Transfer Students

Whether or not you are required to take the placement exams depends on which College you are going into, your academic background, and any earned transferable credit. Please complete any necessary placement testing at least two weeks prior to your registration date.

Wondering which placement tests you have to take? To find out, click on the college that you have been admitted to.

    Rhetoric

    If you haven't taken any college-level composition course, you will be placed into a Rhetoric course based on your highest ACT English (or SAT Critical Reading) score.

    If you have taken a college-level composition course, then your Rhetoric placement is based on your previously taken, transferable English courses. Check your DARS report to see how much credit was accepted by Illinois. If you have earned transferable credit equivalent to RHET 105, you have met the Composition I General Education requirement and you do not have to enroll in a Comp I course. If you have earned at least one hour of transferable credit for academic writing but not enough to fulfill the Composition I requirement, then you must enroll in RHET 233. By successfully completing RHET 233, you will fulfill both your General Education Comp I requirement and your General Education Advanced Composition requirement.

    Math

    Transfer students who intend to enroll in a Calculus I or lower-level math class are required to take the ALEKS PPL Math Placement Exam. The Department of Mathematics coordinates the online ALEKS PPL exam. To take this placement test, you need to log in through the ALEKS website, where you will find instructions and answers to frequently asked questions. Your ALEKS PPL Math Placement Exam score will appear on the screen when you complete the exam so that you can decide whether you are satisfied with the result or whether you want to take the test again to try to earn a higher placement. 

    Science

    The Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning offers online placement exams in chemistry and physics. Please note that you are allowed only one attempt and your test results will NOT appear on the screen when you complete the test. This is because it is very important that you meet with your academic advisor during registration to discuss your placement test results and your course enrollment options. Results are valid for one year. This means, for example, that if you choose not to enroll in a chemistry course during your first or second semester, you may still follow the placement recommendation when pre-registering for your third semester. However, after that, you would need to take the departmental proficiency exam in order to obtain an updated evaluation of your knowledge level.

    Languages Other Than English (LOTE)

    Studying a language other than English (LOTE) is a requirement at Illinois. All students must complete the General Education Language Requirement in order to graduate, and it is strongly recommended that transfer applicants complete it prior to enrolling at Illinois.

    Some colleges require that transfer applicants complete at least two years of a LOTE in high school or through the second level (usually two semesters) in college prior to the desired term of entry. Depending on your college, you will eventually need to complete through either the third or the fourth level of the same LOTE in order to fulfill your Gen Ed language requirement.

    If you have not already fulfilled the language requirement, or if you did but you wish to study a LOTE further, you need to take a placement test in the language. The Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning offers online placement exams in French, German, Latin, and Spanish. If you need to take a placement exam in another LOTE, contact the department to make arrangements.

    Results from the language placement exams are valid for one year. This means, for example, that if you choose not to enroll in a LOTE course during your first or second semester, you may still follow the placement recommendation when pre-registering for your third semester. After that, you would need to take a departmental proficiency exam in order to obtain an updated evaluation of your knowledge level. Placement testing is available to you only during your first year.

    Test accommodations

    Students who need extended time can also take the online placement exams. To request authorization for extended time, contact the Testing Center at Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) by calling 217-333-4604 (V/TTY) or e-mailing testing@disability.uiuc.edu. If you need any other type of accommodation, please contact DRES to make arrangements.

    PLACEMENT TESTING FOR 2015-2016 HAs now closed!

    New student placement testing for 2016-2017 will open in May.
    Please email pnp@illinois.edu if you have any questions.

    Contact information

    If you have any questions about placement and proficiency testing at Illinois, you may call us during normal business hours at 217-244-4437 or e-mail us at pnp@illinois.edu