Placement Tests
To make sure you choose courses that are appropriate for your skill level, you will take placement exams before you register for classes.
Placement tests can only be taken once, so make sure you take these assessments seriously and give them your best effort.
Math Placement Exam
You must take the online Math Placement Exam before attending your orientation session. All students should take this exam because math courses are required for a large majority of majors at the university. Even if your major has no relation to math, some General Education courses have a prerequisite based on this exam, and all students need to fulfill the Basic Math Skills (R1) and the Analytical Reasoning (R2) requirements. (There is a separate optional exemption exam for R1.) The Math Placement Exam covers the basics of algebra, coordinate geometry, and trigonometry. It will ensure that you choose the right courses for your skills, which is essential for your success.
Your first step is to go to the Math Placement Exam directions page. Read the directions very carefully, and make sure you have an hour of uninterrupted time to complete the exam and a quiet place to work. When you’re ready to begin, follow the instructions for logging into the exam and get to work.
First year students must take the Math Placement Exam before you can sign up for RAP. You will need to allow 48 hours between when you take the placement exam and when you register for RAP.
Writing Placement Exam
First year students will also take an essay exam to determine your placement in freshman writing courses. This test takes place during your orientation session. Students are exempt, with credit, from the First-Year Writing Requirement if they received a total of 1460 or more on the SAT Critical Reading and SAT Writing tests, or if they received a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Language and Composition Test. (If a student received a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition Test, they are not exempted from the First-Year Writing Requirement, but will receive three English credits.)
Foreign Language Placement Exams
Students who have studied French, Latin, or Spanish for three or more years and will continue with the same language at UMass Amherst, must take the Foreign Language Placement Exam online prior to Summer NSO. More details on foreign language placement are available here.
