Orientation will be here before you know it! Before you come to campus, the CSE Academic Advising team wants to remind you to have your placement exams and learning modules for placement completed. We've provided answers to the most commonly asked questions about these items here.
We hope you are as excited as we are for orientation! Before you arrive on campus, the CSE Academic Advising team wants to remind you to have your placement exams and learning modules for placement completed. To help you out, we've provided answers to a few of the most commonly asked questions about these items:
Who needs to take the placement exams and learning modules for placement? All incoming CSE first-year students must take the placement exams and learning modules for placement, including those who expect pre-college credit (AP or IB), or those who have earned college credit (PSEO/CIS/dual-enrollment). It is important to complete these exams before attending orientation so you can be placed in appropriate courses. Not completing these exams and modules before orientation can impact your fall registration.
How do I take the placement exams and learning modules for placement? You can access these through the New Student Checklist. The tests are online and timed.
What exams do I need to take? All incoming CSE first-year students must take the calculus placement exam and chemistry learning modules for placement. These will be assigned to you on your New Student Checklist.
Why do I need to take placement tests and learning modules for placement? The exams are designed to assess your readiness for the rigor of coursework at the University of Minnesota. Knowing where you stand will inform what you and your advisor decide regarding your registration choices.
What if I already have AP, IB, or college credit for math or chemistry? Will I lose that credit if I place lower? Taking the placement tests will not negate the credit you have already earned for AP, IB, or earned college credit (PSEO/CIS/dual-enrollment). However, if you place lower than what would be expected based on your previous coursework, it could be an indicator that you are not prepared to move forward in the course sequence(s). Making this determination will involve having an honest conversation with your college academic advisor at orientation.
What else should I know about the placement tests and learning modules for placement? The chemistry learning modules for placement begins with an initial assessment, which may only be taken once. From there, you will work on learning modules to continue improving your knowledge and score. We strongly recommend that you follow through with additional learning modules and assessments until you reach a score of 100 prior to the semester beginning.
Please note: the chemistry learning modules for placement will allow you to log in after you complete the initial assessment in order to continue working in the learning modules.
In order to complete the math placement exam and chemistry learning modules for placement, it is important that you submit your scores. For chemistry, click the "accept" button. For the math placement test, click the "submit" button. It may take a while for scores to be available on your checklist.
The Office of Undergraduate Education offers additional information on the math placement exam and chemistry learning modules for placement. It is important that you read it prior to taking the exams:
• Math Placement Test: https://placement.umn.edu/math
• Chemistry Learning Modules for Placement: http://placement.umn.edu/chemistry-placement
• Information on CSE Placement Testing and Learning Modules for Placement: https://placement.umn.edu/college/cse
I am interested in continuing with a second language. Do I need to take a placement test? Yes, you should take a placement test to determine where you will start in the curriculum. You can learn more about placement testing for second languages by visiting the Language Testing Program website. You can also learn language-specific information about the different placement tests offered at the U. If you have questions about languages that are not discussed on that website, please contact the department in which your language of interest is housed for information on how they may do placement.
Hopefully this has provided you with some additional insight about the placement tests. We look forward to seeing you on campus this summer!
