Math Placement FAQs
Quick links:
Q. Who is eligible to take a math placement exam?
A. Math placement exams are intended for first-year students with no prior college level math credit. If you are an incoming freshman student, then you are eligible to take a math placement exam.
Q. I'm an incoming freshman student. Do I need to take a math placement exam?
A. If you intend to enroll in calculus-based math or science courses, and you do not have college-level math credit (transfer, AP, or otherwise) posted on file at UH for (Precalculus) or (Calculus I), then you are required to take a math placement exam.
Please check this table to determine if a math placement exam is required or recommended for your major. *Note: if your major is not listed, then you are not required to take a math placement exam.
Q. Do I need to complete my math placement exam before orientation?
A. Yes. In order to help academic advisors assess your readiness for math and science
courses, we ask that you complete your math placement exam, if applicable, at least 48 hours before orientation.
However, if you are unable to complete your math placement exam before orientation,
you may still complete the exam after your orientation but you will not be able to
register for math and science courses require the exam until you’ve completed the
exam.
Q. I took an AP Calculus Exam in high school. Do I need to take a math placement exam?
A. Students may enroll in (Calculus I) without taking a math placement exam if they score 3 or above on the Calculus BC exam, or 4 or above on the Calculus AB exam. Students with a score of 3 on the Calculus AB exam will need to take a placement exam to enroll in (Calculus I).
*Note: AP scores may not be processed by the university and posted in your student account until mid-July. If your orientation date is in June or early July and you choose not to take a math placement exam, please keep in mind that you will be unable to register for MATH 2413 (and/or other science courses such as CHEM 1311) until your AP scores are posted by the university.
Q. Can I enroll in MATH , , , or without taking a math placement exam?
A. Yes, any student who has satisfied the TSI math requirement may enroll in these courses without taking a math placement exam.
Q. Is the TSI math requirement the same as the Math Placement requirement?
A. No, the TSI math requirement is a basic math readiness requirement which applies to all 91ÁÔĆć students. Most incoming freshman students already meet this requirement based on standardized test scores or completion of math courses prior to enrolling at UH. This requirement must be met in order to enroll in college level math courses. You can check the “Holds” section (under Student Service Center) in your to see if this requirement has been met.
Q. Which Math Placement Exam should I take?
A. There are two math placement exams. “Calculus I Placement Exam,” for students who wish to enroll in (Calculus I), and “Precalculus Placement Exam" for students who wish to enroll in Precalculus or Business Calculus. Most STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) majors should take the “Calculus I Placement Exam".
Q. How long are the math placement exams, and which topics are covered?
A. Both online math placement exams have 36 questions, and students have up to 70 minutes to complete each exam.
The “Calculus I Placement Exam" is designed to assess a student’s knowledge of Precalculus. Students are evaluated and scored in the following six content areas: Algebra, Equations and Inequalities, Functions and Graphs, Polynomial and Rational Functions, Logarithms and Exponential Functions, and Trigonometry.
The “Precalculus Placement Exam" is designed to assess a student’s knowledge of (College Algebra). This exam covers the same topics as above (except for Trigonometry) at a more basic level.
Q. Can I attempt the Calculus I Placement Exam more than once?
A. Yes, students are allowed up to two attempts at the Calculus I Placement Exam. A passing score on this test is 80% or above. If a second attempt is needed, students will have the opportunity to retake the exam during orientation. Students who attend an online orientation session or who choose not to retake the exam during orientation will need to schedule their second attempt at an on-campus testing center at a later date. Click here for information if you need to schedule a second attempt for the Calculus I Placement Exam during or after orientation.
Q. Can I attempt the Pre-Calculus Placement Exam more than once?
A. Yes, students are allowed up to two attempts at the Precalculus Placement Exam. A passing score on this test is 65% or above. Students should earn a satisfactory score (65% or above) on the practice placement test before attempting this exam for a second time. Both attempts for this exam are completed online.
Q. Who should I contact regarding requests for testing accommodations?
A. Students who request testing accommodations will first need to register with the Student Accessibility Center (Dart Center). Please visit the website at www.uh.edu/accessibility, scroll down to “How to Register”, and follow the given instructions. Students will click the “New student application” button to fill in their information and upload supporting documents. Please note that students will need to sign in with their cougarnet email address [username@cougarnet.uh.edu].
Students must be registered for at least one class at UH before they can begin the registration process with Dart Center. For this reason, students who seek testing accommodations will typically take a math placement exam after they attend freshman orientation and begin registering for classes. After a student has completed the registration process with Dart Center, they should email mathinfo@uh.edu for assistance setting up accommodations for their placement exam.
Q. I have other questions about the placement tests, who can I contact for additional help?
A. If you have a question about which placement test to take, please consult your academic advisor. If you are having trouble registering for your test or you are experiencing other technical issues, please refer to the following link. For other questions, please send an email to mathinfo@uh.edu .