Placement Assessments

Math placement is determined by ACT math sub-scores (if test scores were submitted in the admissions process) and the math requirements that are associated with specific academic majors.

Respond to prompts in this questionnaire to determine if you need to take the math placement assessment. Do I need to take the Math Placement?

The MATH placement options at St. Thomas are 099, 101, 108, 111 or 113. Most of these numbers are associated with the math classes we offer. For example, a math placement of 108 will allow a student to take MATH 108 or any math course lower than 108.

The exception to this explanation above is placement of MATH 099. Students with MATH 099 placement can do one of the following:

1. Enroll in MATH 101.
2. Take the math placement assessment offered through the St. Thomas Math department (which includes review material and practice assessment).
3. Enroll in 1-2 8-week 0-credit math preparation class(es) that will prepare students for MATH 100 or 108 or higher.

Here is a list of required math courses for all St. Thomas majors: Major Math Requirements

If a student's math placement is not as high as it needs to be (for example, the academic major requires Calculus (MATH 108, 109 and 113) but the math placement is MATH 101), or if a student did not submit ACT/SAT scores when applying to St. Thomas, the student will be instructed to take the math placement assessment. The placement assessment is especially helpful for students who have not submitted standardized test scores to St. Thomas or who have completed additional high school or college math classes since taking the ACT/SAT exam.

We can use your ACT or SAT test scores for placement purposes (even if you applied without a test score). If you would like to provide a test score, you may do so by logging into the ACT or SAT websites and having your official scores sent to the University of St. Thomas, MN. Our ACT code is 2102 and our SAT code is 6110. If you have scores to send, please do so ASAP.

If you are wondering if your official test scores are already on file or would like to discuss your test scores and their impact on the math placement process, you may reach out to your admissions counselor or contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-6150.

If you intend to take the math placement assessment, here are the math placement assessment instructions (PDF).

The English Placement Assessment will appear at the end of the CPF for those who have an initial placement of 110. If you do not see the assessment at the end of the CPF, then you do not need to complete it.

A Student's initial English placement is based on a combination of ACT or SAT scores (if submitted through the Admissions process) and high school English courses. Possible placements are ENGL 110, 121 or 190.

• Students with an ENGL 110 placement are invited to try to increase their score by taking an English placement assessment. The English placement assessment requires students to provide a written response to a question within a limited time. St. Thomas English faculty will review the writing samples to determine if a new/higher placement is appropriate.
• Students who have ENGL 110 placement and anticipate English credit from any of the options below are asked to indicate that on the first page of the English assessment. Once you have indicated that you have one or more of those options and submitted that page, your responses will be recorded and you will not need to complete the writing assessment.
  • A score of a 4 or higher on the AP Literature and Composition exam (not Language and Composition)
  • A score of 4 or higher on the higher-level International Baccalaureate English exam
  • English credit via PSEO or College in the Schools (CIS)
• Students with English placement of 121 or 190 should plan to enroll in the English course placed.

Regardless of your English placement, students will be required to take one English course as part of the Literature & Writing area of the core curriculum. Students who are required to begin with ENGL 110 will complete two English courses.

All students will have access to the placement assessments in these languages taught at St. Thomas: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Latin and Spanish. These links are found on the Admissions Portal Checklist.

American Sign Language, Arabic, Ancient Greek and Japanese placement assessments can be scheduled with the coordinator or associate chair of that language. For information, please contact the Modern and Classical Languages (MCL) department at 651-962-5150, or visit the website.

• Language Placement assessments can only be taken once in a language.
• Students who have earned college credit in a language (College in the Schools, AP, PSEO credit) should NOT take the placement assessment. Their earned credit will be the prerequisite for their appropriate language course at St. Thomas.
• Students bringing in International Baccalaureate (IB) scores of 4 or higher SHOULD take the placement assessment to determine their level of competency; they will receive academic credit for the level below their placement.
• The Language & Culture area of the core curriculum allows a few different options for completion.
  • Option 1: Place into the 212 level of a language (or higher) and either pass that course or place at the 212 level or above on the language confirmation assessment offered by the Modern & Classical Languages Department
  • Option 2: Place into the 211 level of a language and complete that level (one course)
  • Option 3: Begin a new language and complete 111 and 112 (two courses)
  • Option 4: Place into the 112 or 122 level of a language and complete 112/122 and 211 (two courses)

• No academic credit is awarded for language courses based on placement. For example, students who place into SPAN 211, Intermediate Spanish (the third semester offered at St. Thomas), will not receive credit for SPAN 111 and 112 (the courses earlier in the Spanish sequence at St. Thomas).
• If you successfully completed the Minnesota Bilingual Seal certification, you do not need to complete a placement assessment. The MN Bilingual Seal levels and equivalent placements are the following:
  
  • MN World Language Proficiency Certificate: placement into 211
  • MN Bilingual Gold Seal: placement into 212
  • MN Bilingual Platinum Seal: placement into 300 (for the languages for which the 300 level exists).

Special note about Spanish assessment and enrollment:

SPAN 122 is a beginning level Spanish course developed for students with previous language experience. It begins with an accelerated review of SPAN 111 followed by material covered in SPAN 112. The course prepares students to communicate in Spanish in everyday situations at an elementary level of proficiency. It also introduces students to cultural products, practices and perspectives from different parts of the Spanish-speaking world. SPAN 122 cannot be taken if credit for SPAN 111 was received. Students who test into SPAN 122 will complete SPAN 122 and 211 to complete the Language & Culture requirement.

Respond to prompts in this questionnaire to determine if you need to take a World Language placement assessment. Do I need to take a World Language's Placement Assessment?

Respond to prompts in this questionnaire to determine if you need to take the Chemistry placement assessment. Do I need to take the Chemistry placement?

Some students will be required to complete one or more Chemistry classes for their academic major. Students interested in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Exercise Science or Neuroscience majors, for example, will be required to complete the Chemistry placement assessment. All students are strongly encouraged to take the placement assessment (many students decide to change their academic major over time) but the assessment is optional for students who are not planning to declare one of the majors listed above.

• The Chemistry placement assessment determines students' background and abilities in algebra, problem solving skills, and basic Chemistry concepts and places students in either CHEM 111: General Chemistry I, or CHEM 110: Introduction to Chemistry (a course that prepares students for CHEM 111), or CHEM 115: Accelerated General Chemistry.
• To prepare for the Chemistry placement assessment, students may wish to review a few concepts from previous math and chemistry classes, but students are not recommended to study for it. The assessment will determine how previous knowledge and content has prepared students for the Chemistry courses at St. Thomas.
• All students have access to the Chemistry placement exam, and in order to enroll in Chemistry 111 or higher, students must have a minimum math placement of 108.