Placement Exams

English Placement Exams

All students seeking a baccalaureate degree complete at least six credits in first-year writing. To successfully complete the First-Year Writing Requirement, you must complete ENGL 101 and 102 (or their equivalents) with a grade of C- or higher, or demonstrate writing proficiency as outlined in the following table.

Table of College First-Year Writing Requirements

Note: All students must complete The Write Class, regardless of eligibility for receiving credit based on measures listed in the provided table. To receive credit for ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 based on ACT or SAT scores, students must complete the Receiving Credit for English Composition Based on Test Scores form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office.

Course Selection

Boise State University uses an online assessment tool, The Write Class, to place all students in the appropriate first-year writing course. Before your orientation session (and before you are able to register for a first-year writing course), you need to complete The Write Class. Results take up to 72 hours to process. You may need to access your results during your orientation session.

International and English as an Additional Language Students

If you are an international student attending Boise State on an F-1 student visa, you are required to take the English Writing Assessment (EWA). It is recommended that you take the EWA if you learned English as an additional language. For more information and to take the EWA, visit English Writing Assessment.

Transfer Students

If you have transferred English composition courses from another institution to Boise State, the Registrar’s Office will determine whether your courses satisfy all or part of the First-Year Writing Course Requirement. If you have further questions about first-year writing transfer equivalencies, the First-Year Writing Program can provide information about options. For further information, please see the FAQs about Placement.

For More Information on First Year Writing

For further information on first-year writing courses or transfer issues, contact the First-Year Writing Program Office, Liberal Arts Building, Room 256.

• Preferred contact: fywp@boisestate.edu
• Secondary contact: (208) 426-4209

Questions about Placement

For questions about placement, contact the placement manager.

• Preferred contact: FYWPlacement@boisestate.edu

Mathematics Placement Exams

Because the ability to think quantitatively is a characteristic of an educated person, Boise State requires you to demonstrate proficiency in mathematics. All students seeking a baccalaureate degree or an associate degree must complete 3-4 credits in mathematics.

Mathematics Placement Exam Policy

ACT/SAT are for placement only. If you completed the ACT/SAT, you may use the math subtest score if the ACT/SAT math placement score places you in a higher category.

Placement Exams

The Right Math Class online assessment

Math Placement at Boise State begins with an online assessment, where you provide information regarding previously taken math courses and tests (SAT/ACT/AP/IB/CLEP), your academic background, and belief in your math abilities. This assessment will provide an initial category as a starting point for math placement. Every student will receive the Right Math Class online assessment and you must complete it prior to your initial advising appointment. For recent high school graduates, please have a copy of your high school transcript available when taking the survey. Accuracy is important to provide math placement that supports your success.

At the end of the online assessment, you will receive a placement category (see table) and information to discuss with your advisor or the math department to improve placement.

Accuplacer Placement Exams

Boise State uses an “adaptive” computerized exam that covers up to four areas of mathematics: pre-algebra, algebra, college algebra, and trigonometry. The areas covered will depend on your background and your performance as the exam proceeds.

The exam is untimed and the number of questions you will be given will vary due to the adaptive nature of the exam, but you should generally allow about an hour. Your exam will be scored immediately and you will be given a printout of your results telling you which classes you are permitted to take.

An exam fee is payable to Proctoring and Certification Center, Chrisway Annex, 1406 Chrisway Dr., at the time you take the exam. Photo ID is required. Personal checks are not accepted.

Table of Math Placement Exam Scores/Placements

Transfer students

Transfer students will need to contact the Mathematics Department (mathoffice@boisestate.edu) to determine whether transfer courses not equivalent to a Boise State course will count as prerequisites for placement purposes.

Other Test Scores

Students with AP/IB/CLEP scores will need to contact the Mathematics Department (mathoffice@boisestate.edu) or their advisor to determine whether transfer courses not equivalent to a Boise State course will count as prerequisites for placement purposes.