Testing
English and Mathematics Course Placement
At the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, English and mathematics placement are based on the UW Placement Test or ACT/SAT I sub-scores as follows:
English
| ACT (ENGLISH SUBSECTION) | SAT (EVIDENCE-BASED READING/WRITING) | ENGLISH PLACEMENT SCORE | COURSE PLACEMENT |
| 1-13 | 200-340 | 150-305 | ENGLISH 90 |
| 14-16 | 341-420 | 306-355 | ENGLISH 100 |
| 17-29 | 421-670 | 356-545 | ENGLISH 101 |
| 30+ | 671+ | 546+ | ENGLISH 102 |
| 24+ and eligible for Honors | 590+ and eligible for Honors | N/A | ENGLISH 105 |
Students will be placed by ACT, SAT, or the UW System English Placement Exam score. Students with scores for more than one of these tests will receive the highest placement level earned.
Students who are eligible to participate in the Honors Program and have at least a 24 English ACT subscore may enroll in ENGLISH 105 , which replaces both ENGLISH 101 and ENGLISH 102 and satisfies the Communication and Calculation Skills writing requirement.
Students who are waived from MATH 141 , ENGLISH 101 , and/or COMM 110 have satisfied that General Education proficiency requirement.
Mathematics
Students will be placed by ACT, SAT, or the combination of the UW System Math Placement Test (MFUND, AALG, and TAG scores). Students with scores for more than one of these tests will receive the highest placement level earned.
UW Math Placement Test Placement
| MFUND | AALG | TAG | COURSE PLACEMENT | MILESTONE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150-245 | 150-850 | 150-850 | MATH 41 | 0 |
| 246-405 | 150-850 | 150-850 | MATH 93 + MATH 139; MATH 93 + MATH 140 | 10 |
| 406-465 | 150-850 | 150-850 | MATH 139; MATH 140, MATH 124 + MATH 142 | 20 |
| 466-500 | 150-850 | 150-850 | MATH 139; MATH 140, MATH 142 | 30 |
| 501-850 | 451-555 | 150-850 | MATH 143; MATH 147; MATH 148; MATH 152; STAT 230 | 40 |
| 501-850 | 556-850 | 150-585 | MATH 143; MATH 147; MATH 148; MATH 151; MATH 152; MATH 243; MATH 250; STAT 230 | 50 |
| 501-850 | 556-850 | 586-850 | MATH 143; MATH 147; MATH 148; MATH 151; MATH 152; MATH 243; MATH 250; STAT 230 | 60 |
| ACT | COURSE PLACEMENT | MILESTONE | |
| ≤ 14 | MATH 41 | 0 | |
| 15-17 | MATH 93 + MATH 139; MATH 93 + MATH 140 | 10 | |
| 18-21 | MATH 139; MATH 140; MATH 124 + MATH 142 | 20 | |
| 22-24 | MATH 139; MATH 140; MATH 142 | 30 | |
| 25-26 | MATH 143; MATH 147; MATH 148; MATH 152; STAT 230 | 40 | |
| ≥ 27 | MATH 143; MATH 147; MATH 148; MATH 151; MATH 152; MATH 243; MATH 250, STAT 230 | 50 | |
| N/A | MATH 143; MATH 147; MATH 148; MATH 143; MATH 147; MATH 148; MATH 151; MATH 152; MATH 243; MATH 250; MATH 253; STAT 230 | 60 |
| SAT | COURSE PLACEMENT | MILESTONE | |
| ≤ 340 | MATH 41 | 0 | |
| 350-480 | MATH 93 + MATH 139; MATH 93 + MATH 140 | 10 | |
| 490-530 | MATH 139; MATH 140; MATH 124 + MATH 142 | 20 | |
| 540-580 | MATH 139; MATH 140; MATH 142 | 30 | |
| 590-620 | MATH 143; MATH 147; MATH 148; MATH 152; STAT 230 | 40 | |
| 590-620 | MATH 143; MATH 147; MATH 148; MATH 152; STAT 230 | 40 | |
| ≥ 630 | MATH 143; MATH 147; MATH 148; MATH 151; MATH 152; MATH 243; MATH 250; STAT 230 | 50 | |
| N/A | MATH 143; MATH 147; MATH 148; MATH 151; MATH 152; MATH 243; MATH 250; MATH 253; STAT 230 | 60 |
Placement Testing
For incoming students, UW-Whitewater will continue to accept ACT/SAT scores for course placement in English and Math. Students should send their scores either of these tests (ACT or SAT) to UW-Whitewater, unless they would prefer to take the UW System Placement tests.
If students have not taken the ACT/SAT and do not have direct equivalents or course waivers for UW-Whitewater English and/or Math courses, students must take the UW System Placement Test for whichever equivalents they are missing.
UW-Whitewater will continue to accept online, unproctored versions of all tests.
Exceptions:
- International students must take the UW System Math Placement Exam.
- Non-Traditional Age Students: Students 21 or older who do not have ACT/SAT scores or transfer courses should go to Schedule a Test to schedule a UW Placement test. There is a $40 fee for each test.
- Re-entry Students may have old test formats that need to be interpreted. They should contact the Math and English departments for correct placement or permission to take a UW Placement test. There is a $40 fee for each test.
For more information about taking the online placement tests, see the UW Center for Placement Testing.
For more information about in-person retake placement tests, please contact the UW-Whitewater Testing Office.
Credit by Examination and Advanced Standing
The UW-Whitewater provides opportunities for students to receive advance academic credit and/or advanced standing on the basis of examination. Students who wish to obtain credit by examination should contact the Testing Office for information. Students may also visit here, which lists the examinations approved by the University. A maximum of 60 units by examination is allowed; this includes departmental and nationally administered examinations as well as other credit by examination transferred to UW-Whitewater from another institution.
A student with a score of 3 or better on a College Advanced Placement (AP) Examination or a score of 4 or better on a Higher Level (HL) International Baccalaureate (IB) Examination will receive credit for a specific course offered at UW-Whitewater if the appropriate department has approved the examination. General elective credit will be granted for AP or IB courses even if they do not have direct relationship to specific courses offered at UW-Whitewater, provided that the above minimum score or better is earned. Additionally, general miscellaneous (MISC 999) credit will be awarded to students who complete the full IB diploma program with a minimum score or 28.
UW-Whitewater also recognizes certain tests offered by the College Board through College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and by Prometric through DSST. For detailed information, visit here.
It is the student’s responsibility to make sure UW-Whitewater has received their official score report from CLEP, AP, IB, and/or DSST and also ensure that the credit has been posted to their student account.
If a student is enrolled in a course and desires to take a test for credit, the test must be taken no later than one month after the beginning of classes. Students who have completed credit by examination elsewhere should have official test scores sent to the Testing Office.
Each department at the University is authorized to devise its own test for purposes of granting advance credit for any course offered by the department.
Students may be placed in advanced courses, without receiving advanced units, on the basis of standardized tests, high school performance, or departmental interviews.
Qualified students may attempt to earn retroactive units in foreign language (French, German and Spanish). The procedure in each case is outlined here.