Placement Exams

It is the policy of the Department of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences that all students must have the appropriate prerequisites in order to register for MATH 1070, MATH 1110 and MATH 1401.

MATH 1070, Algebra for Social Sciences and Business:

Elementary Algebra (ELALG) ACCUPLACER score of 85 or higher
ACT MATH score of 24 or higher (taken within 3 years of the class start date)
SAT MATH score of 560 or higher (taken within 3 years of the class start date)

MATH 1110, College Algebra:

Elementary Algebra (ELALG) ACCUPLACER score of 85 or higher
ACT MATH score of 24 or higher (taken within 3 years of the class start date)
SAT MATH score of 560 or higher (taken within 3 years of the class start date)

MATH 1401, Calculus I:

UC Denver Calculus Readiness Exam score of 19/25 (beginning Fall 2008)
College-Level Math (CLM) ACCUPLACER score of 80 or higher
ACT MATH score of 27 or higher (taken within 3 years of the class start date)
SAT MATH score of 620 or higher (taken within 3 years of the class start date)

ACCUPLACER Exam and UC Denver Calculus Readiness Exam

What?

The ACCUPLACER exam is an adaptive assessment exam - each question answered correctly means the next question is harder and worth more points. If a question is answered incorrectly, the next question is easier and is worth fewer points. If you answer the first three questions incorrectly, then it is extremely difficult to get enough points on the remaining questions to pass the exam. At the beginning of the exam, you should spend a little extra time checking your answers.

The UC Denver Calculus Readiness Exam is an exam developed by the Department of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences to assess whether a student is ready to take Calculus (MATH 1401).

Students who plan to take MATH 1401 in the summer of 2008 can take either the CLM ACCUPLACER exam or the UC Denver Calculus Readiness Exam. Students who plan to take MATH 1401 in the fall of 2008 or later can take only the UC Denver Calculus Readiness Exam.

Where?

The Elementary Algebra and the College-Level Math ACCUPLACER and the UC Denver Calculus Readiness Exam can be taken at the MERC (Math Education Resource Center) Lab, located in Room 132 in the Science Building.

When?

You can take the exam at the MERC Lab any time the lab is open. Please be sure to leave enough time to finish the exam before the MERC Lab closes. The MERC lab hours are updated each semester, so please visit the MERC Lab Open Hours website before making plans to sit for the exam.

How Can Students Prepare?

To better prepare students for the ACCUPLACER exams, the Department of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences hosts several seminars during registration. These interactive seminars are an excellent way to refresh math skills, practice problem solving methods, and prepare for the exam. Please visit the ACCUPLACER Seminar Schedule website for dates and times.

There are two good review sheets for the ACCUPLACER exams.

For MATH 1070 and 1110: Elementary Algebra Review (Word document)
For MATH 1401: College Algebra and Trigonometry Review (Word document). Streaming videos on topics in College Algebra can be found at http://www-math.cudenver.edu/~rbyrne/flash.htm

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the deadline for taking the exam?

The exam must be taken and passed on or before the Wednesday of the first week of classes.

How long does it take to take the exam?

The Elementary Algebra ACCUPLACER has 12 multiple-choice questions. You will begin to lose points after about 60 minutes.
The College-Level Math ACCUPLACER has 20 multiple-choice questions. You will begin to lose points after about 80 minutes.
The UC Denver Calculus Readiness Exam has 25 questions and students normally take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete the exam.

How long is my exam score good?

All exam scores are valid if they were obtained within 3 years of the starting date of the course. An appropriate prerequisite score must be achieved BEFORE enrolling in the class.

I took the ACCUPLACER exam at another institution. Do I have to take it again?

If you took the appropriate ACCUPLACER Exam (MATH 1401 students need the College-Level Math exam and MATH 1070 and 1110 students need the Elementary Algebra Exam or College-Level Math exam), then you are responsible for obtaining official documentation of your exam results from the institution and faxing your scores to the Department of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences: 303-556-8550.

I took Calculus at another institution (high school, community college, Metro). I would like to re-take Calculus I to brush up on my skills. Do I still need to take the exam?

If you have completed a college-level calculus course at another school and received a grade of C- or better, you will not be required to take the ACCUPLACER. The calculus course must be on your CU transcript, so high-school calculus classes do not fall under this category, unless you received full credit for Calculus I by way of an AP exam or taking it as a CU-Succeed course. If you took calculus more than 3 years ago it is strongly recommended that you take the ACCUPLACER to determine whether you should take a different course as a refresher, though this will not affect whether you can take calculus here. It should also be noted that you cannot receive credit for calculus twice; retaking calculus will not help you get the credit needed to graduate, but the course grade will affect your GPA. Another option is to take the class for No Credit (so you would not receive a grade, but you would get feedback from the instructor through homeworks and exam grades).

I took a different placement exam (e.g. ELM) at another institution. Will it transfer?

The short answer is "no." Until we can document the equivalence between exams, we are not allowing these scores to transfer.

How often can I take the exam?

You have two attempts in the MERC lab each semester you are trying to register for MATH 1070, 1110 or 1401. Attempts must be made on separate business days. Both attempts must be completed on or before the Wednesday of the first week of classes.

I took the exam twice and still did not pass the exam. Is there any way I can take the exam a third time?

Appeals will be considered by the Associate Chair of the Department of Mathematics. Appeals will only be considered if you come close to passing on at least one of your attempts. Appeals for reasons such as “I didn’t know how hard it was going to be” or “I didn’t know I had to take the ACCUPLACER exam” will not be granted.

If I just want to audit the course. Do I still have to take the exam?

Everyone who is registered for the course must take the exam.

If I took the College-Level Math exam and did not place into Calculus I, can I take College Algebra without taking the Elementary Algebra Exam?

You really should take the Elementary Algebra ACCUPLACER Exam because the exams cover different material. However, if you have credits in College Algebra and received at least a 70 on the College-Level Math ACCUPLACER Exam, you may take MATH 1110- College Algebra. You must contact the Associate Chair of the Department of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences with proof of your credits in College Algebra.

I would like to take a Metro pooled math course. Do I need to meet CU prerequisite requirements or Metro's prerequisite requirements?

Before enrolling in a CU pooled math course all CU students must meet CU's prerequisite requirements, just as Metro students must meet Metro's prerequisite requirements. The registration process for enrolling in a Metro pooled course is the same as for enrolling in an on-campus course - a Schedule Adjustment Form must be filled out and an authorized signature from the Department of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences must be obtained.

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For students who are not sure which math course is appropriate, we have provided several placement exercises. These exercises are for self-assessment purposes only.