ALEKS Assessment for First Semester Calculus (MTH 121, 131, 141)
Math Readiness — Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces
The University at Buffalo requires an ALEKS PPL Assessment to determine readiness of stidents wishing to enroll in our first semester calculus courses, including MTH 121, 131, 141.
Students with a grade of C- or better in ULC 148, or in a calculus course, are exempt from the ALEKS requirement.
At the end of the ALEKS PPL Assessment, you will have a much better sense of your strengths and weaknesses in math, and you will have an opportunity to brush up on topics you may have forgotten or not practiced for some time, but that you must know in order to be ready for calculus. The minimum score required is 61 for MTH 121 and 131, or 76 for MTH 141.
Use of ALEKS is paid for by a mathematics placement fee assessed to all students who take ALEKS. ALEKS is not required for Winter or Summer sessions.
Students log into ALEKS using their UBIT name and password. Each student who completes the assessment will be billed the $33 Mathematics Placement Fee. The fee covers up to three attempts over a one year period, and six months use of the learning modules. Students who require more than the three assessments, or who take another assessment more than a year later, will be billed again.
Please refer to the pdf (below) regarding frequently asked questions about the 'Mathematics Placement Fee', Also see ALEKS FAQ's section at the end of this page.
What is ALEKS?
The ALEKS PPL Assessment is web based – you complete it on your own computer, and at a time convenient for you. The assessment consists of about 30 questions. The average completion time is 90-minutes, but you can take up to 2.5 hours if you need to.
You must achieve a score of 76 (out of 100) or better to demonstrate your readiness for MTH 141, or 61/100 for MTH 121 and 131. If you don’t reach this score when you take the assessment for the first time you will be have two more attempts at the Assessment to allow you to improve your score.
Prep and Learning Modules
Beside the assessment, ALEKS has built-in Prep and Learning Modules that you can use to refresh your knowledge on forgotten topics. After you take the assessment for the first time, ALEKS will suggest which modules you should work on to improve your score. We encourage you to spend time in the Prep and Learning Modules, even if you achieve the desired assessment score, because time spent in ALEKS will ultimately lead to better preparation and improved grades.
Integrity
It is important that you take the Placement Assessment seriously and give it an honest effort so that it truly reflects your current level of knowledge and math preparedness. There is no benefit to cheating on the Placement Assessment – the only result will be that you enroll in a class that you are not prepared for and set yourself up for a likely failure. Therefore, while taking the Placement Assessment, you must work on your own, without consulting any outside sources for help (friends/family, internet searches, textbooks, notes, etc.). UB's academic integrity policy applies to the ALEKS Assessment. To ensure the integrity of the assessment, as of 7/25/19, you will use a "locked-down" browser (instructions on how to download it will be supplied when you log in), and you'll be monitored while you take the assessment via your webcam. You will be asked to verify your identity into the webcam by presenting a valid ID. You must stay in view of the webcam for the duration of the assessment, and your score will be invalidated if you access any unauthorized resource (calculator, technology, books, notes, another person). To preserve your privacy, please make sure there's nothing in the field of view of your webcam that you don't want video-recorded.
When to take the ALEKS PPL Assessment
AVAILABILITY: The ALEKS placement test will be available later in the month of June. Please check back later.
The completion deadline for Fall 2020 will be 8:00am, Monday, August 17, except for new international students, who have until the end of the first week of classes.
Use this link to access the ALEKS assessment (UBIT username and password required):
https://secure.aleks.com/shiblogon/sso?sso_account=6b14da0&class_code=DYJD6-TYRTQ
Step-by-step guide to using ALEKS with Respondus Monitor.
What to do after achieving a passing score: Nothing! You do NOT need to notify anyone: HUB downloads scores directly from ALEKS once each day (in the middle of the night). Once HUB has been updated, you will be able to register in the Calc I course you have qualified for.
Students who do not have access to a computer and/or webcam compatible with Respondus Monitor should contact the Math. Dept. Assoc. Chair (ringland@buffalo.edu) to make alternative arrangements.
ALEKS PPL Support
During the asssessment: If your web browser gets stuck, or your computer crashes, while taking the Placement Assessment, simply close the browser, or log out and log back in. ALEKS will resume the Placement Assessment exactly where you left off, with no loss of your previous answers.
For ALEKS technical support see: ALEKS PPL Technical support and system requirements.
For UB Math Advising Support contact Prof. John Ringland, ALEKS PPL Coordinator, ringland@math.buffalo.edu.
Mathematics Placement Fee
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions about ALEKS
Who has to take the ALEKS PPL Assessment?
All students who wish to take MTH 121, 131,or 141, including students who have already taken it previously and including students who have just passed a precalculus course.
Why must I take the ALEKS PPL Assessment?
The assessment is used to assess your readiness for college level calculus.
Is there a fee for using ALEKS PPL?
Your mathematics placement fee pays for a single account on ALEKS. This account provides you 3 tries at the assessment and six months use of the learning module. There are also two additional assessments that can be unlocked by contacting the ALEKS coordinator. Students who exhaust the free options will be required to pay out of pocket for any future ALEKS tests.
Do I need to install any software or plug-ins prior to taking the ALEKS Placement Assessment?
No. There are no required plug-ins or applets required with your use of ALEKS PPL. As long as you have access to the internet and are using an up-to-date browser, you should not experience any difficulties in taking your Placement Assessment. For a list of preferred browsers, please review the ALEKS system requirements on their support site.
What topics are covered during the ALEKS PPL Assessment?
- Real numbers (including fractions, integers, and percentages).
- Equations and inequalities (including linear equations, linear inequalities, systems of linear equations, and quadratic equations).
- Linear and quadratic functions (including graphs and functions, linear functions, and parabolas), exponents and polynomials (including integer exponents, polynomial arithmetic, factoring, and polynomial equations), rational expressions (including rational equations and rational functions.
- Radical expressions (including higher roots and rational exponents).
- Exponentials and logarithms (including function compositions and inverse functions, properties of logarithms, and logarithmic equations).
- Geometry and trigonometry (including perimeter, area, and volume, coordinate geometry, trigonometric functions, and identities and equations).
Can I practice using the ALEKS input tools before I begin the Placement Assessment?
ALEKS will begin with a brief tutorial to make sure you are comfortable with the math palette tools before your Placement Assessment begins. The tutorial shows you how to enter different types of answers, how to use the ALEKS calculator, and how to graph.
If you aren’t sure how to input an answer, or need help while you are taking the ALEKS Placement Assessment, select the Help button below the answer pallet tools. Going to the tutorial during your Placement Assessment will NOT impact your Placement Assessment results.
What is the format of the questions on ALEKS?
ALEKS is not a multiple-choice Placement Assessment. It is open-response and requires you to work out solutions with a paper and pencil, then enter them into ALEKS. Be sure to have scratch paper with you.
May I use a calculator while using ALEKS?
ALEKS will provide an on-screen calculator if you need one to complete a particular problem. Otherwise, you may not use a calculator.
May I use any other resources during a Placement Assessment?
You may only use a pen or pencil, paper, and the resources provided within ALEKS. You should not receive assistance from friends, family, other websites, textbooks, or any other resource not provided by ALEKS. Using outside resources will lead to improper placement and potentially course failure. It is a violation of the UB’s academic integrity policy.
Can I review a question after I've answered it?
Because ALEKS is adaptive (i.e. each subsequent question is selected based on how you answered the previous ones), once you submit an answer, you cannot change it. Be sure to carefully check your answer before submitting your response.
What if I see questions I don’t know?
It is likely that you will be asked questions on material you have not yet learned. On such questions it is appropriate to answer, 'I don't know.'
On any question that you have familiarity with, however, it is important to do your best. 'I don't know' is interpreted by ALEKS to mean that you do not know how to solve the topic, and this will be reflected in the Placement Assessment results.
There is no penalty for incorrectly answering a question on the Placement Assessment, it only helps ALEKS understand what you know and don’t know.
Are Placement Assessments timed?
Yes, you have up to 2.5 hours to complete the assessment.
Caution: if you do not complete all questions in the allotted time, no score at all will be recorded, and you will have to start the assessment again.
What happens if I do not complete a Placement Assessment in the allotted time?
You will have to restart the Placement Assessment.
What is my placement result?
Your placement result (overall score) is a number between 0 and 100. It represents the percentage of topics ALEKS has identified you have mastered. The required score to take MTH 121 or 131 is 61. The required score to take MTH 141 is 76.
Where can I see my score?
- You will receive your score immediately upon completion of your Placement Assessment.
- Your ALEKS score can be viewed by re-entering ALEKS using the same access link for which you took the Placement Assessment.
- As of April 2018, ALEKS scores are automatically loaded into HUB nightly.
- The minimum required score to take MTH 121 or 131 is 61. For MTH 141 it is 76.
How long is my placement result valid?
Your placement result is valid for 1 year.
I did not score 76/100 or better. Can I take MTH 141 anyway?
No, you must achieve the minimum placement result to be allowed in MTH 141.
What if I placed into the class I wanted?
Congratulations! Continue to use your Prep and Learning Module to improve your chances for success. The placement result required is the minimum preparation for your course. Take advantage of the individualized review and learning features in ALEKS to get a better grade in your class.
Can I retake the ALEKS PPL Assessment?
Yes, you may take up to three assessments. Access to a fourth and fifth assessment may be provided after you talk with an advisor. However, to make each attempt worthwhile, it is required that you spend time working in your ALEKS Prep and Learning Module between Placement Assessments so that you can improve your skills.
What type of circumstance would allow me to retake the ALEKS PPL Assessment a fourth or fifth time?Taking the ALEKS PPL Assessment a fourth or fifth time is very rare. An example of a circumstance that may allow for a fourth or fifth attempt would be:
A student used all 3 attempts of the ALEKS PPL Assessment in the month of June and did not meet the minimum grade of 76 required, but the student completed a precalculus class at a local community college and did well in it.
Can I retake the ALEKS Placement Assessment immediately?
You must wait 48 hours between Placement Assessments. There is generally no benefit to re-taking the Placement Assessment immediately after completing a prior attempt. You cannot improve your results by simply re-taking the Placement Assessment without spending time in the Prep and Learning Module to refresh material that you may have forgotten.
How long do I have access to my Prep and Learning Module?
You will have six months of access to your Prep and Learning module.
Is there an additional fee for my Prep and Learning Module?
Access to a Prep and Learning Module is included along with the additional Placement Assessments.
Must I work in my ALEKS Prep and Learning Module between Placement Assessments?
You can retake the Placement assessment up to three times to improve your score. You will be required to complete 3 hours of work in the Prep and Learning Modules before prior to the second attempt and 5 additional hours prior to the third attempt to increase your chances of success.
What are ALEKS Knowledge Checks?
While working in a Prep and Learning Module, you will periodically complete a Knowledge Check to make sure you have mastered the topics you gained in Learning Mode. If you do not show mastery during the Knowledge Check, the topics will be added back into your Learning Pie so you can review them again.
Does progress in an ALEKS Prep and Learning Module count toward placement?
No. You must complete a new Placement Assessment to change your placement result. Select the placement tab in the upper right corner of the ALEKS page to start a new Placement Assessment.