Placement exams are designed to place students into CSU courses consistent with their preparation; they are not a condition for admission to Colorado State University. Incoming students (without adequate AP*, IB or transfer credits) are required to take a Math Placement Exam and English Composition Placement Exam. In addition, a Foreign Language Placement Exam is offered but not required for all students. You are able to take all exams online using a personal computer before attending Next Step.

There are charges for each placement examination completed. These charges are not included in the Next Step program charge. Exam charges are automatically assessed to the student's account with the University.

Mathematics Placement Exam

You must study for and take the CSU Mathematics Placement Exam (MPE) using a personal computer before attending Preview. The results of this exam may affect your ability to register for classes in many disciplines, especially Economics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, and Mathematics. Review materials and exam instructions are found on the following Mathematics Department website: http://www.math.colostate.edu/mpe. The link titled "Information for Prospective & Incoming Students" directs you to the website for the MPE, and describes the testing process.

• If you are transferring credit in College Algebra to CSU, you must have an official transfer credit evaluation on file to register for courses that require math as a prerequisite (especially in Economics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, and Mathematics).

• If you need extended time as an ADA accomodation when taking the MPE from home, please contact the PACe Office (Weber 137; 970-491-5761) at least one week in advance of your Preview session.

Should you have additional questions concerning math placement, you may contact the PACe Office (Weber 137; 970-491-5761) or send a detailed email to PACe@math.colostate.edu. Please be sure to include your full name and CSU ID in any email correspondence.

English Composition Placement Exam

Requirement:
Satisfactory completion of CO150, College Composition, the All-University Core Curriculum Intermediate Writing requirement (AUCC Category 1A).

Placement:

• Students who score 600 or higher on the SAT critical reading or 26 or higher on the ACT English are eligible to register for CO150 and should sign up for the course their first or second semester at Colorado State. The appropriate SAT?ACT scores will be acceptable no matter when the tests were taken.
• Students who do not have transfer credit for a course equivalent to CO150 or CO130, or students who score lower than 600 on the SAT critical reading or lower than 26 on the ACT English must take the Composition Placement/Challenge Exam to be placed in an appropriate composition course. Some students who demonstrate lower skill levels on the Composition Placement Exam will need to complete CO130, Academic Writing, before taking CO150. They should register for CO130 their first semester and CO150 their second semester. Students with satisfactory scores on the Composition Placement Exam should take CO150 their first or second semester.

Students who do not have the appropriate SAT/ACT scores, MUST take the Composition Placement Exam- they CANNOT automatically register for CO130 (Academic Writing).

Challenge to Placement:

If students wish to challenge their placement into a compisition course:

• Students who are placed into CO150 by virtue of their SAT or ACT score may challenge CO150 by taking the Composition Challenge Exam in a proctored (not online) setting. Students who successfully challenge CO150 on the Challenge Exam will register for 3 credits of CO150-Section 550 on their schedule for the upcoming or current semester.
• Students who have a transfer equivalent for CO130, Academic Writing, will be allowed to register for CO150. These students may also challenge CO150 by taking the Composition Challenge Exam in a proctored (not online) setting. We recognize that some students enter the University with higher levels or writing skills than we might expect given the composition courses they have taken and we allow them to challenge CO150 by taking our Composition Challenge Exam. Students taking this exam will be assessed a $22 charge. Students who have CO130 transfer credit don't have to get a test-out score (6) in order to transfer their first semester composition class in as CO150, but they do need to receive a score of 5. So, if a student receives a score of 5, we will ask Transfer Evaluation to transfer their composition class in as CO150 rather than CO130, based on their Challenge Exam score of 5. If the student decides not to take the exam, the CO130 credit will act as a prerequisite for CO150.

The University English composition requirement must be fulfilled by all undergraduate students prior to completion of 60 credits. Please visit the English Composition Requirement website: http://composition.colostate.edu/compreq.html

Website for Composition Program Information: http://composition.colostate.edu
Website for Composition Placement/Challenge Exam Information: http://composition.colostate.edu/placement.html
Website to Take the Online Composition Placement Exam: http://compexam.colostate.edu

Students WILL NOT need to take the Composition Placement Exam if:

• They score 600 or higher on the SAT verbal/critical reading or 26 or higher on the ACT English. These students may also challenge CO150 by taking the Composition Challenge Exam in a proctored (not online) session.
• They show transfer credit on their Colorado State transcript for a course equivalent to CO150. These students have satisfied the All-University Core Curriculum requirement for CO150.
• They have a transfer equivalent for CO130, Academic Writing. These students will be allowed to register for CO150. These students may also challenge CO150 by taking the Composition Challenge Exam in a proctored (not online) session.
• They submit Advanced Placement exam results that document a 5 earned in English Composition and Literature or a 4 or 5 earned in English Language and Composition. These students have met the AUCC requirement for CO150.
• They submit International Baccalaureate scores that document a 5, 6, or 7 earned for English at the Higher Level. These students have satisfied the AUCC requirement for CO150.

Online Exam:
Incoming students may take the Composition Placement Exam one time in an online setting prior to their term of admission using a compatible personal computer. Here is the website for the online exam: http://compexam.colostate.edu. The composition Placement Exam will be available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for new students only, beginning at 6:00am (MST) on April 1, 2013 through Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at 11:59pm (MST). To qualify for course credit by exam (CO150-section 550 credit), students must take the Composition Placement/Challenge Exam on campus in a proctored setting. Students cannot earn credit for CO150 by taking the online exam. Students may retake the rest on campus in a proctored setting only ONCE and after that will be assessed an additional charge of $22.

In order to take the online Composition Placement Exam, students will need to log in with their eID. Students may work on their essays for a maximum of 90 minutes. Students will save their essays in their own word files on their own computers. Once completed, they will copy and paste their essay into the Online Composition Placement Exam "Save Your Essay" text box.

Online Composition Placement Exam Results: Although students may take the Composiotion Exam online at any time, the Placement Exams will be scored only once each week, on Thursdays. In order to have their exam read and scored on Thursday, students need to complete their exam by 8am on Thursday morning. Results for exams scored on Thursdays will be posted on RAMweb by that Friday by 5pm. Students can go to their RAMweb homepage and on the right-hand side under Records, select Composition Placement/Challenge Exam Results. Online Placement Exams taken after 8am on Thursdays will not be scored or posted until the following week. 

Proctored Exam Dates:

• For fall semester 2013, proctored sessions of the Composition Placement/Challenge Exam will be given on Friday, August 23, at 3:30 p.m. in Eddy 212 and again at 5:00 p.m. in Eddy 212.
• The proctored Composition Placement/Challenge Exam is given at the beginning of the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters and during registration for Fall and Spring (test times will be scheduled in October, November, December, March and April).

Fee:

• A charge of $22 will be assessed to your student account for completion of the exam.

If you have questions about the English Composition Placement Exam, please contact Sue Russell at 970-491-1898 or via email at Sue.Russell@colostate.edu.

Foreign Languages (Spanish, French, German)

Students who plan to enroll in a foreign language course must take the placement test IF they have experience in the language--or if they transfer in foreign language "wildcards" (L 1**, L 2**, etc.). For more information, visit www.languages.colostate.edu/placement-test.

For information about foreign language placement exams, please contact the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at (970) 491-6141.

The placement exam is taken on a computer and lasts approximately one half hour.