English and Math Placement
In accordance with North Dakota University System Policy and Procedure 402.1.2 students are placed into Mathematics and English courses based on qualifying exam scores. The intent is to appropriately place students into courses that are both challenging and for which they are adequately prepared.
English Placement for U.S. Students, Canadian Students, and U.S. Permanent Residents
- All students are required to successfully earn credit for ENGL 110 and 120 or equivalent as part of the NDSU general education requirements.
- For students who have multiple placement exam scores, the highest placement may be used.
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Eligible students with disabilities may seek reasonable accommodations to take the placement test. Please submit disability documentation to NDSU Disability Services at least two weeks prior to the time in which the accommodations are needed. Documentation will be reviewed and students will be notified if additional documentation is needed to make an eligibility decision. Please submit the request and documentation to: NDSU Disability Services ; Dept. 2860; P.O. Box 6050; Fargo, ND 58108-6050; (701) 231-8463.
- Students who have not taken the ACT or SAT are required to enroll in a developmental English course, ASC 087, prior to enrolling in ENGL 110. ASC 087 will be delivered by North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) on the NDSU campus. Students must register through the collaborative student registration process. Course textbooks for ASC 087 may be purchased through the NDSU bookstore .
- Students who are required to begin in ASC 087 must successfully complete the course with a grade of 'S' (satisfactory) before they may enroll in ENGL 110 or equivalent.
- Upon completion of ENGL 120 with a 'C' grade or higher, students will be awarded placement credit (4) for ENGL 110.
- Students who transfer ENGL 120 to NDSU will be awarded placement credit (4) for ENGL 110 after successfully completing their upper division writing course with a grade of 'C' or higher.
- Students with a MELAB score should contact the IELP coordinator for information on English placement.
The table below lists exam scores and corresponding English course placement at NDSU:
| English ACT Subtest Score | SAT Writing | ACT Aspire | Smarter Balanced 11/12 Grade(ELA) | Accuplacer WritePlacer Test Score | MyFoundationsLab Pearson (CREAM CLEM & Others) | NDSU Course Placement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 or lower | Evidence Based Reading & Writing: 400 or lower | 425 or lower | 2 or lower | 3-4 | 69.9% or less | ASC 087: College Writing Prep II (NDSCS Collaborative) |
| - | 350 or lower (Prior to March, 5 2016) | - | - | - | - | ASC 087: College Writing Prep II (NDSCS Collaborative) |
| 14-17 | Evidence-Based Reading & Writing: 410-470 | 426 or higher | 3 or higher | 5 | 70% or higher | ENGL 110: College Composition I |
| - | 360-450 (Prior to March 5, 2016) | - | - | - | - | ENGL 110: College Composition I |
| 18 or higher | Evidence Based Writing & Reading: 480 | - | - | 6-8 | - | ENGL 120: College Composition II |
| - | 430 (Prior to March, 5 2016) | - | - | - | - | ENGL 120: College Composition II |
English Placement for International Students
- All students are required to successfully earn credit for ENGL 112 and 122 (or 110 and 120 for native English speakers) or equivalent as part of the NDSU general education requirements.
- Students who are required to begin in LANG 109 must successfully complete the course with a 'C' grade or higher before they may enroll in ENGL 112 or equivalent.
- For students who have multiple exam scores, the highest placement may be used.
- Students with qualifying exam scores, who are advised to enroll in ENGL 122, will be awarded placement credit (4) for ENGL 112 upon completion of ENGL 122 with a 'C' grade or higher.
The table below lists ACT and SAT exam scores and corresponding course Placement:
| Exam Type | LANG 109: Language Use in Writing ESL II | ENGL 112: ESL College Composition I | ENGL 122: ESL College Composition II |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT English sub-test | 13 or lower | 14-17 | 18 or higher |
| SAT Writing | 350 or lower | 360-420 | 430 |
The table below lists placement exams for International students and corresponding course placement:
| Exam Type | LANG 109: Language Use in Writing ESL II | ENGL 112: ESL College Composition I |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Overall) | 5.5 or lower | 6.0 or higher |
| TOEFL (Composite) | 70 or lower | 71 or higher |
| Pearson (Overall) | 49 or lower | 50 or higher |
| ELS Center | ELS 109 or lower | ELS 112 Certificate/Completion |
NDSU Math Placement Procedures
A variety of approved placement examinations are used (see table below) to determine placement of students into entry-level math courses. The following guidelines apply to math placement practices:
- For students who have scores from multiple exams, the highest placement will be used.
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Eligible students with disabilities may seek reasonable accommodations to take the placement test. Please submit disability documentation to NDSU Disability Services at least two weeks prior to the time in which the accommodations are needed. Documentation will be reviewed and students will be notified if additional documentation is needed to make an eligibility decision. Please submit the request and documentation to: NDSU Disability Services ; Dept. 5160; P.O. Box 6050; Fargo, ND 58108-6050; (701) 231-8463.
- Current, incoming or returning NDSU students who do not have prior college-level mathematics OR have not taken an approved placement examination must take the NDSU Pearson Placement exam to determine course placement.
- Students who meet the minimum score requirement of any approved placement examination may elect to take the NDSU Pearson Placement exam to attempt to place into a course above MATH 103 or MATH 104.
- Students that do not meet the minimum score requirement on any approved placement examination will place into Math 98, however, students may elect to take the NDSU Pearson Placement exam offered through NDSU to attempt to place into a course above MATH 98.
- Students who begin in Math 98 must successfully complete the course with a 'C' grade or higher before they may continue to Math 103 or 104.
- Students have the option to retake the NDSU Pearson Placement exam one time and must be completed before the last day to add classes in Campus Connection.
- Questions about the NDSU Pearson Placement exam can be directed to NDSU One Stop .
Exam scores and corresponding course placement possibilities are listed in the table below:
The table below lists NDSU approved placement examinations and minimum exam scores for placement into MATH 103 or Math 104:
| Test | Test Component | Minimum Score |
|---|---|---|
| ACT | Math Subtest | 21 |
| SAT | Math | 530 |
| SAT (prior to February 5, 2016) | Math + Reading | 990 |
| Accuplacer | Elementary Algebra | 76 |
| Accuplacer | College Level Math | 50 |
| ACT Aspire | Math Subtest | 431 |
| ALEKS | Mathematics PPL | 46 |
| MyFoundationsLab Pearson (CREAM, CLEM & Others) | Math | 70% |
| EdReady (NROC) | Math Placement | 75 |
| MAA Maplesoft | Algebra | 12 |
| Smarter Balanced | Grade 11-12 Math | 3 |
The Table below lists NDSU Pearson Placement exam scores and corresponding Math course placement at NDSU:
| Pearson | Course Placement |
|---|---|
| Intermediate Algebra < 70% | Math 098 |
| Intermediate Algebra ≥ 70% | Math 103 or Math 104 |
| Algebra < 60% | Math 103 or Math 104 |
| Algebra ≥ 60% AND Trigonometry < 50% | Math 105 or Math 144 or Math 146 |
| Algebra ≥ 65% | Math 105 or Math 144 or Math 146 |
| Algebra ≥ 65% AND Trigonometry 40%-64.9% | Math 165 with Math 105 |
| Algebra ≥ 65% AND Trigonometry ≥ 65% | Math 165 |
*MATH 144, "Mathematics for Business", is only available for College of Business majors.
Students with College Transfer Coursework or Credit by Examination Placement
Students with prior college coursework, Advance Placement (AP) or other credit-by-examination (CLEP, IB, DSST) will follow NDSU's Credit by Examination guidelines for placement into mathematics and English coursework.
Sequence of NDSU math courses as a reference or guide:
START: MATH 98 > MATH 103 > MATH 105 > MATH 165 > MATH 166 or
MATH 98 > MATH 103 > MATH 146 > Math 147 or
MATH 98 > MATH 104
START: Math Placement Test > MATH 107 > MATH 165 > MATH 166
