Placement Exams & Proficiency
All students, without transfer credit, will take designated English and math courses to satisfy their general education (GE) requirements.
Completion of a placement exam or demonstration of competency is required of students for enrollment in certain courses at Plattsburgh. This page describes the various types of tests and demonstrations of competencies
Required Placement Exams & Proficiency/Competency Exams
Exam Types
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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.
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Mathematics Competency Exam
To enroll in any math course at the 100 level other than MAT101 or MAT106, 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 530
- Automatically with a math ACT score of at least 21
- Automatically with confirmed math transfer credit for MAT101 or a course at a higher level
- Passage of the Math Competency Exam (MCE)
The Math Competency Exam will now be offered online. You may access the MCE via Moodle from your MyPlattsburgh account once you have logged in.
Verify your eligibility & Register for THE MATH COMPETENCY EXAM
For additional information, contact the mathematics department, 244B Hawkins Hall, 518-564-4133 or Dr. Robert Keever, at [email protected]
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Calculus Readiness 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)
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 Test (CRT)
The Calculus Readiness Test may only be taken once and is offered only in on-line formats. If you do not pass the CRT, you must take MAT102 in order to show readiness. The link below will give you access to the CRT only if you are logged into your MyPlattsburgh account.
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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 (or achieved 85 or better on the Regents Exam) may take language courses at the 112-, 150- or 151-level.
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Students with four years (four levels taken in sequence) of a foreign language taken in high school, being at checkpoint C (with 85 or better on the Regents Exam), have satisfied the GE5 World Systems/Foreign Language requirement. (Students wishing to continue can do so by taking the 213 or 251-level course.)
- 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
- You will need to create an account on WebCAPE:
- Enter your name, campus email (your plattsburgh.edu email address) and Plattsburgh Banner I.D. number. (This is a 9-digit number that you should have received from the Registrar’s Office.)
- Choose a password for this account. Tips for creating secure passwords.
- Click “Create Account”to access the exam.
- The first screen is a practice item. After that, you will begin the exam.
- Your placement score will be displayed at the end of the exam. Be sure to click on “Finished” to send a copy of this information to Plattsburgh.
- If you receive an error indicating “too many connections,” please refresh the page and continue working. If necessary, you can log into the exam again and follow the directions near the button labeled ‘Resume’ on the identity/survey page.
- Please note: There is a 24-hour delay for this score to show up in the SUNY Plattsburgh system. Therefore, we recommend taking the exam at least a few days prior to orientation. Your results will appear on your Degree Works record for advisement purposes.
- For more information on credit-bearing exams and MCL courses offered, please visit here.
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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 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.