English and mathematics placement exams

English Placement Exam

Math Placement Exam

All students must pass an approved mathematics course and an approved English composition course. The placement exams are designed to help you fulfill these requirements by identifying the courses that best match your skills.

English placement exam
REGISTER HERE! English Placement Registration form
A $13.37 testing fee will be billed to your student account (testing fees are not included in the orientation/matriculation fee).

The English exam is administered in a two-hour session. You will write two essays, one argumentative and the other self-reflective.

Do I need to take the English placement exam?
All incoming students who have not received equivalent credit for English 101 must take the English placement exam. Students who have received scores of four or above on the AP test in English will receive credit for English 101 and do not have to take the placement exam.

Please note: WSU does not accept outside scores for placement in writing courses.

Mathematics placement exam
REGISTER HERE! Math Placement Registration form

We want you to do well in your mathematics classes at Washington State University. A first step is to enroll in math classes for which you are prepared.

What math courses do I need to take?
Each undergraduate at WSU must pass a designated math course as part of the General Education Requirement. Courses taken at other colleges may fulfill this requirement, but transfer credit must be officially approved. Course equivalencies information for colleges in Washington and selected colleges out of state may be found at www.wsu.edu/advise/transfer-courses. You may also wish to consult a WSU catalog for math requirements in your intended field.

Which math courses may I take?
This depends on your score on one of several possible tests or what prerequisite courses you have taken.

a.       Entering Freshmen. WSU accepts scores from any of the following tests:

b.       Continuing Students. Many college courses assume background from a previous course (or courses) and list that course (or courses) as prerequisite(s) for enrolling in the given course. Consult the current Washington State University Catalog for a complete listing of courses offered and their prerequisites. Most mathematics courses require a C grade or better in all prerequisites. Occasionally, a course will have more than one prerequisite, in which case, all prerequisites need to be satisfied.
c.       Transfer Students. In order to place you correctly and enhance your chances for success, we strongly advise that all transfer students wishing to enroll in a math course take a math placement test. If you do not score high enough on the placement test, you may still qualify to remain enrolled in the math course based on the quantitative SAT score or math course(s) which transfer as an equivalent to a prerequisite(s) for the course. Transfer credit equivalencies for many institutions can be found at the following web site: http://www.wsu.edu/advise/transfer-courses. The WSU Mathematics Department does not have access to all your academic records. Thus, we recommend that you have these documents available before enrolling in math classes at WSU.

The Mathematics Placement Test
There are two types of placement tests: intermediate or advanced. Students planning to enroll in Math 105, 107, 201, 202, 205, 206, 212 or 251 may take either the intermediate or the advanced test. Students planning to enroll in Math 140 or 171 must take the advanced test. A $25.00 fee is charged each time the test is taken. Those who are not satisfied with their placement test score may retake the test, but only one retake per year at each level (intermediate and advanced) is allowed.

The Intermediate version covers intermediate algebra, and the Advanced version covers precalculus topics such as intermediate algebra and trigonometry. You are encouraged to review relevant material before taking the test. We have two web sites we recommend you visit.

This first web site http://www.sci.wsu.edu/math/HS has the ability to supply many different problems for various fundamental math concepts, as well as review material. This would be a good beginning place to review concepts, however it is recommended that you also look at the old exams available at the second web site, as the review material may not be exhaustive.

The second web site http://www.washington.edu/oea/services/testing_center/aptp/practice.html has one practice test for each of the Advanced or Intermediate Math Placement tests as well as information about test dates, locations (other than WSU) and topics covered.

For more information about test dates, location and registration, click here http://www.sci.wsu.edu/math/placement/signup.html.


 

Contact us: Admiss@tricity.wsu.edu (509) 372-7250
Washington State University Tri-Cities, 2710 University Drive, Richland, WA 99354-1671 USA