Orientation and include the following information:
1. Your WSU student ID number.
2. The math or statistics course, lecture section, and lab section if applicable and the semester you hope to be enrolled into.
3. How many years it has been since you have taken the course, the grade you received, and your desired major.
• Please allow up to seven business days before you receive a response. Requests for courses that are in high demand may be denied, in which case it is recommended students audit the course instead.

• Students in a high school Running Start program or taking "College in the High School" credit may be exempt from the MPA depending on their transfer math credit. Statistics credit may transfer directly to satisfy major requirements, but cannot be used for math placement at WSU.
• You may search for equivalent courses by the college that hosted your Running Start or "College in the High School" credit through the WSU transfer credit database. Go to transfercredit.wsu.edu and click on the “Transfer Course Search Tool” link.
  • If your transfer credit is not equivalent to a required math course for your desired major or is not equivalent to a prerequisite math course, then you are required to take the MPA. To see required math courses for different majors, please visit the WSU Academic Program Search page. Additional information regarding transfer credit equivalencies may be found under the “Transfer Credits” heading at the top of this page.

Exams

*Note: Currently, a score of 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam grants credit for Math 171 and Math 172. Beginning Spring 2020, credit will only be granted for Math 171. Students with AP Calculus AB scores of 5 are highly recommended to take Math 171 and/or Math 172 before moving on to Math 273.

**Note:: Stat 212 is not a prerequisite for any higher-level math course. If your desired major requires Math 106/201 precalculus or higher, and this is your only transfer course, then you must take the MPA.

• Still attend New Coug Orientation and let your advisor know that you have taken the AP exam. Your advisor will place you into a math or statistics course based on your expected AP score, which will be verified before the semester begins.
  • You must still manually or automatically send your AP scores to WSU from your College Board Account as soon as your scores have posted. AP scores are posted in early July every year. If your appropriate AP score is NOT in the myWSU system one week before school begins and you were enrolled in a math or statistics course during your New Coug Orientation, then you will be dropped from the course.
  • If you do NOT receive the appropriate AP score or higher and you were enrolled in a math or statistics course during your New Coug Orientation, then please drop yourself from the course and follow the directions below:
  • You will either need to enroll yourself into a lower-level math class based on your AP score or take the MPA if your AP score did not place you into Calculus 1 or higher. If you need to take the MPA, its placement score will update on the morning of the next business day where you can then enroll yourself in the course you qualify. A PDF of the WSU Math Placement Chart may be found on this page.
  • Students who do not receive the appropriate AP score and have not dropped themselves from their math or statistic course after their New Coug Orientation, will be dropped from their course a week before school begins.
  • If you are having trouble enrolling into the appropriate math class after your New Coug Orientation, then please check your myWSU account for any holds or contact your academic advisor for assistance.
  If your AP scores have already posted, but they may not be processed by WSU before your New Coug Orientation:
  • You must bring a physical copy of your AP score report to your New Coug Orientation, or have your College Board account available on your mobile device. Advisors cannot place you into a math class until they see the appropriate score.
  • Admitted WSU students may view their AP credit by logging into their myWSU account and clicking on the "Academic Advising" tile and then "View Transfer Credit Report.” It may take up to two weeks for AP scores to be processed in the WSU system. In the meantime, double check that your AP scores have been sent to WSU through your College Board account.

Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC)

• A score of 3 or 4 counts for placement into Math 103.
• A score of 4 counts for placement into Math 105, Math 251, or Stat 212 depending on your desired major.

Students pursuing a STEM degree are highly recommended to take the MPA instead of using their SBAC score.

Placement scores for the SBAC are not logged in the WSU system, students must bring a physical copy of their score report to their New Coug Orientation to be placed in a course. Advisors cannot place a student into a math class until they see the appropriate score.

Students who have already attended a New Coug Orientation can send an electronic copy of their SBAC score report to math.stats@wsu.edu for enrollment. Please include your WSU ID number and the course and section number(s) into which you hope to enroll.

Other Accepted Assessments

• Cambridge A-level Exam
• CLEP Exam
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Exam

Students who gain credit from one of these mathematics exams are generally exempt from the MPA depending on the score received, and can be placed into the next-level math course. Tables for each exam, showing required scores and credits awarded, are provided through the WSU Admissions web page (look under the "Requirements & Applications" on the left side).

Admitted WSU students may view their credit by logging into their myWSU account and clicking on the "Academic Advising" tile and then "View Transfer Credit Report.” It may take up to two weeks for credit to be processed in the WSU system.

If your credit does not transfer to WSU system before your New Coug Orientation, you must bring a physical copy of your score report with you to your New Coug Orientation. Advisors cannot place you into a math class until they see the appropriate score.

WSU cannot accept the following for placement

• SAT or ACT scores
• High school-level classes
• Math placement scores from other universities
• Even if your previous university used the ALEKS system, it is not transferrable for placement at WSU.

Students who do NOT have college-level transfer credit through another institution or by examination (AP, Cambridge A-level, CLEP, IB or SBAC) as outlined above are required to take the ALEKS Math Placement Assessment (MPA) in order to enroll into WSU math classes.

If you need to take the MPA and have questions about the assessment, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

For math and statistics course descriptions, please visit our Course Information page.