Determining Which Placement Exams to Take
Below is a quick-glance list of required tests by school/college/program for first-year students.
Chart Key:
Required = your school/college requires you to take the online placement exam. In the case of languages, if you do
not have any experience in a foreign language, you are not required to take a language placement exam. You may
study a new language to fulfill your school/college’s language/degree requirement. Requirement is only if you have
prior experience and plan to continue to enroll in that language to satisfy school/college’s language/degree
requirement.
Not required = your school/college does not require you to take the online placement exam.
Encouraged = While not required, if you intend to continue to take coursework in that subject, you should take the
exam.
See below/marked with a symbol = there are specific circumstances that may require you to take the exam or
reasons to encourage taking the exam, more information is below the chart.
FIRST-YEAR STUDENT PLACEMENT EXAMS
School/College/
Program
Math
(Online)
UWrite
(Online)
Chemistry
(Online)
Languages
(Only if you have prior
experience)
Architecture
required @
required
not required
encouraged
Art & Design
required
required
encouraged
encouraged
Art & Design - BBA
Preferred Admit to Ross
required
required
encouraged
encouraged
Engineering
required
not required
required*
encouraged **
Engineering - BBA
Preferred Admit to Ross
required
required
required*
required**
Kinesiology
required
required
required#
encouraged
Kinesiology - BBA
Preferred Admit to Ross
required
required
required#
required
Literature, Science & Arts
(LSA)
required
required
encouraged
required
LSA: Comprehensive
Studies Program (CSP)
required
required
encouraged
required
LSA: Honors Program
required
not required
required
required
LSA: Residential College
required
not required
encouraged
required
Music, Musical Theatre,
Theatre, Dance (SMTD)
see below^
required
not required
see below+
SMTD - BBA Preferred
Admit to Ross
required
required
not required
required
Nursing
not required
required
not required
not required
Ross Business School
Direct Admit
required
required
not required
required
@ Students studying Urban Technology in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning are not
required to take the math placement.
* College of Engineering students are required to take the Chemistry Placement unless they have
received an AP score of 4 or 5. If your results are not yet available, you should still take the Placement
prior to your virtual Academic Advising Date.
** College of Engineering students are encouraged, though not required, to take language placement
exams. Students intending to enroll in a language course in their first term should take the placement
online in advance. College of Engineering students who are preferred admits to the Ross Business School
are required to take a language placement exam if they have any experience in one (for languages
available to take online in advance).
^ If you are studying Performing Arts Technology (PAT) in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
(SMTD), you are required to take the math placement exam. If you are an SMTD student who is a
