There are many exams that allow an incoming student to try to earn proficiency credit. In addition to the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams that you can take in high school, you have ample opportunity to demonstrate your proficiency in the sciences and the humanities by taking a departmental proficiency exam once you come to campus. Currently enrolled students are also allowed to take a departmental proficiency exam if they have not already earned credit for a higher-level course in the subject. Most proficiency exams are offered during the first week of classes. Click on a subject below for more specific information.

• Integrative Biology

Wednesday, September 4 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Room 2084 Natural History Building. Options are IB 100, IB 104, and IB 150. Registration is required. The deadline to register is Tuesday, September 3. For the link to the online registration form and for general information about the tests, click "Integrative Biology" (above).

• Molecular and Cellular Biology

• Tuesday, September 3 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Options are the lecture portion of MCB 150, or MCB 250, or MCB 252.
• Thursday, September 5 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. for the MCB 151 lab.

Registration is required. The deadline to register is 12:00 noon on the day of the test you wish to take. For the link to the registration form and for general information about the tests, click "Molecular and Cellular Biology" (above).

• Chemistry

Thursday, August 22 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 100 Noyes Lab. Options are CHEM 102 and CHEM 104. Registration is required. For the link to the registration form and for general information about the tests, click "Chemistry" (above).

• Computer Science

Tentatively Tuesday, August 27 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. in Room 1404 Siebel Center. This is for new, incoming students only. Options are CS 101, CS 105, CS 125, CS 173, and CS 225. To take a written proficiency exam, simply show up at one of the scheduled exam times. To take a computer-based proficiency exam, schedule your test time with the CBTF. Currently enrolled students can plan on taking the mid-semester proficiency exam. For information about the tests and the registration process, click "Computer Science" (above).

• Economics

Tentatively Wednesday and Thursday, September 4 and 5, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in David Kinley Hall (DKH). Options are ECON 102 "Microeconomic Principles" and/or ECON 103 "Macroeconomic Principles." Registration is required and will open on or about August 21. For general information about the tests or for information on taking the tests using ProctorU, click "Economics" (above).

• History

The next tests will be offered at the start of Fall semester. The date, time, and location will be announced later in the summer. Please check back. For general information about the tests, click "History" (above).

• Languages other than English (LOTE)

• Friday morning, August 23 in the Foreign Languages Building for the Japanese and Korean Placement Tests. High scores on these placement tests can fulfill the General Education language requirement. No academic credit is awarded. Registration is required. If you cannot test on August 23, the next opportunity will be in January 2020 prior to the start of Spring classes.
• Tuesday, August 27 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Foellinger Auditorium for the French and Spanish Proficiency Tests. Registration is required. If you cannot test on August 27, the next opportunity for group testing will be in January 2020 prior to the start of Spring classes. Alternatively, you can test at the Testing Center.
• Individual, "on demand" proficiency testing in Chinese, French, or Spanish is available for eligible students. The cost is $25. Please contact Melissa Minarik at least 5 business days prior to your desired test date to schedule your appointment at the Testing Center.

Proficiency tests in other languages will be offered at the start of Fall semester. The date, time, and location will be announced later in the summer. Please check back. Learn about testing in a less commonly studied language.

• Math

• Thursday, August 22 at 12:30 p.m. in Room 1320 Digital Computer Lab (DCL) for new, entering students ONLY who wish to attempt the MATH 220 'Calculus I' proficiency exam. No registration is necessary. Bring your valid photo ID and UIN. No calculators allowed.
• Saturday, August 31 at 9:00 a.m. in Rooms 1310 and 1320 DCL. Registration will open on Friday, August 16 and will close at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, August 28.

For general information about the tests and the link to the registration form, click "Math" (above).

• Music

New freshmen and new transfer students may take any of the following proficiency tests: MUS 101, 102, 107, 108, 201, 207, or 208 or Group Piano. Registration is required.

• Tuesday, August 27 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 104 Smith Memorial Hall. Group Piano I through IV (MUS 172, 173, 174, and 175)
• Tuesday, August 27 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Room 0304 Music Building. Musicianship I and II (MUS 107 and MUS 108)
• Wednesday, August 28 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. in Room 0304 Music Building. All Core Theory (MUS 101, MUS 102, and MUS 201)
• Thursday, August 29 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Room 0304 Music Building. Musicianship III and IV (MUS 207 and MUS 208) - open only for those students who passed the MUS 107 and MUS 108 exams Tuesday night

Currently enrolled students may take a placement or proficiency exam only in Group Piano. Registration is required.

• Tuesday, August 27 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 104 Smith Memorial Hall. Group Piano I through IV (MUS 172, 173, 174, and 175)

For general information about the tests and the links to the registration forms, click "Music" (above).

• Physics

• Thursday, August 22 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Options are PHYS 101, 102, 211, or 212. Registration is required. The deadline to register is 10:00 p.m. on August 21, 2019.
• Thursday, August 22 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Options are PHYS 213 or 214. Registration is required. The deadline to register is 10:00 p.m. on August 21, 2019.

For the link to the online registration form or for general information about the tests, click "Physics" (above).

• Psychology 100

  Thursday, August 29 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Room 12 Psychology Building. Registration is required. For general information about the test, click "Psychology 100" (above).

• Rhetoric

  There is no departmental proficiency test for RHET 105. Credit for this course can be earned with sufficiently high scores on the ACT or SAT, the two AP English tests, or any of seven different IB tests. For more information, click "Rhetoric" (above).

   

  Any student who just missed earning proficiency credit from the AP Calculus exam or AP Physics exam and any student who scores well on the Chemistry and/or Physics Placement Exam should seriously consider taking the departmental proficiency test.

  If a departmental proficiency exam also offers course placement, you will need to check with the department for your placement results.

  To try to proficiency out of an introductory course not mentioned above, contact the department that offers the course.

   

  IMPORTANT! Duplicate credit earned through AP, IB, departmental examinations, or any other means will not be granted. This means, for example, that if you already earned MATH 220 credit through the AP Calculus exam, you cannot earn MATH 220 credit again by taking the Math Department's MATH 220 proficiency exam. Credit for a particular course will be awarded only once.