College Math Placement Test Prep from MathHelp.com (2023)

FAQs

How to prepare for college placement math test? ›

What math is on a placement test? The math on a placement test falls into three categories: arithmetic, algebra, and advanced math. Mastering the arithmetic on the test will place you out of one remedial math course. Acing the algebra will allow you skip remedial math entirely.

Is a Math Placement Test Hard? College math placement tests are not certainly difficult. These examinations basically cover Algebra which you studied in high school, so whether or not the math placement test is hard relies on your high school performance.

A typical test lasts 90 minutes and requires you to answer 60 multiple-choice questions. Questions may cover functions, linear equations, and rational expressions. Your school may offer college placement test practice materials, such as an online readiness test.

All students will have one opportunity to retake the exam during the summer, and additional opportunities during the school year. Before retaking the exam you will need to spend eight hours in an ALEKS learning module.

An ALEKS Assessment Score of 30 or higher indicates adequate preparation for most general education mathematics or statistics courses.

Your placement result (overall score) is a number between 0 and 100.

If you're being asked to take a placement test, it's very important to prepare for the exam. If your score is high enough, you can save a lot of time, money, and boredom by skipping remedial and basic college math classes. You'll enjoy college more and likely earn your degree faster.

Is it OK to do bad on a college placement test? ›

Failing a placement exam imposes the additional requirement of having to participate in remedial education on degree-seeking students. As such, college placement tests may dissuade some students with weaker academic skills from pursuing postsecondary schooling.

It is important, however, to prepare and study for these tests so that you're placed into the right courses. If you're not well prepared, there is a chance you could be placed in a lower-level course, meaning you'll have to spend more time (and money) in classes to be able to graduate or receive your degree.

You cannot fail a placement test.

The test determines what courses you will be placed in when you begin at college. Depending on your score, you may need to take extra developmental courses or you may be able to start regular college courses right away.

Practice at Home without a Calculator

As we have seen in the previous section, the answer to “Can you use a calculator on the Accuplacer” is a resounding “No!” Since you can't use your own calculator on the test, you should get used to doing most of the math questions by hand.

There is no failing a placement test. The worst that can happen is that you will start your classes at the entry level, which is actually to your benefit. You will start with familiar material, which makes it easy, and you will start your GPA at 4.0, which will give you a cushion later on.

Reading, Writing, and Math Tests

ACCUPLACER Reading, Writing, Quantitative Reasoning and Statistics, and Advanced Algebra and Functions tests each have a score range of 200–300.

All developmental reading, math, writing and ESL course placements are valid for one year from the date of assessment. College level placements in reading, math and writing are valid for three years from the date of assessment.

Placement testing is done online, so you can choose the day when it is most convenient for you to take the tests that you need to take.

What are examples of placement assessment? ›

Placement assessments are used to “place” students into a course, course level, or academic program. For example, an assessment may be used to determine whether a student is ready for Algebra I or a higher-level algebra course, such as an honors-level course.

Even survey results display that cheating in ALEKS is harder than cheating in real classes. Because ALEKS is an electronic web page that easily detects if you are cheating. You can get help with questions or problems with homework, but you cannot cheat directly while you are being for the assessment.

May I use a calculator while using ALEKS? ALEKS will provide an on-screen calculator if you need one to complete a particular problem. Otherwise, please do not use a calculator.

Students have up to four retakes available (five total attempts). After your second attempt students are required to spend a minimum of three hours working in the ALEKS Prep and Learning modules. After spending the required time with the Prep and Learning module, a student will be enabled to retake the assessment.

Please keep in mind that ALEKS scores are not grades like on a class exam. A score of 30 or higher reflects that a student is adequately prepared for college-level mathematics.

When the student has completed the course, there will be a congratulatory message, and the student's pie will remain 100% full. The teacher can now move the student to a new (more advanced) ALEKS course.

ALEKS is an online exam consisting of 25 – 30 open-ended questions covering a variety of math topics. The exact number of questions will vary because of the adaptive format. There is no time limit for ALEKS, but you should allow a minimum of 90 minutes to complete your exam.

ALEKS math score is between 1 and 100 and is interpreted as the correct percentage. A higher ALEKS score shows that the examiner has mastered more mathematical concepts. The ALEKS placement test is hard because it is adaptive. In other words, the more questions you answer correctly, the more difficult questions become.

ALEKS is an online math assessment and adaptive learning program for grades 3–12 that helps students review and successfully master the skills needed to meet critical mathematical benchmarks and standards.

Retaking the Math Placement Assessment

Before retaking the ALEKS Math Placement Assessment, you must spend at least 3 hours in your Learning Module, but the more time spent, the higher the likelihood of course placement and course success.

Do placement tests affect GPA? ›

Placement test scores are positively—but weakly—associated with college grade point average (GPA).

Be sure to answer every item. You are not penalized for guessing. Your score will provide more useful placement infor- mation if you answer every item, even if you guess. Don't be afraid to change an answer if you believe that your first choice was wrong.

Individuals may also take the Accuplacer tests at the postsecondary institution they plan to attend. However, test attempts in high school may count towards the number of attempts a student is allowed while in college. Specific retake policies can vary from college to college.

You'll have industry-level work experience before you even graduate. Get ahead of the game. By completing a placement year, you automatically increase your chances of securing a graduate job. All the big graduate employers look for candidates who have completed work experience before graduation.

If you're being asked to take a placement test, it's very important to prepare for the exam. If your score is high enough, you can save a lot of time, money, and boredom by skipping remedial and basic college math classes.

Failing a placement exam imposes the additional requirement of having to participate in remedial education on degree-seeking students. As such, college placement tests may dissuade some students with weaker academic skills from pursuing postsecondary schooling.

Practice before the exam - even if you normally do well in the subject. This is critical - students who take the exam cold usually do not do well and then have to take summer programs or non-credit courses to demonstrate their skills.

Yes. If you are unhappy with your placement score, you may retake the exam.

You can't fail a placement test for college. If you receive a low score, you'll be placed in developmental classes for that subject to help increase your knowledge of the topic before you advance to more rigorous courses.

What is a good math placement test score? ›

A score of 30 or higher reflects that a student is adequately prepared for college-level mathematics. Higher level scores representative an adequate preparedness for higher level courses.

A low ALEKS score does NOT mean that you are bad at math! It simply means that you were probably not prepared well enough in high school for this level of math. You do have the option to retake the ALEKS test. But, if you choose not to, or if your score is still not above at 39, then you will be enrolled in MATH 139X.

ALEKS stands for Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces. ALEKS is designed to first determine what you know and don't know, and then provide explanations and practice problems for concepts you don't know.