Back to Policies List

100218

Placement Exams: English Foundations, Mathematics Foundations, and Departmental Introductory Courses

Type: Definitions
Effective Date: 12/9/2024

Placement Exams

English Composition

All students are eligible to enroll in English 105, which satisfies Northern Arizona University's undergraduate English Foundation Requirement. 

Advanced English Composition Placement

For students wishing to enroll in Advanced English Composition, ENG 205, placement is determined by the following scores:

Test

 Score Placement

ACT/ENGL

30+

Enroll in English 205

(+2 awarded English foundation (FNRQ) units)

AP English Language and Composition

4-5

AP English Literature and Composition

4-5
Cambridge ENG Language A-Level E or Better
Cambridge ENG Literature A-Level E or Better

CLEP College Composition*

50 or higher

IB Language A: Language & Literature - HL

5-7

IB Language A: Literature - HL

 5-7

Place/ENGL

50+

SATI/Verb

700+

SATI/Verb3

37-40

*The CLEP College Composition Modular Exam is not accepted.

PLACE/ENG scores are used to manually override student placement under specific circumstances. PLACE/ENG scores are awarded at the discretion of the English department.

Transfer Students

Students who transfer to Northern Arizona University who have completed English 101 or 102, or their equivalents, with a C or better, may enroll in ENG 205 to complete their foundation requirement.  Students who transfer to Northern Arizona University who have completed English 101 and 102, or their equivalents, have satisfied the composition requirement. These courses must be listed as equivalent within the Arizona state higher education system. If the courses are taken at a private institution or outside of Arizona, an English Composition Substitution Request may be required. Students should contact their advisors for more information.

Students who transfer to Northern Arizona University who have completed English 105 at Arizona State University or ENGL 109H at the University of Arizona, with a C or better, will need to take English 205 at Northern Arizona University.

Northern Arizona University students who complete English 105 and then transfer to the University of Arizona or Arizona State University will be required to take English 102 to complete their composition requirement.

Northern Arizona University students who complete English 105 and English 205 satisfy the composition requirements of the University of Arizona and Arizona State University.

 

Mathematics Placement

In order to enroll in any mathematics or statistics course at Northern Arizona University, the student must have the appropriate mathematics placement.

Students can establish their mathematics placement by:

  • Earning a "C" or better in an approved college or university mathematics or statistics transfer course, or
  • Scoring sufficiently on the Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge International Exam (CIE), College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), or International Baccalaureate (IB). See NAU Policy 100224: Transfer Credit and Credit by Exam for how credit is awarded, or
  • Taking the NAU Mathematics Placement Test, or
  • Satisfying the Arizona Board of Regents high school graduation requirements in mathematics,
  • Scoring sufficiently on the mathematics portion of the SAT and/or ACT exam,
  • Earning a sufficient GPA from their core high school courses.

If the student's current mathematics placement is not high enough for their desired course, they are permitted to take the NAU Mathematics Placement Test to try to improve their math placement.

The NAU Mathematics Placement Test is designed to accurately measure a student's mathematics knowledge and will indicate a specific mathematics placement for the student. It can place the student into the following courses: MAT 100, 108, 114, 150, 119, 121, 125, 131, 136, or STA 270.

For more detailed mathematics placement information, visit the Mathematics Placement Website.  Students with questions regarding transfer course equivalence should contact their advisor.

To Take This COURSE: requires a grade of C or better in this PREREQUISITE* or requires one of these PLACEMENT TESTS (Components/Scores):

MAT 136

MAT 125

MTHPLACE – (PMTC 1, 2, 3/65+)

PLACE (MATH/70)

ACT (MATH/28+)

SATI (MATH/630+)

SATI (MATH2/650+)

MAT 131

MAT 108, MAT 110**, or MAT 119

MTHPLACE – (PMTC 1, 2, 3/60+)

PLACE (MATH/65)

ACT (MATH 27+)

SATI (MATH/590+)

SATI (MATH2/610+)

MAT 125

MAT 108 or MAT 110**

MTHPLACE – (PMTC 1, 2, 3/50+)

PLACE (MATH/55)

ACT (MATH/26+)

SATI (MATH 580+)

SATI (MATH2/600+)

GPAMTHPLC (MATH/3.60+)

MAT 119

MAT 114

MTHPLACE – (PMTC 1, 2, 3/50+)

PLACE (MATH/55)

ACT (MATH/26+)

SATI (MATH 580+)

SATI (MATH2/600+)

GPAMTHPLC (MATH/3.60+)

 MAT 121

 MAT 108 or MAT 110**

MTHPLACE – (PMTC 1, 2, 3/50+)

ACT (MATH/26+)

SATI (MATH/580+)

SATI (MATH2/600+)

GPAMTHPLC (MATH/3.60+)

STA 270

MAT 108, MAT 110**, MAT 114 or
 

MAT 100 (grade of P; taken Fall 2013 or later)

 

MTHPLACE – (PMTC 1, 2, 3/40+)

PLACE (MATH/46)

ACT (MATH/25+)

SATI (MATH/560+)

SATI (MATH2/580+)

GPAMTHPLC (MATH/3.30+)

MAT 150

MAT 100 (grade of P; taken Fall 2013 or later)

MTHPLACE – (PMTC 1, 2, 3/30+)

PLACE (MATH/43)

ACT (MATH/24+)

SATI (MATH/540+)

SATI (MATH2/570+)

HSMATH (MATH/4)

GPAMTHPLC (MATH/3.00+)

MAT 114

 

MAT 100 (grade of P; taken Fall 2013 or later)

 

MTHPLACE – (PMTC 1, 2, 3/30+)

PLACE (MATH/43)

ACT (MATH/24+)

SATI (MATH/540+)

SATI (MATH2/570+)

HSMATH (MATH/4)

GPAMTHPLC (MATH/3.00+)

MAT 108

MAT 100 grade of P; taken Fall 2013 or later

MTHPLACE – (PMTC 1, 2, 3/30+)

PLACE (MATH/43)

ACT(MATH/24+)

SATI (MATH/540+)

SATI (MATH2/570+)

HSMATH (MATH/4)

GPAMTHPLC (MATH/3.00+)

MAT 100

Placement Score Only

MTHPLACE – (PMTC 1, 2, 3/1-29)

PLACE (MATH/30 or lower)

ACT (MATH/1-23)

SATI (MATH/200-539)

SATI (MATH2/200-569)

HSMATH (MATH/3)

GPAMTHPLC (MATH/0.01-2.99)

*or equivalent transfer or test (AP, CLEP, IB) credit

** MAT 110 College Algebra is no longer offered at NAU. It is included here to assist students who may have taken this course at NAU before it expired or who have transferred equivalent coursework to NAU.

PLACE (MATH) scores are used to manually override student placement under specific circumstances. PLACE (MATH) scores are awarded at the discretion of the Mathematics and Statistics department.

Departmental Placement

When a student begins their undergraduate work, their college or department may also require that the student take a placement or proficiency exam covering introductory or basic areas in their academic discipline to determine the course level at which the student will be permitted to enroll. No credit is awarded for the student's performance on these placement exams.

The student's college or department decides how to determine placement levels for its courses. Its exams may include:

  • Nationally normed standardized exams, such as ACT or SAT.
  • Exams designed and graded by the individual college or department.
  • Prior coursework
  • Combinations of the three options above.

The student may be charged a nominal fee to cover the cost of producing the placement exam.

In some departments, the student may be permitted to use supplemental exams to challenge the placement level initially assigned to the student. There is a charge for such challenges. See NAU Policy 100224: Transfer Credit and Credit by Exam .

Related policies:

    Back to Policies List