Placement Testing

University College is responsible for administering placement testing for all part-time students. Please read below for more information. Part-time evening students requesting additional information on placement testing should contact University College at 203.932.7180.

Frequently Asked Questions- Placement Testing for Part-time Undergraduate Students

English Placement at UNH

How does the University determine my initial English course placement?
Your academic success is our goal. We have several first-year English courses, and we want you to take the ones that best suit your needs. We determine your placement in the proper English course on performance in prior English courses taken elsewhere. We determine that a reading course is necessary in addition to the required coursework in writing and composition. If you do not have recent, adequate data for us to use, we will ask that you take a brief English Placement test before you register.

When should I take the English Placement Test, if I need it?
Only rarely does a student need a test to determine English placement. If we find that you need one, you can visit the University prior to registration to take one.

What does English placement testing consist of?
There are two parts. The Reading part is very practical because it involves multiple-choice questions about short passages from textbooks actually used in freshman courses at UNH. The questions are about each passage’s vocabulary and meaning. The Writing part involves an essay of at least 300 words on a general-interest topic, and you will have several such topics to choose from.

Who takes the placement tests?
Only those students who do not have English course grades to transfer from another accredited institution that we can use to determine proper placement.  We will advise you if an English Placement test is required.

Can I fail a placement test?
No, you cannot. Placement is not about passing or failing. It is “diagnostic”—a sample rather than a gradable test. The university simply wants to make sure that you begin your college career with the writing course that is exactly right for you.

UNH Mathematics Placement Testing

What is a mathematics placement test?
A placement test is a test to help us and you measure how much you can remember and use of the mathematics you learned from your high school mathematics courses. It is important to remember that you will begin a college mathematics course with what you know on the first day of college, not what you once knew or what you once had in high school. Thus, the placement test is designed to help measure what you know now.

Why are placement tests given?
Placement tests are given so that the University of New Haven can place you into a mathematics course that is appropriate for your major and for your current level of mathematical ability. The test is used to help us and you find the correct course at the correct level of difficulty for you to begin your college career.

What is the UNH mathematics placement test like?
The test is administered online and all questions are multiple choice. Each question you are given depends on your responses to the previous questions. Calculators are not permitted. (See the following item.) You will be given one or two tests. Whether or not you are given the second test depends on the results of your first test. The first test, Elementary Algebra, contains 12 questions; the second test, College Level Mathematics, contains 20 questions. There is no time limit on either test.

Are calculators permitted on the placement test?
You are not permitted to bring a calculator to the test. On some questions, use of a calculator will be helpful, but in those cases, a calculator will pop up on the screen. All other questions can and should be answered without aid of a calculator.

Who has to take the placement test?
Every new first year student and any transfer student who has not successfully completed a college mathematics course. We will advise you if a math placement test is required.

Should I study for the placement test?
Samples of the two mathematics placement tests are located below. Especially if you have significant mathematics in high school and plan to major in a field that is heavily science oriented, it will probably help you to take these sample tests and to review those areas of high school mathematics in which you are weak. This will help you review and refresh your high school mathematics and will also help you become better prepared for college mathematics courses. In the sciences, you will want to complete the first level of mathematics courses as quickly as possible since often courses in your chosen field depend heavily on these mathematics courses.

Can I fail a placement test?
A placement test is not about passing or failing. The goal is to help us and you find the appropriate beginning level of college mathematics for you. If you start too low, you will not be challenged and you will be wasting valuable time; if you start too high, you will be frustrated and will probably not succeed.

How soon will I know the results?
Because the UNH mathematics placement test is online, your score and appropriate math course are available immediately after you finish the test. Normally we will supply you with a printout of your results before you leave the testing site. When you register for courses, your academic advisor will also have the results.

Why can’t I take the course I want, regardless of my placement test scores? I had good grades in math in high school.
As noted above, the placement test measures what your mathematics skills are when you start college, not what your mathematics skills were at some time in the past. Your college mathematics instructors will assume you know well the necessary prerequisites for the course for which you register; there will be almost no review of past material. We have found that students who take courses for which they are not prepared, even if they have had good grades in high school, inevitably do not succeed. They are then forced to go back to a lower level course anyway and start all over again. It is much better for your future progress to start at the level for which you are currently ready.

Suppose I place into a certain course but feel that I need more review before I take the course. Can I drop back and take a lower level course instead?
Yes you may. You may decide at the time of registration that you would prefer to take a lower level course than the placement test indicates. Further, if you find that during the first few days of a class the class seems too difficult, you may change to a lower level course. It is better to take your time and build a strong background than to start in a course that you feel is over your head. The UNH Department of Mathematics will be happy to help you with any adjustments.


Sample Mathematics Placement Test and answers
Adobe Acrobat Required

UNH Chemistry Placement Testing

Who has to take the chemistry placement test?
All students in the following majors are required to take the chemistry placement test: Chemistry, Forensic Science, all Engineering majors (excluding Information Technology), Environmental Science, Biology (all concentrations), Biotechnology, Marine Biology, Fire Protection Engineering, and Occupational Safety & Health.

Transfer students in any of the above majors who received transfer credit for Chemistry 115 are exempt from taking the chemistry placement test.

What is a chemistry placement test?
A placement test is a test to help us place you in the chemistry course that best suits your background and needs. It will help measure how much you remember of the chemistry you learned from your high school chemistry courses.

Why are placement tests given?
Placement tests are given so that the University of New Haven can place you into a chemistry course that is appropriate for your major and for your current level of ability. The test is used to help us and you find the correct course at the correct level of difficulty for you to begin your college career.

UNH offers several possible courses that have different prerequisites and are required for different majors.

CH103 Introduction to General Chemistry (with lab- CH104)
This course is arranged for students with little or no preparation from high school chemistry classes. The course prepares students who will be required to take the CH115-CH116 (and labs CH117-CH118) series and focuses on quantitative skills.

CH105 Introduction to General Chemistry with Organic Chemistry (including lab)
This class is presented to students fulfilling the general science requirement. It covers a wide area of chemistry topics. In general, it is directed at students who will not be taking further chemistry classes. Many students who are Fire Science majors take this course.

CH115 General Chemistry (with lab CH117)
This is the standard first year college chemistry course. The prerequisites for this course are successful completion of a year of high school chemistry and demonstrated mathematics skills, minimally completion of M115 Pre-Calculus or its equivalent. This course focuses on quantitative problem solving. This course is required for many other chemistry courses taken by science and engineering students. 

What is the UNH chemistry placement test like?                                                                                  The test is a short answer questionnaire followed by 10 multiple choice questions. Calculators are permitted and will be helpful. There is a 1/2 hr time limit on the test. We will advise you if a placement test is required.

Should I study for the placement test?
YES, a sample of the chemistry placement test is located elsewhere on this web site. Especially if you have significant chemistry in high school and plan to major in a field of science or engineering, it will probably help you to take the sample test and to review those areas of high school chemistry in which you are weak. If you are majoring in a science or engineering filed, you will want to complete the first level of chemistry courses as quickly as possible since often courses in your chosen field depend heavily on these chemistry courses.

What should I bring to the Chemistry placement exam?
Bring a pencil and a SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR.

Can I fail a placement test?
A placement test is not about passing or failing. The goal is to help us and you find the appropriate beginning level of college chemistry for you. If you start too low, you will not be challenged and you will be wasting valuable time; if you start too high, you will be frustrated and will probably not succeed. We hope this questionnaire and placement exam will help us determine the best chemistry course for you.

How soon will I know the results?
Because the UNH chemistry placement test is a short multiple choice test, you will learn your score and appropriate chemistry course you should take soon after you finish the test.


Sample Chemistry Placement Test and answers
Adobe Acrobat Required