English and Mathematics Placement
This is an archived copy of the 2021-22 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.ndsu.edu.
In accordance with North Dakota University System Policy and Procedure 402.1.2 students are placed into Math 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 submitted any of the approved English placement examinations are required to take the NDSU English Placement Survey. Questions about the NDSU English Placement Survey can be directed to NDSU One Stop.
- Students who have submitted placement scores, may elect to take the NDSU English Placement Survey to attempt to place into a higher English course. ENGL 120 is the highest placement attainable.
- Students who place into ASC 86 or ASC 87 developmental English courses are required to enroll through the collaborative student registration process delivered by North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS). Course textbooks for ASC 87 may be purchased through the NDSU bookstore.
- Upon completion of ENGL 120 with a 'C' grade or higher, students will be awarded placement credit (3) for ENGL 110.
- Students who transfer ENGL 120 to NDSU will be awarded placement credit (3) for ENGL 110 after successfully completing their upper division writing course with a grade of 'C' or higher.
- Students who transfer in ENGL 110 with a non-passing grade, may elect to take the NDSU English Placement Survey.
- Students with a MELAB score should contact the IELP coordinator for information on English placement.
NDSU English Placement Survey Scoring Guide Score Range 1-8: ASC 087
Score Range 9-10: ASC 087 OR English 112 (choice; English 110 if 112 not offered)
Score Range 11-12: ASC 087 OR English 110 (choice)
Score Range 13-16: English 112 (110 if 112 not offered)
Score Range 17-20: English 110
Score Range 21-24: English 112 or 122 (choice; English 110 or 120 if not offered)
Score Range 25-28: English 110 or 120 (choice)
Score Range 29-34: English 122 (120 if 122 not offered)
Score Range 35-40: English 120
Score Range 41-42: English 122 OR Course Challenge (choice; English 120 if 122 not offered)
Score Range 43-44: English 120 OR Course Challenge (choice)
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 | Accuplacer Next-Generation Writing | MyFoundationsLab Pearson (CREAM CLEM & Others) | NDSU Course Placement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 or lower | Evidence Based Reading & Writing 470 or lower | 425 or lower | 2 or lower | 4 or lower | 249 or lower | 69% or lower | English Placement Survey |
| 14-17 | Evidence-Based Reading & Writing: 480 | 426 or higher | 3 or higher | 5 | 250-255 | 70% or higher | ENGL 110: College Composition I |
| 18 or higher | Evidence-Based Reading & Writing: 480 | - | - | 6-8 | 256 or higher | - | ENGL 120: College Composition II |
English Placement for International Students
- International students living in a country where the primary language is English are not required to present test scores for placement. Even if they have test scores, they should take the placement survey on Blackboard to determine which English course to take.
- 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.
- ENGL 112 and 122 are special sections of College Composition equivalent to ENGL 110 and 120, respectively. International students who are multilingual are encouraged to enroll in ENGL 112 or 122, but they may enroll in ENGL 110 or 120 if ENGL 112 or 122 is not available.
- All degree-seeking students are required to successfully earn credit for ENGL 112 and 122 (or 110 and 120) or equivalent as part of the NDSU general education requirements.
- For students who have multiple exam scores, the highest placement may be used.International students who meet the threshold for ENGL 112 based on exam scores (see table below) should take the English placement survey in Blackboard to determine their course placement (ENGL 112 or 122, or equivalent).
- Students who are advised to enroll in ENGL 122, will be awarded placement credit (3) for ENGL 112 upon completion of ENGL 122 with a 'C' grade or higher.
- For students who have multiple exam scores, the highest placement may be used.
| Exam Type | LANG 109: Language Use in Writing ESL II | ENGL 112: ESL College Composition I | ENGL 122: ESL English Composition II |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 70 or lower | 71 or higher | English Placement Survey |
| IELTS (Overall) | 5.5 or lower | 6.0 or higher | English Placement Survey |
| Duolingo English Exam | 99 or lower | 100 or higher | English Placement Survey |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 400 or lower | 410 or higher | English Placement Survey |
| ACT English Subscore | 13 or lower | 14 or higher | English Placement Survey |
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. 2860; 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. Please note that the NDSU Pearson Placement exam should be completed prior to a student enrolling in either MATH 98 or MATH 103/104. If the Pearson Placement exam is taken after enrollment in MATH 98 or MATH 103/104, the student must drop this course either on or before the no-record drop deadline for the Pearson Placement to take effect.
- 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 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 2/05/2016) | Math + Reading | 990 |
| Accuplacer Next-Generation | Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics | 255 |
| Accuplacer Next-Generation | Advanced Algebra Functions | 237 |
| 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 < 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
*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.