Course Placement

Placement Requirements

Many UAF courses require placement. All students planning to take courses with specific placement requirements must meet those requirements before registering for those courses. Specific writing, reading and math placement requirements are listed in the sections below.

Students need mathematics placement at MATH F105 or above and writing placement at WRTG F111X or above to register for natural science general education requirement courses unless otherwise noted.

Placement Tests

Test results are required for first-time degree or certificate students, transfer students with fewer than 30 transfer credits, or students planning to take F100-level English, reading, mathematics, natural sciences and many general education courses. Placement scores from ALEKS, EdReady, American College Testing Program (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) must be on file with the Office of the Registrar before registration.

Students who enroll in any course without meeting placement or prerequisite requirements may be dropped or withdrawn from the course through the faculty-initiated withdrawal process.

Score Expiration 

Writing placement exam scores expire two calendar years from the date taken. 

Mathematics placement exam scores expire one calendar year from the date taken.

Students enrolling in developmental or lower-division general education requirement courses must have completed any prerequisite courses within two calendar years of their enrollment.

Course Prerequisites

Course prerequisites indicate what previous preparation is needed to enroll in a course. An instructor has the right to waive a course prerequisite if the instructor documents that the student possesses the background required to succeed in the class. Instructors also have the right to drop any students from a course if they do not meet the prerequisite or have not received a grade of C- or better in all prerequisite courses. Students who take a course at a higher level than a corresponding prerequisite course required for a degree program are not exempt from taking that required course.

Writing

  • Placement into writing courses requires either prerequisite course credit (a grade of C- or better) or a standardized placement test that measures academic skills such as critical thinking and reading. The score from any of the tests (see Writing Course Placement Scores table below) places the student in the appropriate writing class. The EdReady system has study paths and allows multiple attempts.

Writing Course Placement Scores

Courses ACT
English + Reading Total Combined Score		 SAT Redesigned1
Evidence Based Reading + Writing Total Combined Score		 EdReady
WRTG F211X , WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X2 60-72 710-800 N/A
WRTG F111X 36-59 480-700 70+
WRTG F111X and WRTG F068 N/A N/A 65-69
WRTG F110 30-35 430-470 60-64
WRTG F090 26-29 390-420 55-59
WRTG F080 18-25 330-380 >55
Adult Basic Education3 2-17 200-320 N/A
1

The SAT Redesigned was first administered in March 2016.

2

Students with ACT or SAT scores that place them in WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X may receive local advanced placement credit for WRTG F111X upon completion of WRTG F211X, WRTG F212X, WRTG F213X or WRTG F214X with a grade of C or better. To receive this credit, students should submit the "Application for WRTG F111X Credit" form to the Office of Admissions.

3

Adult Basic Education program listing can be found here.

Foreign Language

Students may not register for foreign language classes higher than F101 unless they have received credit through CLEP, AP, transfer or another UAF-approved test for the prior levels. With the approval of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, students may enroll in the level of a language at which they are competent, based on prior experience.

Mathematics

Mathematics course placement varies according to the type of degree the student is planning to pursue and the corresponding math course(s) needed. (See the degree program requirements for more detail.) The UAF mathematics placement test (ALEKS) is used to determine math placement. Minimum test scores for placement in math and developmental math courses are listed in the Math, Statistics and Developmental Math Placement Scores table below.

Students who have limited access to or limited experience with the Internet should contact the Department of Mathematics and Statistics or the Department of Developmental Education for assistance.

Mathematics, Statistics, and Developmental Mathematics Placement Scores

Courses ALEKS PPL
MATH F251X 78-100
MATH F211, MATH F230X 70-100
MATH F152X 65-77
ES F186, MATH F186 60-100
STAT F200X 55-100
MATH F122X, MATH F151X, MATH F156X1 55-77
MATH F113X2 30-100
MATH F1052, MATH F105N, MATH F071, MATH F105G, MATH F105H, MATH F105J 30-54
MATH F055, MATH F055D, MATH F055E, MATH F055F, MATH F061, MATH F062, HLTH F116, TTCH F131 17-29
MATH F068 10-29
MATH F054, MATH F056, ABUS F155 0-16
1

Placement for CHEM F105X, CHEM F106X.

2

Placement for all natural sciences general education courses except CHEM F105X,CHEM F106X CHEM F106X, PHYS F211X, PHYS F212X, PHYS F213X ENVI F101X, GEOS F102X,GEOS F120X

Note: Academic advisors should check test score and prerequisite course dates on BANNER or UAOnline and instruct students to retest if their test scores are more than ONE year old for the placement test date and TWO years old for the course prerequisite date. Students who enroll in any course without meeting placement or prerequisite requirements may be dropped or withdrawn from the course through the faculty-initiated withdrawal process.

Note: Students, in consultation with their academic advisor or course instructor, may opt to take a course lower than their placement.