Which Math Assessment should I take?
You will choose from among four math assessment, each designed for placement into different levels of math.
Work the problems on the math assessment examples by clicking on Assessment #1, #2, #3 or #4, below.
These assessment examples and your math background will help you to determine which of the four assessments you will take. No calculators are allowed in any assessment.
Make your decision regarding which assessment to take (#1, 2, 3, or 4) prior to assessing, you will let us know your decision at check-in on the day of your assessment.
Students who plan to take Assessment #3 or Assessment #4 are strongly encouraged to visit the MDTP website (http://mdtp.ucsd.edu/onlinetests.shtml) to take an online practice assessment to verify readiness for the assessment.
Please Note: If the questions on Assessment #1 are too difficult, you may elect to begin at Math 360 without assessing. You can register for this class. Please note: if you choose to register in math 360, you are no longer eligible to assess for math.
If your score on any math assessment is too low to accurately place you, it will ask you to come back and take a lower assessment to determine proper placement. You may retake the Math Assessment “ONCE” with the Assessment Center's permission per semester. This is dependent upon diagnostic data from the original assessment.
Practice questions are available for each of the Math Assessments on this site. Please review all problems. Choose an Assessment that supports your abilities and that does not overwhelm you. Meaning: please pick an assessment where you are answering about half of the assessment examples correctly.
Please read the information below for assistance in determining which math assessment is appropriate for you. You will let us know which numbered assessment (1,2,3 or 4) you will be taking at check in on the day of your scheduled assessment:
- Assessment #1 Algebra Readiness:
- Take this assessment if you took a math class a long time ago or are not sure what your math skills are. This assessment will evaluate your math skills for placement into either:
- Arithmetic (Math 360)
- Pre-Algebra (Math 351)
- Beginning Algebra (Math 261)
- Assessment #2 Elementary Algebra Diagnostic:
- Take this assessment if you have successfully completed one year of high school algebra. This assessment will evaluate your math skills for placement into either:
- Beginning Algebra (Math 261) or
- Intermediate Algebra (Math 263)
- Assessment # 3 Intermediate Algebra Diagnostic:
- Take this assessment if you have successfully completed two years of high school algebra. This assessment will evaluate your math skills for placement into either:
- Intermediate Algebra (Math 263)
- Math for General Education (Math 10)
- Statistics (Math 16)
- Pre-calculus (Math 13)
- Finite Math (Math 17)
- Business Calculus (Math 18)
- Assessment #4 Pre-calculus Diagnostic:
- Take this assessment if you have successfully completed two years of Algebra, one year of Geometry, AND Pre-Calculus (including trigonometry) or Math Analysis in high school. This assessment will evaluate your math skills for placement into either:
- Pre-Calculus (Math 13)
- Calculus I (Math 20A)