Placement Exams and Proficiency

Exam Types

• English Placement Questionnaire

  Entering students without confirmed ENG101 credit must complete the English Placement Questionnaire activity. This activity helps the college and you determine your level of writing competency.

  You will need to log into the English Questionnaire using your Plattsburgh student ID and password.

  Take the English Placement Questionnaire

  Complete all parts of the activity. This includes your declaration of the level of English Composition you feel fits you: this is the “last step.” You will not receive feedback on the selection unless you request it. Your selection of level should be based on the activity outcomes.

  Counsel by composition faculty regarding this activity is available at summer orientation sessions or by contacting the First-Year Composition program’s director, Dr. Tom Friedrich, at [email protected]. Adjustment of your selection is also possible during the first week of the semester.

• General Mathematics Competency Examination

  To enroll in any math course at the 100 level other than MAT101, you must demonstrate competency in arithmetic and basic algebra. This can be accomplished with one of the following:

  • Automatically with an old math SAT score (SAT prior to March 2016) of at least 485
  • Automatically with a new math SAT score (SAT March 2016 or later) of at least 515
  • Automatically with a math ACT score of at least 20
  • Automatically with confirmed math transfer credit for MAT101 or a course at a higher level
  • Passage of the Math Competency Exam

  The Math Competency Test is offered only in-person during the opening weekend before classes begin in the fall and during final exam week at the end of the semester. No on-line version is administered. Specific dates, times, and locations will be announced via the SUNY Plattsburgh Digest on campus email.

  For additional information, contact the Mathematics Department, 244B Hawkins Hall, 518-564-4133 or Dr. Robert Keever, at [email protected]

• Calculus Readiness Placement Test

  Students required to take calculus (either MAT221 or 224), or a calculus-based course (CSC217 or CSC221) for their major, must show competency with pre-calculus concepts.

  Majors Requiring Calculus

  Numbers in parentheses refer to major codes in the catalog:

  • International Business (106)
  • Business Administration (697)
  • Economics (709)
  • all Geology related majors (193, 714, 756)
  • all Biology related majors (216, 302, 303)
  • Cytotechnology (787)
  • Medical Technology (722)
  • all Physics related majors (218, 751)
  • Biochemistry (773)
  • all Chemistry related majors (217, 713, 752, 771)
  • Robotics 269)
  • Information Technology (305, 308)
  • Computer Security (310, 311)
  • Computer Science (781, 782)
  • all Mathematics related majors (219, 225, 717, 727)
  • Earth Science (270)
  • all Environmental Science related majors (271, 363, 365, 366)
  • and Ecology (293)

  View Major Requirements

  Readiness may be demonstrated by:

  • Passing Plattsburgh’s MAT102 Pre-calculus course
  • Having confirmed transfer credit for MAT 102 Pre-calculus
  • Passing the Calculus Readiness Placement Test

  This placement test may only be taken once and is offered in both paper and on-line formats. If you do not pass the Calculus Readiness Placement Test must take MAT102 in order to show readiness.

  The paper-based version of this placement test is offered Opening Weekend, and during Final Exam Week. Specific dates, times, and locations for the administration of the paper form of the exam will be announced via the SUNY Plattsburgh Digest on campus email.

  ONLINE CALCULUS READINESS PLACEMENT TEST

• Foreign Language Placement Exam

  Successful completion of language courses requires accurate placement based on your proficiency of the language. You will be placed into levels in the following manner.

  • Students who have completed up to two years of a modern language in high school may take language courses at the 111-level.
  • Students who have completed three to four consecutive years of a modern language in high school may take language courses at the 112-, 150- or 151-level.
  • Students with confirmed transfer credit will be placed in the next appropriate college-level course.

  Students who wish to be placed above the level indicated by their high school record or college record or who are fluent speakers of the language being pursued should take intermediate college level language courses (200-level and above) as determined by his or her performance on the WebCAPE language placement examination. Note: based on the results of the Placement Exam, students could be placed in SPA 251, SPA 252, FRE 213, or FRE 214 any of which satisfies the GE5 World Systems/Foreign Language category; FRE 346 and FRE 348 will satisfy the GE5 Western Civilization Category; and or SPA 310 which satisfies the GE5 Oral Expression Category.

  Instructions

  After following this link to the WebCape website, you will be asked to:

  • Log in with the password plattsburgh17
  • Select the language to be tested (French, German, Spanish, or Italian)
  • Enter your name, email address and Plattsburgh student ID number.

  ONLINE FOREIGN LANGUAGE PLACEMENT EXAMINATION

  Your placement score will be displayed at the end of the exam. Be sure to click on “Finished” so your results are recorded.

• LIB Proficiency Exam

  By passing the LIB Proficiency Exam, you meet the Information and Technology Literacy General Education requirement, but do not receive a credit hour.

  You may only take the exam once. If you have received a grade for LIB105 or LIB200, including a “W” you are not eligible to take the exam. If you are currently enrolled and attending a LIB200 course you are not eligible to take the exam.

  The exam is offered the Sunday before the start of the Fall and Spring semesters and during the advising period.