Placement Tests

The University of Montana utilizes placement tests to determine initial placement in writing, math, foreign language, and chemistry. Placement tests measure readiness, not aptitude.

Math placement at the University of Montana (UM) is based on a combination of these criteria:

  • ACT or SAT Math scores
  • Pre-requisite courses (e.g. dual enrollment, AP/IB/etc., transfer courses, other college-level equivalents)
  • High school GPA and senior year math courses 

Students who do not place into math courses by the above criteria will utilize EdReady Montana to determine placement level.

 

Next steps for completing EdReady placement:

  • All admitted undergraduate students who need to complete the EdReady placement in order to register for math courses at UM will be contacted via email.
  • Watch for an email from EdReady Montana with detailed instructions on how to complete math placement requirements.
  • Please do not complete the Maplesoft math placement exams in Moodle unless you are instructed to do so.   

Once you complete the initial placement diagnostic, EdReady Montana generates a customized study plan to provide an opportunity for you to learn, fill in any gaps, and improve your placement level.

Learn more about EdReady Montana 

The diagram at the following link provides an overview of math placement and course sequencing at UM:  Math Placement Chart.

After you complete the EdReady placement:

Visit the following website for detailed information on next steps after you complete the initial EdReady placement diagnostic:  EdReady Score Breakdown

What is the WLC World Language Placement Exam?  It is a free, computer-based program. The WebCAPE assessment tests reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary in French, German, and Spanish in a multiple choice format. You can request access to the exam here.  The language placement assessment helps students register for a language level that is appropriate for their previous language experience. This language experience can be gained through academic study in grade school (K-12), through college courses, self-study, speaking/reading a language other than English at home or traveling, etc. Students with prior college credit or AP credit do not necessarily need to take the assessment, but they are welcome to do so.  The exam is timed and usually takes about 30 minutes to complete. The total time from start to finish is taken into consideration; students should inform the WLC department administrative associate prior to the exam if accommodations are required.

When is the assessment offered? Group assessment dates and times are usually offered during Fall Orientation. Individual assessments can be also requested during any portion of the year. Students who want to take the online assessment should read through the language placement webpage then complete the language assessment request form, which is linked on that page. When the student completes this form, an email goes to H&S Advising (HSAdvising@umontana.edu) to request the assessment link. Getting students a link is not an automated process and takes roughly 2-3 business days. UM uses the Emmersion website to administer WebCAPE, so students will receive the link from Emmersion. The language assessment link expires after seven (7) days. 

 What languages are tested? Currently, our online placement tests only Spanish, German, and French. Students with an interest in or prior experience with Blackfoot, Greek, Hindi, Irish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Latin, and Arabic can contact Humanities and Sciences Advising Center at 406-243-4100 or hsadvising@mso.umt.edu to set up an appointment with the respective sections. For all other languages UM does not teach, you can still have your skills assessed by the World Languages and Cultures Department. 

Who should take the Placement Exam? If a student has prior experience in a language and they want to continue with that language and/or they are required to satisfy a language requirement (GER or major*), it is ideal for them to have their language skills assessed. If they want to take a new language, then they should start at the 101-level of the language and they do not need an assessment of the new language. 

*Not all students have the language GER – see the catalog’s General Education Requirements web page under the “Group III: Exceptions to the Modern and Classical Language Requirement” for more details. 

How much does the exam cost? The Placement Exam is free.

Is the test timed? The online assessment is timed, but there is generally no time limit. Most students complete the assessment in about 30 minutes. The time is considered in the score, and if the online assessment lasts longer than an hour and the student did not request an accommodation prior to taking the assessment, the student will be asked to retake the assessment with a proctor.

When are results received? Results are immediate. The scores placing over the 102 level are recorded on the SOATEST form in Banner. Students taking the test remotely must contact Humanities and Sciences Advising Center (hsadvising@mso.umt.edu) for advice regarding placement, they are asked to keep a copy of their result sheet for their advisor. Scores are usually entered into SOATEST immediately after the test results are received. Scoring is calibrated on a scale from 0-1000:

French Placement

French Language Placement Score Chart

0-259 FRCH 101
260-333 FRCH 102
334-402 FRCH 201
403-495 FRCH 202 
496-1000  FRCH 301

German Placement

German Language Placement Score Chart

0-280 GRMN 101
281-383 GRMN 102
384-491 GRMN 201
492-499  GRMN 202
500-1000  GRMN 301 

Spanish Placement

Spanish Language Placement Score Chart

0-269 SPNS 101
270-345 SPNS 102
346-426 SPNS 201
427-499 SPNS 202 
500-1000  SPNS 301

Is credit received for the exam? If a student tests out of the exam the results will be entered into their records [SOATEST in Banner]. Students do not receive credit for these exams; if a student successfully placed into the Intermediate level [201 or higher] the WLC general credit requirement will be waived by the student’s major advisor/chair upon successful completion of the student’s major. The credits not used towards the WLC language requirement [10 credits for first year and additional 8 if testing out of the second year language course] can be used towards the students major or a complimentary minor.

ACT or SAT Scores

The MUS Writing Assessment Score (“MUSWA”), ACT or SAT Writing Sub-score or section, Combined English/Writing ACT or AP Language and Composition (NOT the AP Literature and Composition test!) are used for placement into Mountain Campus Writing courses as shown below. Where there are multiple scores indicating conflicting placements, the highest placement is used.

Writing Placement Score Chart

Banner SOATEST code

Description

Placement into WRIT 095 or WRIT 101+

WRIT 101-eligible score range

WRIT 201-eligible score range**

ACT

 -

-

-

-

A01

English

21 and below

22-27

28+

A07

ACT Combined English/Writing

17 and below

18-31

32-36

A08

ACT Writing subject score

18 and below

19-32

33+

A13

ACT English Language Arts (ELA) Score

17 and below

18-31

32+

A32

ACT Writing subscore 2016

6 and below

7-10

11+

SAT

 -

-

-

-

S07

SAT Writing score

430 and below

440-690

700-800

S08

SAT Essay subscore

6 and below

7-10

11-12

S11

Evidence Based Read/Write

N/A

N/A

750+

S14

SAT Writ/Language Test Score

24 and below

25-36

37+

S25, S26, S27

Reading Analysis Writing

N/A

N/A

22+

S27

Essay Writing Subscore

N/A

N/A

7+

Advanced Placement: English Language and Composition*

N/A

N/A

3 or higher

*AP Language and Composition exam scores of 3 or above transfer in as 6 credits and fulfill the WRIT 101 General Education Requirement. Please refer to the Admissions website on AP scores. 

WRIT Placement Exam

Students entering UM without WRIT 101 or one of the tests listed, or those wishing to challenge their initial placement, should take the WRIT Placement Exam. The WRIT Placement Exam is now online via Submittable. Continuing students compose and submit their work electronically. Submissions are reviewed and scored regularly; upcoming dates are listed on the Submittable page.

Students with disabilities may contact the Office of Disability Equity to arrange for accommodations.

Banner SOATEST screen codes used for WRIT placement:

MUS Writing Placement Assessment

Description

 OLD NEW

Pre-req for WRIT 095

1

1

Prereq for WRIT 101+ co-requisite

(none)

2

Pre-req for WRIT 101

3

3

Pre-req for WRIT 201*

3 AND 5 in MTW

4

Exempt from WRIT 101/pre-req for any course that requires 101 as a pre-req

(none)

5

*WRIT 201 eligibility noted in SFASRPO, an additional entry in SOATEST, and student notification via email regarding differences between 101 and 201. WRIT 201 satisfies both the WRIT 101 General Education Requirement and the Intermediate Writing Course General Education Requirement. It's a "double-dipper" course.

Banner codes WRTG and WRT2 both signal a writing placement score and only signal the alpha location of the student's last name.

  • WRTG: A-L alpha code
  • WRT2: M-Z alpha code

Alpha restriction impacts Fall WRIT course registration. Spring registration is unrestricted.

Missoula College

For information on the Writing and math placement tests for Missoula College students, please see their placement exam page.

There are two Chemistry tracks at UM: CHMY 121N for students requiring one year or less of chemistry and CHMY 104/141N for students intending to take two or more years of chemistry. The Chemistry Placement Exam is required ONLY for students whose major calls for them to take either CHMY 141N College Chemistry I or CHMY 104 Preparation for Chemistry in the first semester. Students have access to the exam in Moodle if they are in a major that requires CHMY 141N. They will also be able to gain access to the placement exam if they email: nathan.domitrovich@mso.umt.edu.

CHMY 121N Introduction to General Chemistry

  • Chemistry Placement Exam is not required.
  • Majors and concentrations requiring CHMY 121N: Pre-Nursing, Pre-Physical Therapy, the Biological Education concentration, the Ecology and Organismal Biology concentration with One Year of Chemistry, the Field Ecology concentration, the Human Biological Sciences concentration with One Year of Chemistry, and the Natural History concentration in the Division of Biological Sciences, Environmental Studies, the General concentration and the Earth Science Education concentrations in Geosciences, all majors in the College of Forestry and Conservation, and all concentrations in  Integrative Physiology (formerly Health and Human Performance).
  • CHMY 121 with a grade of C- or higher is a pre-requisite for CHMY 123, Intro to Organic and Biochemistry.

CHMY 104 Preparation for Chemistry

  • CHMY 104 is only recommended for students whose majors will require them to complete CHMY 141N and have a Chemistry placement score below 13, or have a Maplesoft M02 math placement score below 14, or have not completed M 095 Intermediate Algebra with a C- or better.
  • CHMY 104 is designed to prepare students for CHMY 141N, College Chemistry I. Students who struggle with a significant proportion of the questions on the Chemistry Placement Exam must improve their skills at scientific reasoning, applications of algebra, and the fundamentals of chemistry before they can succeed in College Chemistry. It is designed to provide a sound understanding of these fundamentals so the student can succeed in CHMY 141N.
  • CHMY 104 IS NOT recommended for students whose majors require CHMY 121N, and it will not meet a Natural Science General Education Requirement.

CHMY 141N College Chemistry I

  • CHMY 141N is only recommended for students whose majors will require them to complete two or more years of chemistry, have a Chemistry placement score of 13 or higher, and have a Maplesoft M02 math placement score of 14 or higher or have completed M 095 Intermediate Algebra with a C- or better.
  • Majors requiring CHMY 141N: Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Health-Sciences (Pre-Medical Sciences, Pre-Dental, Pre-Veterinary, etc.), the Cellular and Molecular Biology concentration, the Ecology and Organismal Biology concentration with Two Years of Chemistry, the Ecology concentration for Teacher Preparation in General Science, and the Human Biological Sciences concentration with Two Years of Chemistry in the Division of Biological Sciences, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computational Biochemistry, Pre-Engineering, the Cellular and Molecular concentration in Neuroscience , and the Geology and Environmental Geology concentrations in Geosciences.
  • Students with a Maplesoft M02 math placement score of 13 or lower are advised to delay the start of their chemistry sequence until they have completed the appropriate algebra sequence based on their major.