Math Placement

What is ALEKS?

ALEKS is an online math skills assessment that covers a broad range of mathematics topics.

• This is a “Placement Assessment,” not a pass or fail test. ALEKS is designed to determine your current math skill levels and provide a score that your Academic Advisor can use to "place" you into the initial math course that will set you up to complete your program requirements.
• ALEKS is a timed assessment. Once you begin, you will have 2.5 hours to complete ALEKS. Most students take 60–90 minutes to complete ALEKS, but we recommend you block off the full 2.5 hours for uninterrupted time.
• ALEKS is not a multiple-choice exam. It is an open-response assessment and requires you to work out solutions to math problems with paper and pencil before you enter your answers.
• You can complete ALEKS a total of 3 times before your first quarter of classes begins. After each time you complete ALEKS, you will need to complete a minimum of 5 hours of practice modules in the ALEKS platform before you can retake the assessment. 

Topics Covered on the Assessment

Students may see some, but not all, of the math they have learned in high school, including:

• 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), and
• Geometry and trigonometry (including perimeter, area, and volume, coordinate geometry, trigonometric functions, and identities and equations).

Requesting Accommodations for Completing ALEKS

If you require an accommodation, do not log into ALEKS until you receive approval of your accommodation from our Disability Services team. Please follow these steps:

1. Contact Disability Services at ds@seattleu.edu or 206-296-5740 to request your accommodation.
2. After Disability Services approves your accommodation, they will update your New Student Checklist. A new task will appear on your Checklist, which includes instructions and access to complete ALEKS.

Get Ready

• You can complete the ALEKS Math Placement Assessment on a personal computer, laptop, or tablet that has access to the internet. Make sure the computer has current system requirements. Students can also verify that their computer, laptop, or tablet is able to access and run ALEKS. You should not complete ALEKS on a mobile phone.
• Find a quiet place free of distractions and have paper and a pencil available.
• You should not receive assistance from friends, family, other websites, textbooks, or any other resource not provided by ALEKS. There is no benefit to cheating on the math placement assessment—the only result will be that you enroll in a class that is too difficult or not challenging enough, potentially costing you additional time and money on your path to graduation.
• Students will not need a personal calculator. ALEKS provides an on-screen calculator if one is needed to complete a particular problem.
• ALEKS will begin with a tutorial to make sure you are comfortable with the website’s math tools before the assessment begins. The tutorial demonstrates how to enter different types of answers, how to use the ALEKS calculator, and how to graph. If during the assessment you are unsure how to input an answer or need help, select the "Help" button below the answer pallet tools to return to the tutorial. Revisiting the tutorial while completing ALEKS will not impact the placement results.

Take the Assessment

To access and complete the Math Placement Assessment:

1. Log into your Orientation Portal and navigate to your New Student Checklist.
2. Click on the "ALEKS Math Placement Assessment" checklist item.
3. Review the ALEKS instructions and use the password on that page to log into ALEKS.
4. Once logged into the ALEKS website, review and follow the instructions to begin ALEKS.

I have a question about . . .

• Exemptions from Completing ALEKS: Visit www.seattleu.edu/advising/ to locate your Academic Advising Center's webpage and contact information.
• Requesting Accommodations: Contact Disability Services at ds@seattleu.edu or 206-296-5740.
• Accessing ALEKS: Contact Orientation Programs at orientation@seattleu.edu or 206-296-2525.

Understanding Your Score

Students receive their score immediately after completing ALEKS. This score will also be shared with your Academic Advisor. To register for a math class, students must achieve the minimum placement score for each corresponding class.

The table below explains how to understand your ALEKS Math Placement score.

The right mathematics class for you also depends on your intended major, in addition to the math placement score.

Improve Your Score

• Students who want a different course placement can complete ALEKS a total of 3 times before their first quarter of classes begins. After each attempt, you are required to spend at least 5 hours in ALEKS’ Prep and Learning modules.
• When completing the Prep and Learning module, you will periodically be presented with a knowledge check. The knowledge check will provide you with feedback on what you have remembered and what you need more help with.
• The Prep and Learning modules in ALEKS are customized for you based on how you did in your assessments. If you’ve already mastered certain topics, they won’t show up in your modules. But if there are topics you still need to learn, they will be added to your Prep and Learning section so you can improve.

College Credit Earned by Exam

Advanced Placement (AP)

A student who has taken the AP Calculus Exam (AB or BC), and has a score of 3 or better will receive 5 credits for one or more calculus courses.  You may contact the Office of the Registrar or the Mathematics Department for more information.

Calculus AB Exam

Calculus BC Exam

*Students may contact the Mathematics Department to determine if MATH 1336 credit may also be allowed.

Additional Resources:

• Advanced Placement Policy 

A-Levels & International Baccalaureate (IB)

A student who has A-Level qualification or International Baccalaureate credit in calculus may receive credit for one or more calculus courses. Please see the policy links below for details. You may contact the Office of the Registrar or the Mathematics Department for more information.

Additional Resources:

• Advanced Level (A-Level) Exam Credit (2019-01)
• International Baccalaureate (99-01)

Course Flow Chart

The following downloadable chart provides a guide to the appropriate sequencing of Seattle University math classes. Each of the four sections roughly approximates an undergraduate college year. Prerequisites are noted where applicable, as well as when these classes are usually taught. Students with questions about specific classes and requirements should consult their College Advising Center.

Download the course flow chart