Academic Catalog
Placement Exams
Placement Exams
If you are a new first-year or transfer student with no college-level English or mathematics courses, you may need to take a placement exam prior to enrolling in your first English or mathematics course.
We describe these placement requirements in the following sections.
English Composition Placement
You must take ENG 105, preferably within your first two terms at Northern Arizona University. (If you transfer to Northern Arizona University with a grade of "C" or better in English 101 and 102 or equivalents from another institution, you have already met this requirement.)
To enroll in the course listed in the first column, you must have the ACT, SAT, or ACCUPLACER score or completed pre-requisite shown on the same line. For more information, contact the University Writing Program.
| Eligible to Enroll in: | Test/Component/Score |
|---|---|
| ENG 105 Completed (Student is also eligible to enroll in any course listed below this level) |
PLACE/ENGL/60 |
| ENG 205** (Student is also eligible to enroll in any course listed below this level) |
PLACE/ENGL/50 PLACE/ENGL/40 ACT 30-36 SAT 700-800 AP/ENGLT or ENGLN/4.00-4.99 IB/ENGA/4.00-4.99 ACENG/WRPLC/8 |
| ENG 105 (Student is also eligible to enroll in any course listed below this level) |
PLACE/ENGL/30 ACT/ENGL/17-29 SATI/VERB/340-690 IELTS/COMP/6-9 TOEFL/TOTPB/525-677 TOEFL/TOTCB/193-300 TOEFL/TOTIB/70-120 ACENG/WRPLC/4-7 |
| ENG 105 (any section) ENG 100 (Section 2 only) |
PLACE/ENGL/10 ACT/ENGL/1-16 SATI/VERB/200-330 ACENG/WRPLC/1-3 ACENG/READ/1-120 ACENG/SNTC/1-120 |
**Tests taken with qualifying scores in this row will result in an additional 2 units of English credit.
The additional 2 credits received for completing these tests will be applied to the student's record as a separate course (ENGCRD 2).
Mathematics Placement—ALEKS and Other Routes
In order to enroll in any mathematics or statistics course at Northern Arizona University, you must have the appropriate mathematics placement.
You can establish your mathematics placement by:
- Earning a "C" or better in an approved college or university mathematics or statistics transfer course, or
- College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), or International Baccalaureate (IB) exam; or
- By taking the NAU ALEKS Mathematics Placement Test.
For questions regarding transfer course equivalence, please contact your advisor.
For more information about mathematics placement at Northern Arizona University, please visit the Math Placement Website.
| Eligible to Enroll in: | Test/Component/Score |
|---|---|
| MAT 136, 226 | PLACE/MATH/70 ALEKS/MATHA/65+ ALEKS/MATHC/65+ |
| MAT 131 | PLACE/MATH/65 ALEKS/MATHA/60+ ALEKS/MATHC/60+ |
| MAT 119, 125 | PLACE/MATH/55 ALEKS/MATHA/50+ ALEKS/MATHC/50+ |
| STA 270 | PLACE/MATH/46 ALEKS/MATHA/40+ ALEKS/MATHC/40+ |
| MAT 108, 114, 150 | PLACE/MATH/43 ALEKS/MATHA/30+ ALEKS/MATHC/30+ |
| MAT 100 | PLACE/MATH/30 ALEKS/MATHC/0-29 |
PLACE/MATH scores will only appear and be valid for students enrolled prior to Fall 2010.
ALEKS/MATHA and ALEKS/MATHB tests are no longer administered, but scores earned on those tests while they were in use are still acceptable as mathematics placement. Students with ALEKS/MATHA and/or ALEKS/MATHB test scores are NOT required to take the new test, ALEKS/MATHC.
The ALEKS/MATHC test is the mathematics placement test that is currently being offered.
MAT 110 (College Algebra) is no longer offered at NAU, but can be transferred to NAU from other institutions. Please visit the Math Placement Website for more information about the courses for which MAT 110 can serve as the prerequisite.
Departmental Placement
When you begin your undergraduate work, your college or department may also require that you take a placement or proficiency exam covering introductory or basic areas in its academic discipline to determine the course level at which you will be permitted to enroll. No credit is awarded for your performance on these placement exams.
Your college or department decides how to determine placement levels for its courses. Its exams may include:
- nationally normed standardized exams, such as ACT or SAT,
- exams designed and graded by the individual college or department,
- prior course work, or
- combinations of these three.
You may be charged a nominal fee to cover the cost of producing the placement exam.
In some departments, you may be permitted to use supplemental exams to challenge the placement level initially assigned to you. There is a charge for such challenges. (See Challenge and Supplemental Exams).