ALEKS Math Placement
ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning Assessment (ALEKS PPL) is used to determine a student’s readiness to take math courses at SUU. The ALEKS program consists of three parts:
- An initial assessment that contains up to 25 questions and takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete;
- The Prep and Learning Module which is an individualized, self-paced online review which assists students with refreshing their knowledge on certain topics; and
- Access to 4 additional assessments (at least assessment 3 and 5 must be proctored).
- Students must spend at least 5 hours in the Prep and Learning modules and a 24-hour wait period before taking another assessment.
Watch a two-minute video about ALEKS.
Paying for ALEKS
Go to your portal APPS section and click on the "Testing Center Exams" link. Select the "ALEKS Math" button. Select the green "$35.00 checkout" button under "Ready to take the assessment?" heading. After entering and confirming your credit card payment information, you will be redirected into the ALEKS platform.
The $35 fee gives students access to 5 total ALEKS assessments and 12 months of access to both the learning modules and the placement exams.
Note: As of July 1, 2024 the ALEKS fee increased to $35.
Preparation
A math placement assessment is required to register for a math course at SUU unless you meet one of the following exceptions:
- You received a passing grade of C or higher in a college-level math course with the past two years; or
- You received a sufficient score on the ACT or SAT math exam within the past two years; or
- You received a sufficient score on an AP Calculus exam within the past two years.
The results of the Placement Assessment will be used to determine the most appropriate courses for a student to enroll in. After taking the placement assessment, students should meet with their academic advisor to determine which math course is best for them based on the results in addition to which courses meet their individual major requirements.
The ALEKS Placement Assessment should be taken prior to registering for classes for the semester in which the student plans to take a math course. For example, if you plan to take a math course in Fall of 2019, you should take the ALEKS placement prior to registering for Fall 2019 courses. The placement score can be used for 2 years from the date the placement assessment was taken.
- Real numbers (including fractions, integers, and percentages)
- Equations and inequalities (including linear equations, linear inequalities, systems of linear equations, and quadratic equations),
- Linear and quadratic functions (including graphs and functions, linear functions, and parabolas), exponents and polynomials (including integer exponents, polynomial arithmetic, factoring, and polynomial equations), rational expressions (including rational equations and rational functions
- Radical expressions (including higher roots and rational exponents)
- Exponentials and logarithms (including function compositions and inverse functions, properties of logarithms, and logarithmic equations)
- Geometry and trigonometry (including perimeter, area, and volume, coordinate geometry, trigonometric functions, and identities and equations).
Taking the Placement Assessment
Students can complete up to 5 ALEKS assessments total. Only proctored assessments can count toward math placement. Unproctored (practice) assessments can be used along with learning modules to help students determine if they are ready to take a proctored assessment that will count toward math placement.
The Placement Assessment can be taken at the SUU Testing Center located on the second floor of the Electronic Learning Center (ELC 208). Only proctored assessments can count for placement; and therefore, only proctored assessments should be taken at the Testing Center. Learning modules and practice assessments do not need to be proctored and should be taken at home.
No appointment is necessary to take the ALEKS Placement Assessment at the SUU Testing Center. Students may come in at any time during the Testing Center’s hours of operation, but should be at least two hours before the last test collection time. Current Photo ID (Dr Lic or Passport) is required at the time of testing.
Distance students needing to take ALEKS in a remote location away from SUU need to fill out an online proctor request form and will need to make an appointment. There is an online proctor fee of $15 for each online proctoring appointment.
- Photo ID
- Pencil or Pen
- The Testing Center will provide scratch paper.
- All other resources are provided by ALEKS.
- Calculators are not allowed. If a calculator is needed to answer a question, a calculator will automatically pop up in ALEKS.
The Placement Assessment requires students to work out solutions to problems with pencil and paper and then enter them into the ALEKS program. The assessment is not a multiple-choice exam. A short tutorial on how to answer questions, how to use the built-in calculator, and how to use the graphing utilities is provided by ALEKS prior to the first assessment.
No, once an answer has been submitted, it cannot be changed. It is important to carefully check your work before an answer is submitted.
During the assessment, you may be asked questions on material that you have not learned. For those questions, please enter “I don’t know.” This answer means that you are not familiar with the topic and do not know how to answer the question. If a question is answered incorrectly, there is no penalty for the incorrect question. Rather, the incorrect answer assists the ALEKS program to understand what material you do and do not know.
Students have 2 hours to complete the Placement Assessment once it begins. On average, it takes 60 to 90 minutes to complete depending on the student and their understanding of the material.
If a student does not complete the Placement Assessment within the 2-hour time period, he or she will be given a placement result. However, it will not be a true reflection of the student’s math abilities since the assessment was not completed. The score only represents the completed portions of the assessment.
As a student at SUU, you are subject to SUU’s Academic Integrity policy.
Do not use internet searches, books, or other people to complete your assessments in ALEKS.
Placement Result
Course placement is determined as follows:
| Course(s) | ALEKS PPL | Math ACT | Accuplacer |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATH 0950/0970 | 0-14 | 0 | 0 |
| MATH 0990 | 15-29* | 15 | Arithmetic 065 |
| MATH 1010 | 30-39 | 18 | Elem Algebra 060 |
| MATH 1030/1031 | 40-49 | 21 | Elem Algebra 085 |
| MATH 1040/1050/1060/2000 | 50-59 | 23 | Elem Algebra 100 |
| MATH 1100 | 60-74 | 25 | College Level Math 100 |
| MATH 1210 | 75+ | 26 | College Level Math 100 |
*Placement into MATH 930/1030 Combination (at least a 15 in ALEKS)
It is strongly recommended that you communicate with your Student Success Advisor to avoid enrolling in a math course that may be unnecessary for your major. The course catalog is another useful resource for degree requirements and course prerequisite information.
No, you must achieve the minimum placement result to take each corresponding class.
Improving Your Score
In order to place into a higher-level math course, the learning modules can be used to improve your math skills. Students have 12 months of access to the Prep and Learning Module.
You can take the placement assessment a total of 5 times. There is a 24 hour wait period in between the time you can take each assessment. A minimum of 5 hours must be spent in the Prep and Learning Module before you can take additional assessments beyond the initial assessment. The highest score is used to place you in the appropriate math course. Only a proctored assessment can count for math placement.
In order to change a placement result, a new assessment must be taken, and a higher score achieved. To begin a new Placement Assessment, select the placement tab in the upper right hand corner of your screen.
To begin a learning module, you must log in to your ALEKS account and follow the link to the assessment link. Click the “start” button in the box labeled, “Improve Your Knowledge in Prep and Learning Module”, to begin or return to a prior learning module.
Knowledge Checks are periodically completed in order to master topics in the Learning Mode. If you do not master a topic, the topic will be returned to your Learning Pie so you can review the material again.
Technical Support
Simply close the browser, or log out and log back in. ALEKS will resume the Placement Assessment exactly where you left off, with no loss of your previous answers.