Placement Exams Overview:

Placement Exams edition – Fall 2016

This is a special edition of the OIA’s

monthly Welcome Newsletters; this

edition is all about placement

exams!

Click on the individual topics to go directly to them, or simply scroll

down to view all content:

1. Placement Exams Overview

2. EAP Exam Details

3. Math Assessment Details

Placement Exams Overview:

What Are Placement Exams?

Placement exams are tests that measure your current skills in a

subject area. Your test score allows academic advisors to place you

into a course at your appropriate level.

At IUPUI, students take placement exams in English and/or

Mathematics. The two placement exams at IUPUI are called:

 English: English for Academic Purposes (EAP) exam

 Math: ALEKS exam (abbreviation for Assessment and

LEarning in Knowledge Spaces)

What Placement Exams Do I Have to Take?

Review the “Additional Letter Material” included with your

admissions letter to see which test(s) you may have to take.

 Most international students will need to take the English

for Academic Purposes (EAP) exam.

 Most undergraduate (bachelor’s) students will need to

take the math assessment.

Why Are Placement Exams So Important?

You should take your placement exams seriously because they can

affect the amount of time and money it takes to complete your

degree!

It is very important that you review the information for each exam and

follow the instructions. This will help you to be placed into the

appropriate course to ensure you are successful in your degree

program. If you place into preparatory courses, please note that these

courses typically do not count toward your degree, yet they must be

completed and do require tuition.

Placement Exam Fees

IUPUI has a $50 placement exam fee that covers both the EAP

exam and the ALEKS math assessment. This fee will be placed

on your Bursar bill.

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English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Exam:

Most international students are required to take the EAP exam if

not from a country where the predominant language is English;

review your admissions letter “Additional Letter Material” to see

if you are required to take this exam.

You can find more information about IUPUI’s EAP program

online, and view sample exam questions on the COMPASS

website.

You are exempt from taking the EAP exam if:

 Undergraduates- You scored at least:

o 95+ on TOEFL,

o 7.0+ on IELTS, OR

o 550+ on SAT Critical Reading

If exempt, you will automatically be placed into a section of

ENG-W131 (English Composition) specifically for EAP

students. Students wishing to take a non-EAP section of

W131 may take the placement test to see if the revised

placement is appropriate.

 Graduates- You scored at least:

o 100+ on TOEFL OR

o 7.5+ on IELTS

Testing Center Information

Location:

801 W. Michigan Street

BS building, room 3000 (3

floor)

Phone:

+1 (317) 274-2620

Open:

Monday – Saturday: 9am – 5pm

There are two ways you can take the EAP exam:

1. You can take the exam at a COMPASS Testing facility.

Before taking the exam, contact the IUPUI Testing Center

at +1 317-274-2620 to set up the remote exam. You will

take 3 of the 4 test components: Grammar/Usage,

Reading, and Listening at the remote site. Then you would

take the final component (written essay) once you arrive at

IUPUI. Be aware, you would need to pay the testing fee

at both COMPASS locations.

2. Take the exam when you arrive at IUPUI.

I. If you will arrive as scheduled on your I-20, the EAP

exam will be included in your International Welcome Week

activities. Be prepared to take the exam on Tuesday,

August 16th.

o (Freshmen participating in the Bridge Program:

your exam will be Thursday, August 4

II. If you arrive before the orientation date on your I-20,

you can schedule to take your test early.

If you must re-take the EAP exam:

 Undergraduate students (Bachelor’s):

Incoming undergraduate (bachelor’s) students may re-take

the EAP exam once (2 exams total). Students should plan

at least 6 weeks in between exam re-takes, though you may

request an earlier re-take if you believe that travel jetlag

impacted your score.

 Graduate students (Master’s, Ph.D., LLM, DDS):

Incoming graduate (Master’s, Ph.D., LLM, DDS) students

may re-take the EAP exam as follows:

o Students must re-take the exam before the 2nd

week of classes.

o Results from the 2

exam will remain as the final

score.

English courses for Graduate students will begin the 2

week of classes, so students may register in any required

English proficiency courses.

“ALEKS” Math Assessment:

The math assessment and placement tool used at IUPUI is called

“ALEKS”: Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces.

ALEKS is not a traditional exam; it is a tool to help you find the course

where you’ll have the best chance to succeed. This test can be taken

anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection!

How to determine whether you have to take this exam:

If you have taken a math course at a post-secondary

institution within the last two years and received transfer

credit for a specific IUPUI course in math (as indicated by

your transfer credit evaluation), then you do not need to take the

math placement exam.

However, if you do not have previous math credit within the

last two years that will transfer to IUPUI: you may decide to

take the exam before arriving in Indianapolis. This will help you to

begin your math courses at IUPUI sooner. Your academic

advisor will not be able to help you select a math course without

either a math placement exam score OR previous post-

secondary math credit received within the last two years.

Helpful Tips!

1. Review your math skills first

2. Take the exam seriously

3. Use the learning modules

4. Re-take the exam if you want

to score better

You can (and should!) take the math exam more than once:

With the ALEKS math exam, you can re-test up to 4 times (5 tries

total). After taking the exam, the ALEKS software will provide you

with “learning modules” and you are encouraged to use them. The

learning modules will help you review material in order to place into

the appropriate math course, and they will also make you more likely

to succeed in that course!

(Learning Modules are based on your first exam attempt only, so take

your first exam attempt seriously.) With the learning modules, you can

practice the math problems you did not do well on in order to improve

your score the next time you take the exam—allowing you to likely

place into a higher math course that will better meet your degree

requirements (and save you time and money!).

Review your math skills prior to taking the exam. Those who

study before the exam typically score much better than those who do

not, and have higher chances of being placed into math levels directly

required for their degree.

Where to take the math exam:

Visit the IUPUI Testing Center website to log in to the ALEKS

math placement exam and also to access the learning

modules (the learning modules become available only after your

first exam try). You will log in to the website using your IUPUI

university username and passphrase. (Set up your university

account here if you have not already done this.) After you log in

to the ALEKS exam system and begin the test, you will have 48

hours to complete your first exam attempt.

For further information concerning ALEKS or if you are having

trouble logging in, please read the information located here.

ALEKS scores & IUPUI course placement:

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View this chart to see how your ALEKS test score correlates to

your placement in IUPUI math courses.

Be aware, there are some skill levels that require students

to take courses at a local community college (Ivy Tech)

before they are able to take higher math courses at IUPUI. If

your placement scores are below 25, contact

[email protected] for help identifying an academic advisor to

best assist you with this.

Good luck with your placement exam(s)!