Mathematics

For those students planning to take a math course at Northwestern, there are two related online exams to be taken over the summer prior to July 15:

  1. ALEKS math skills assessment 
  2. Math placement exam (required for all McCormick students)

ALEKS math skills assessment

ALEKS is required for students who plan to take MATH 211, 212, 220, 224, or 230.*

Available: June 1 - July 15

To take the assessment:

  1. Go to http://www.aleks.com/northwestern
  2. Click “Sign In”, enter your NetID and password on the NU Online Passport page, and click “Log In”.
  3. Choose Take the Assessment.

Please note:

  • This is waived for students whose AP Calculus AB score is 5, whose AP Calculus BC score is 4 or 5, or whose IB Higher Level Math score is 7
  • Students scoring 75 or less on ALEKS also complete the ALEKS learning module (visit the math department's website for details)
  • Those planning to take CHEM 101 or 171 must take the ALEKS math skills assessment regardless of your math AP scores

* Calculus course numbers and titles:

  • MATH 211: Short Course in Calculus
  • MATH 212: Single-Variable Calculus
  • MATH 220: Differential Calculus of One-Variable Functions
  • MATH 224: Integral Calculus
  • MATH 230: Differential Calculus of Multivariable Functions

Visit the First-year Focus page of the Mathematics website

Math placement exam (online, required for MEAS students)

Students entering the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science are required to complete the math placement exam regardless of AP or IB scores (no exceptions). 

It is extremely important for engineering students to have a solid grounding in mathematics, since math skills will be required for course work and research throughout the next four years. The placement exam--covering algebra, trigonometry, and differential and integral calculus--is specially designed to help you make the best possible placement decisions (even if you've already earned AP calculus credit).

Available: July 9 - September 11, 2012

If you have further questions about math placement, contact the Undergraduate Engineering Office at ueoffice@northwestern.edu or 847-491-7379.

Visit the new student page of the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science website