Math Placement Assessment

The Placement Assessment is used to determine the mathematics course in which you will have the greatest success. Upon completion of the Placement Assessments, your scores are sent to your academic advisor. Your advisor will review your scores and help make appropriate recommendations for course registration.

This Placement Assessment should be taken by the following majors and tracks:

Incoming students required to take the Placement Assessment will have the opportunity to complete both the Placement Assessment and work in the Prep and Learning Modules as a part of their onboarding and transition to Wilkes.

First time, first year students will complete the Placement Assessment when completing the Orientation Checklist that will be made available to them in April through the Wilkes Portal.

Transfer students will work with an advisor in The Office of Academic Success and will be provided the Placement Assessment information, if needed.

The Placement Assessment may be taken remotely on a desktop or iPad device at the student’s leisure. However, it is not recommended for you to take this on a mobile device.

Wilkes University reserves the right to require a student to take a Placement Assessment in a proctored environment.

There will be no cost to Wilkes University students for using ALEKS PPL at this time.

The ALEKS placement assessment requires the installation and use of LockDown Browser and a webcam. You will need a Windows or Mac computer that enables you to install software. The computer will also need a functioning webcam and microphone since you will be recorded during the assessment.

Even if you have previously downloaded LockDown Browser for another course or assignment, you will still need to download this version as it is unique to ALEKS Placement Assessments. You will be prompted to download ALEKS LockDown Browser immediately prior to beginning your initial Placement Assessment.

If you have any problems with LockDown Browser or the webcam setup, you may first contact IT Services at Wilkes University at helpdesk@wilkes.edu or by calling (570) 408-4357. You may also open a support ticket with Respondus external website.

ALEKS PPL is an online, adaptive system that covers a broad spectrum of mathematics topics. The length of the Placement Assessment will vary but can be up to 25 questions. You will see some, but not all, of the math you have learned in high school. It is a Placement Assessment, not a preview of math courses at your institution. It is designed to identify if you are prepared for a particular course. After you take your first Placement Assessment, you will have the opportunity to review and master additional topics to reassess and improve your placement.

Topics covered

• Real numbers (including fractions, integers, and percentages)
• Equations and inequalities (including linear equations, linear inequalities, systems of linear equations, and quadratic equations),
• Linear and quadratic functions (including graphs and functions, linear functions, and parabolas), exponents and polynomials (including integer exponents, polynomial arithmetic, factoring, and polynomial equations), rational expressions (including rational equations and rational functions
• Radical expressions (including higher roots and rational exponents)
• Exponentials and logarithms (including function compositions and inverse functions, properties of logarithms, and logarithmic equations)
• Geometry and trigonometry (including perimeter, area, and volume, coordinate geometry, trigonometric functions, and identities and equations).

ALEKS will begin with a brief tutorial to make sure you are comfortable with the math palette tools before your Placement Assessment begins. The tutorial shows you how to enter different types of answers, how to use the ALEKS calculator, and how to graph. If you aren’t sure how to input an answer, or need help while you are taking the ALEKS Placement Assessment, select the Help button below the answer pallet tools. Going to the tutorial during your Placement Assessment will not impact your Placement Assessment results.

ALEKS is not a multiple-choice Placement Assessment. It is open-response and requires you to work out solutions with paper and pencil, then enter them into ALEKS. Be sure to have scratch paper with you.

ALEKS will provide an on-screen calculator if you need one to complete a particular problem. Otherwise, you may not use a calculator.

Because ALEKS is adaptive, once you submit an answer, you cannot change it. Be sure to carefully check your answer before submitting your response.

Yes, you have four hours to complete a Placement Assessment once it has begun.

If you do not complete a Placement Assessment within the four-hour time limit, you will be required to restart it from the beginning. Note that ALEKS Placement Assessments very rarely take longer than three hours.

Yes. We cannot complete your first semester registration without your ALEKS placement assessment results. Please plan to take and complete your first assessment according to the schedule below. If you choose to make additional assessment attempts, you are required to complete them before the final deadline:

If you miss the first attempt deadline, just take the ALEKS assessment as soon as possible. If you miss the final deadline for initial or additional attempts, you have no guarantee of a seat in a math course you request.

You may access ALEKS through the Wilkes Portal.

Your placement result (overall score) is a number between 0 and 100. It represents the percentage of topics ALEKS has identified you have mastered.

Course Placement is determined as follows:

• You will receive your score immediately upon completion of your Placement Assessment.
• Your ALEKS score can be viewed by re-entering ALEKS using the same access link for which you took the Placement Assessment.
• Your scores are automatically added to your student profile, which is accessible by your advisor.
• Your scores will be verified by the math department before the semester begins.

Your placement result is valid for up to 18 months.

This is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the Prep and Learning Modules offered within ALEKS PPL. An individualized study plan will be created based on your performance on the Initial Placement Assessment. ALEKS will identify what you know and what you are ready to learn next so you can brush up on lost knowledge.

No, you must achieve the minimum placement result to take each corresponding class.

Math course requirements will vary by major, and this assessment will also determine student placement into additional science courses. The following majors are required to take the Placement Assessment:

Congratulations! Continue to use your Prep and Learning Module to improve your chances for success. The placement result required is the minimum preparation for your course. Take advantage of the individualized review and learning features in ALEKS to get a better grade in your class.

Yes, you may take up to five Placement Assessments. However, to make each attempt worthwhile, it is important that you spend time working in your ALEKS Prep and Learning Module between Placement Assessments so that you can improve your skills. Up to five hours of Prep and Learning Module work will be required for completion between Placement Assessments attempts.

The minimum work required in a Prep and Learning Module are as follows:

• Five hours before the 2^nd placement assessment
• Five hours before the 3^rd placement assessment
• Three hours before the 4^th placement assessment
• Three hours before the 5^th placement assessment.

You must wait 48 hours between Placement Assessments. There is generally no benefit to re-taking the Placement Assessment immediately after completing a prior attempt. You cannot improve your results by simply re-taking the Placement Assessment without spending time in the Prep and Learning Module to refresh material that you may have forgotten.

You will have six months of access to your Prep and Learning module. Access to the prep course will not begin until you select start on the top of your screen. DO NOT select into the Prep and Learning Module until you are ready to start working.

Access to a Prep and Learning Module is included along with the additional Placement Assessments.

You can retake the Placement Assessment up to four additional times to improve your score. (The highest score will be used for math placement). Students are required to work in the Prep and Learning Modules for a specific amount of time prior to each Placement Assessment to increase success.

• 2^nd Attempt: Required to complete 5 hours of work in the Prep and Learning Modules before attempting assessment.
• 3^rd Attempt: Required to complete 5 additional hours of work in the Prep and Learning Modules before attempting assessment.
• 4^th Attempt: Required to complete 3 additional hours of work in the Prep and Learning Modules before attempting assessment.
• 5^th Attempt: Required to complete 3 additional hours of work in the Prep and Learning Modules before attempting assessment.

While working in a Prep and Learning Module, you will periodically complete a Knowledge Check to make sure you have mastered the topics you gained in Learning Mode. If you do not show mastery during the Knowledge Check, the topics will be added back into your Learning Pie so you can review them again.

No. You must complete a new Placement Assessment to change your placement result. Select the placement tab in the upper right corner of the ALEKS page to start a new Placement Assessment.

No. You may only use one Prep and Learning Module. If you are unsure which module to select, use the module recommended by ALEKS or consult with your advisor.

Simply close the browser, or log out and log back in. ALEKS will resume the Placement Assessment exactly where you left off, with no loss of your previous answers.

• ALEKS PPL Customer Support Form external website