Placement Exams
Placement Exams are an essential part of the orientation process and ensure proper placements into academic classes. There are two placement exams that students may take as part of the orientation process: Math Placement Exam and Foreign Language Assessment.
Math Placement Exam
Upon submitting an enrollment deposit, incoming students who are required to take the placement exam (and do not meet one of the exemptions listed below) will receive an email directly from the proctoring company Examity titled “Remote Voucher Notification.” This email, sent to your UMICH email account, will include your unique voucher number that you will utilize to create an account and take your exam. When creating your profile in Accuplacer, please ensure that your name reads exactly the way it is written on your voucher. All characters are required to match in order to move forward including capitalization and spaces. The voucher will be valid for 60 days, and you can complete the exam anytime during those 60 days, however, you will not be able to register for orientation until you have completed the exam.
The exam has no time limit, although most students finish within two hours. Calculators are not allowed.
Upon completion, your exam will be reviewed and score verified by university staff. In the event that any concerns are found with your examination, your score may be invalidated and you would be contacted directly within 7 days to discuss next steps.
Students are strongly encouraged to prepare for the exam:
- Utilize the Math Learning Center's Placement Exam Preparation materials
- Free Accuplacer math app
- It is recommended students review:
- Arithmetic Sample Questions
- Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics Sample Questions
- Advanced Algebra and Functions Sample Questions
- It is recommended students review:
Once you have been issued a voucher, here are some helpful Examity test taking guides if you need assistance with completing your exam:
- Auto Proctor Exam Guide
- Test Taker Self Registration Voucher Code Validation
- Test Taker Automated Proctoring Quick Guide
- Test Taker Scheduling and Rescheduling Accuplacer Guide
If a student is not satisfied with their placement result, they may choose to retake the exam once after reviewing materials for at least 14 days. To schedule an exam re-take, please email umd-admissions@umich.edu.
All Students
To ensure students are placed into the appropriate course, they may be required to take the math placement exam. This varies based on a student’s college and declared major, combined with their transferable credit.
Exemption Criteria
Students may waive the math placement exam requirement for any program if they meet any of the following criteria*:
- Transferable credit equivalent to Math 105 or above
- Placement will be into the next course in the sequence
- A 3, 4, or 5 on an AP Calculus exam
- See equivalency chart on the AP webpage
- SAT math section score of 620 or higher
- Placement into Math 115 (Calc I)
- ACT math score of 26 or higher
- Placement into Math 115 (Calc I)
*These results must be on record at UM-Dearborn for this placement exam waiver to apply.
Requirements by Academic College
The following majors are required to take the mathematics placement exam if they do not meet the exemption criteria.
- Business Studies as a Second Major, Economics, Environmental Studies, International Studies - exempt with credit for MATH 104 (College Algebra) or higher.
- Actuarial Mathematics, Applied Statistics, Behavioral and Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Chemistry (ACS certified), Chemistry (Instructional), Environmental Science, Geological Sciences, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics.
- All other CASL majors are exempt from taking the mathematics placement exam.
- All majors are required to take the mathematics placement exam if they do not meet the exemption criteria.
- Mathematics Studies majors are required to take the mathematics placement exam if they do not meet the exemption criteria.
- All other CEHHS majors are exempt from taking the mathematics placement exam.
- Mathematics Studies majors and students in HHS with Pre-Health Professions concentrations are required to take the mathematics placement exam if they do not meet the exemption criteria.
- All majors are required to take the mathematics placement exam if they do not meet the exemption criteria - exempt with credit for MATH 104 (College Algebra) or higher.
- Students unsure if they should take the math placement test are always welcome to take the test, especially if they may need to take a course that requires it. Undecided students or students who believe they may change majors should take the math placement test to avoid potential scheduling delays if they do not have an exemption.
If you are intending on completing a Health Professions Advising (HPA) curriculum track designed for those interested in pursuing further education to be a healthcare professional, you must complete the math placement test regardless of what major you declare if you do not qualify for an exemption.
Current and Non-Degree Seeking Students (including Dual Enrollment and Prospective Degree-Seeking Students)
For current students and non-degree students that need to take the Mathematics placement exam because of their curricular choices, please register for a math placement exam.
Foreign Language Assessment
The Foreign Language Assessment is strongly recommended for students with less than three years prior experience in a language who plan to continue in that language at UM-Dearborn (whether required for graduation or not). This assessment should be taken prior to attending the Virtual Orientation Session. Assessments are proctored on campus in the Foreign Language Lab, Room 3065 CASL Building (CB). You must register for the assessment in advance as space is limited.
The results will be communicated by email. It may take up to two weeks for results to be available.
The assessments for French, German, and Spanish are in computer-based format, while the Arabic assessment is paper-based.
If you take a Foreign Language Advanced Placement (AP) Exam, the AP score will override the assessment score if it is higher. Foreign Language course credit is not awarded by assessment.
The College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters (CASL) Foreign Language distribution requirement can be fulfilled by:
- Successfully completing a two-semester language sequence at UM-Dearborn, or
- Successfully completing a 3 or 4 credit hour Foreign Language course (this course cannot be taught in English) at the 102 level or higher, or
- Having completed at least 3 years of Foreign Language (in the same language) in high school with a grade of "C" or better in the final course. Students wishing to request that the requirement be waived on this basis must submit a written petition to CASL Advising, 1039 CASL Building, or
- Transferring the equivalent of 8 credit hours of a language sequence from another institution.
Students who wish to fulfill the CASL Foreign Language requirement based on study or experience other than that outlined above may do so by:
- Completing the equivalent of a high school degree from a school that used a language other than English for instruction. A diploma attesting to the language of instruction and graduation from the high school program is necessary and official English translations of foreign transcripts are required. Students wishing to request that the requirement be waived on this basis must submit a written petition to CASL Advising, 1039 1039 CASL Building, or
- Passing an oral and written proficiency exam.
There is no foreign language requirement for:
- College of Business
- College of Education, Health, and Human Services
- College of Engineering and Computer Science
Placement into Composition
All students are required to take six credit hours of Written and Oral Communication courses within the Dearborn Discovery Core. Incoming students will have an initial placement into COMP 105.
Students may choose to appeal their placement by submitting a portfolio for faculty review. If the appeal is successful, students will be placed in COMP 106.
If applicable, a student's placement may be based on an Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exam result, or previous dual enrollment or college credit.