Placement exams determine what your knowledge and skills are in a subject so that we can then recommend an appropriate first course for you from the various options available at Illinois. Placement tests do not award academic credit (see "proficiency testing" below). All placement exams are made available to all incoming students. Take only the ones you need to take. If you never studied a particular subject, you don't need to take its placement test. To enroll in a subject that is completely new to you, you can simply register for its elementary-level course.

Learn more about placement testing.

Proficiency Testing

The purpose of any proficiency exam is to find out whether you have mastered the knowledge and the skills that are taught in a particular course well enough that you are prepared to succeed in the subject's subsequent courses. If so, you earn credit for the course that you tested in, and you may begin studying the higher-level course. If you pass the proficiency exam but choose NOT to continue studying the subject, you still get the course credit, which counts towards graduation.

Learn more about proficiency testing and how to earn course credit.

Resources

• Current Cutoffs: These are the scores that determine the course you will enroll in or the academic credit you will earn. The current cutoffs apply to all students who first enroll at Illinois for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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