Exemptions from Testing: Which Tests Do I Need to Take?

Math and English Testing

First-Year Students:

Math and English testing are required unless you qualify for an exemption below. If you qualify for any of the

outlined math exemptions, then you are exempt from the ENTIRE Math test and should not complete any portion of

it. If you qualify for any of the outlined English exemptions, then you are exempt from the ENTIRE English test and

should not complete any portion of it.

Exemptions – Math Testing

• AP Exam in Calculus AB or BC with score of 4 or 5 (already completed before 2024)

• AP Calculus AB subscore of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC test (already completed before 2024)

Exemptions – English Testing

• Evidence-Based Reading & Writing (EBRW) SAT score of 650 or higher (by the Jan. 2024 test)

• ACT Reading score of 28 or higher (by the Jan. 2024 test)

• AP Exam in English Lang/Comp with score of 4 or 5 (already completed before 2024)

• AP Exam in English Lit/Comp with score of 4 or 5 (already completed before 2024)

• Credit for the equivalent of 01:355:101 College Writing (already completed before 2024)

Please note exemptions only count if official scores have been sent to Rutgers. To send scores:

• ACT: http://www.actstudent.org/scores/send/

• SAT: https://sat.collegeboard.org/scores/send-sat-scores

• AP: https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores

If qualifying scores were sent to Rutgers with your application, no further action needs to be taken.

Dual Enrollment

• Math dual enrollment courses do not exempt a first-year student from the math placement test.

• Senior-year dual enrollment college credits completed after 2023 do not exempt a first-year student from their

Rutgers placement tests.

Transfer/Continuing Students:

Transfer students should only test if advised to do so by a Rutgers advisor, or if indicated on their transfer

summary/credit evaluation.

World Language Testing

Required for:

• Incoming SAS first-year students

• Honors Program students (through SAS or RBS)

• Honors College students (through SAS or RBS)

If you have proficiency in more than one language, test in the language you are most likely to study in college. Do not test

in a language if you have no background in it. Students planning to start studying a new world language at Rutgers should

NOT take the test in the new language.

Find links to the world language tests on this page.

Exemption Details by School for Rutgers - New Brunswick First Year Students:

What Does My Exemption Mean?

Click on a school name for detailed, school-specific information on exemptions for

first-year students:

• School of Arts and Sciences (SAS)

• Rutgers Business School (RBS)

• School of Engineering (SoE)

• School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS)

• Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy (EMSOP)

• Mason Gross School of the Arts (MGSA)

• School of Nursing (New Brunswick)

School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) – Rutgers New Brunswick

English - Students with an Evidence-Based Reading & Writing SAT score of 650 or higher or an ACT Reading

score of 28 or higher (by the January 2024 testing date) are exempt from completing the English placement

test and will automatically be placed into College Writing 101. Please ensure that the qualifying scores are

sent to Rutgers. Students who completed the AP exam in English Lang/Comp or English Lit/Comp with a score

of a 4 or 5 in their junior year would be exempt from completing the English placement test and would receive

credit for College Writing. Students will need to provide an original copy of the scores directly from the

College Board for credit to be granted. Our CEEB code is 002765. Students should have the scores sent

electronically or to the following address:

SAS Office of Advising and Academic Services

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

54 Joyce Kilmer Avenue

Lucy Stone Hall, Room A-216

Piscataway, NJ 08854

Math – Students who completed the AP Calculus exam (AB or BC) with a score of 4 or 5 in their junior year

would be exempt from the math placement test and will receive credit for Calculus. Please ensure that AP

scores are sent directly to Rutgers. Math SAT or ACT scores do NOT provide any exemption from placement

testing.

World Language – World language testing is required for all School of Arts and Sciences students, even if they

do not plan to take any language courses at Rutgers. Students should take a world language placement test in

a language with which they have experience (for example: studied in high school or speak the language at

home). Students who complete an AP world language exam will receive credit for AP exam scores of 4 or 5,

but must still take the placement test in that language to determine their placement level at Rutgers. Please

ensure that AP scores are sent directly to Rutgers.

PLEASE NOTE: If taken after the January 2024 testing deadline, Senior year English and Math AP exams, IB

exams, and college transfer credit are evaluated and appropriate credit will be awarded, but they do not

exempt a first-year student from Rutgers Placement Testing. It is highly recommended that SAS students

complete all placement testing prior to attending New Student Orientation.

This information is intended for first-year Rutgers New Brunswick students attending the School of Arts and

Sciences (SAS).

Rutgers Business School – New Brunswick

English - Students with an Evidence-Based Reading & Writing SAT score of 650 or higher or an ACT Reading

score of 28 or higher (by the January 2024 testing date) are exempt from completing the English placement

test and will automatically be placed into College Writing 101. Please ensure that the qualifying scores are

sent to Rutgers. Students who completed the AP exam in English Lang/Comp or English Lit/Comp with a score

of a 4 or 5 in the junior year would also be exempt from completing the English placement test and would

receive credit for College Writing. Please ensure that AP scores are sent directly to Rutgers.

Math – Students who completed the AP Calculus exam (AB or BC) with a score of 4 or 5 in the junior year

would be exempt from the math placement test and will receive credit for Calculus. Please ensure that AP

scores are sent directly to Rutgers. Math SAT or ACT scores do NOT provide any exemption from placement

testing.

PLEASE NOTE: Senior year AP, IB exams, and dual enrollment college credits do not exempt a first-year

student from Rutgers Placement Testing. A 4 or 5 earned on an AP exam (Calculus, English Language & Comp,

English Literature & Comp) in the sophomore or junior year would exempt students from the respective

placement test (Math or English). Senior year AP scores will not be known until July 2024, so in the meantime,

please take the respective placement tests. If you receive an AP score of 4 or 5 by July, on either of the AP

English or the AP Calculus exams, please send your scores to Rutgers - you will receive credit for and be

exempt from the equivalent course(s).

World Language: World language testing is highly recommended for RBS students. It is required for SAS

Honors Program students (refer to information under School of Arts and Sciences) or Honors College students.

It is highly recommended that students complete all placement testing prior to the Business School Academic

Planning & Advising sessions at New Student Orientation. Course selections for Business School students are

contingent upon the results of placement tests.

This information is intended for first-year Rutgers Business School (New Brunswick) students.

School of Engineering (SoE) – Rutgers New Brunswick

English - Students with an Evidence-Based Reading & Writing SAT score of 650 or higher or an ACT Reading

score of 28 or higher (by the January 2024 testing date) are exempt from completing the English placement

test and will automatically be placed into College Writing 101. Either score must be sent directly to Rutgers for

the exemption. Students who completed the AP exam in English Lang/Comp or English Lit/Comp with a score

of a 4 or 5 in the junior year would also be exempt from completing the English placement test. Please ensure

that AP scores are sent directly to Rutgers.

Math - Students who completed the AP Calculus exam (AB or BC) with a score of 4 or 5 in the junior year

would be exempt from the math placement test and will receive credit for Calculus. Please ensure that AP

scores are sent directly to Rutgers. Math SAT or ACT scores do NOT provide any exemption from placement

testing.

World language – World Language testing is not required by the School of Engineering unless the student

plans to take classes in a world language at Rutgers University-New Brunswick (refer to the information under

School of Arts and Sciences).

PLEASE NOTE: Senior year AP, IB exams, or college transfer credits do NOT exempt a first-year student from

Rutgers Placement Testing. First-year students entering the School of Engineering at Rutgers University-New

Brunswick who are completing an associate’s degree concurrent with their high school degree are still

expected to take the placement tests unless they meet other exemptions listed above.

This information is intended for first-year Rutgers New Brunswick students attending the School of

Engineering (SoE).

School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) – Rutgers New Brunswick

English - Students with an Evidence-Based Reading & Writing SAT score of 650 or higher or an ACT Reading

score of 28 or higher (by the January 2024 testing date) are exempt from completing the English placement

test and will automatically be placed into College Writing 101. Please ensure that the qualifying scores are

sent directly to Rutgers. Students who completed the AP exam in English Lang/Comp or English Lit/Comp with

a score of a 4 or 5 in the junior year would also be exempt from completing the English placement test and

would receive credit for College Writing. Please ensure that AP scores are sent directly to Rutgers.

Math – Students who completed the AP Calculus exam (AB or BC) with a score of 4 or 5 in their junior year

would be exempt from the math placement test and will receive credit for Calculus. Please ensure that AP

scores are sent directly to Rutgers. Math SAT or ACT scores do NOT provide any exemption from placement

testing.

Students seeking exemptions from testing based on their junior year AP exam scores should scan and email

their AP scores to Dean Mya Nester-Watt at [email protected].Students must also ensure that an

official score report is sent electronically to Undergraduate Admissions.

World Language: SEBS students planning to complete the 5-year Ed.M. for New Jersey Teacher Certification

must take the world language test (refer to the information under School of Arts and Sciences). The test is

optional for all others.

PLEASE NOTE: Senior year AP, IB exams, and college transfer credit do not exempt a first-year student from

Rutgers Placement Testing.

Placement testing must be completed before attending a SEBS Academic Planning and Advising Day.

First-year students entering SEBS who are completing an associate degree concurrent with their high school

graduation should contact Dean Mya Nester-Watt directly at [email protected] to determine if

they would be exempt from Rutgers Placement Testing.

This information is intended for first-year Rutgers New Brunswick students attending the School of

Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS).

Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy (EMSOP) – Rutgers New Brunswick

English - Students with an Evidence-Based Reading & Writing SAT score of 650 or higher or an ACT Reading

score of 28 or higher (by the January 2024 testing date) are exempt from completing the English placement

test and will automatically be placed into College Writing 101. Either score must be sent to Rutgers for the

exemption. Students who completed the AP exam in English Lang/Comp or English Lit/Comp with a score of a

4 or 5 in the junior year would also be exempt from completing the English placement test. Please ensure that

AP scores are sent directly to Rutgers.

Math - Students who completed the AP Calculus exam (AB or BC) with a score of 4 or 5 in their junior year

would be exempt from the math placement test. Please ensure that AP scores are sent directly to Rutgers.

Math SAT or ACT scores do NOT provide any exemption from placement testing.

World language – World Language testing is not required by the School of Pharmacy unless the student plans

to take classes in a world language at Rutgers University-New Brunswick (refer to the information under

School of Arts and Sciences).

PLEASE NOTE: Senior year AP, IB exams, and college transfer credit do not exempt a first-year student from

Rutgers Placement tests.

This information is intended for first-year Rutgers New Brunswick students attending the Ernest Mario

School of Pharmacy (EMSOP).

Mason Gross School of the Arts (MGSA) – Rutgers New Brunswick

English - Students with an Evidence-Based Reading & Writing SAT score of 650 or higher or an ACT Reading

score of 28 or higher (by the January 2024 testing date) are exempt from completing the English placement

test and will automatically be placed into College Writing 101. Please ensure that the qualifying scores are

sent to Rutgers. Students who completed the AP exam in English Lang/Comp or English Lit/Comp with a score

of a 4 or 5 in their junior year would also be exempt from completing the English placement test and would

receive credit for College Writing. Students who completed the AP exam in English Lang/Comp AND English

Lit/Comp with a score of 4 or 5 in their junior year would be exempt from completing the English placement

test and would receive credit for College Writing and Intro to Lit. Please ensure that AP scores are sent directly

to Rutgers.

Math - Students who completed the AP Calculus exam (AB or BC) with a score of 4 or 5 in the junior year

would be exempt from the math placement test and will receive credit for Calculus. Please ensure that AP

scores are sent directly to Rutgers. Math SAT or ACT scores do NOT provide any exemption from placement

testing.

World Language – World language placement testing is optional for MGSA students.

PLEASE NOTE: Senior year AP exams, IB exams, and college transfer credit do not exempt a first-year student

from Rutgers Placement Testing. Regarding college transfer credit: Incoming first-year students will not be

granted credit for a Rutgers English/Writing course for college coursework completed while in high school or

the summer prior to matriculation at Rutgers University. In order to receive credit for college-level math, the

student must place at the same level or higher on the Rutgers Math Placement Test.

This information is intended for first-year Rutgers New Brunswick students attending the Mason Gross

School of the Arts (MGSA).

School of Nursing – Rutgers New Brunswick

English - Students with an Evidence-Based Reading & Writing SAT score of 650 or higher or an ACT Reading

score of 28 or higher (by the January 2024 testing date) are exempt from completing the English placement

test and will automatically be placed into College Writing 101. Please ensure that the qualifying scores are

sent to Rutgers Undergraduate Admissions. Students who completed the AP exam in English Lang/Comp or

English Lit/Comp with a score of a 4 or 5 in their junior year would be exempt from completing the English

placement test and would receive credit for College Writing. Please ensure that AP scores are sent directly to

Rutgers Undergraduate Admissions.

Math – Students who completed the AP Calculus exam (AB or BC) with a score of 4 or 5 in their junior year

would be exempt from the math placement test and will receive credit for Calculus. Please ensure that AP

scores are sent directly to Rutgers Undergraduate Admissions. Math SAT or ACT scores do NOT provide any

exemption from placement testing.

World Language – World language testing is optional for Nursing students - refer to information under School

of Arts and Sciences if you are interested.

PLEASE NOTE: Senior year AP exams, IB exams, and college transfer credit will be evaluated, and appropriate

credit will be awarded, but they do not exempt a first-year student from Rutgers Placement Testing.

This information is intended for students of Rutgers—New Brunswick School of Nursing.