Overview
The Landmark College Math Placement Assessment process uses the ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning Assessment (ALEKS PPL ©2016 McGraw-Hill Education) to determine readiness for mathematics courses.
Waivers for the Math Placement requirement are available if you have official AP calculus or statistics in High School, international baccalaureate (IB) in math or if you will be transferring a college math course (with grade of “C” or higher). Please contact Kathleen Fortier, Office Manager for Academic Affairs at 802-387-6712 or [email protected] if you feel that you qualify for a math waiver. Please do this prior to attempting ALEKS.
Be honest. It is important that the Placement Assessment is taken seriously, and each student gives it an honest effort so that the Placement Assessment truly reflects their current level of knowledge and math preparedness. There is no benefit to getting outside help on the Placement Assessment—the only result will be that a student enrolls in a class that is too difficult, or not challenging enough, potentially costing time and money. Therefore, while taking the Placement Assessment, students should not consult any outside sources for help (friends/family, Internet searches, textbooks, notes, etc.).
ALEKS PPL is a Web-based program to map a student’s strengths and weaknesses. If you spend more than 15 minutes on one problem, then you should skip it. The Placement Assessment is up to 30 questions and generally takes 60 – 90 minutes to complete. After the Placement Assessment, an individualized Prep and Learning Module is available for students to refresh their knowledge on forgotten topics.
ALEKS consists of three parts:
- An initial Placement Assessment (48 hour time limit)
- The Prep and Learning Module, an individualized, self-paced online review, optional and encouraged
- Access to two additional Placement Assessments that are available after practice in Prep and Learning Module, optional, and encouraged
Landmark College encourages each student to spend time in the Prep and Learning Module, even if the desired score is achieved, because time spent in ALEKS will ultimately lead to better preparation and improved grades.