Please read the following information about how the math placement process works before logging in and beginning the assessment. Note that not all students need to take the math placement assessment; refer to the email you received with your preliminary math placement level for customized recommendations regarding whether or not you need to take the assessment.

The math placement assessment takes place in a system called ALEKS. You will be given approximately 30 questions of various mathematical levels from basic algebra through trigonometry. It is an adaptive experience, meaning that your answers to prior questions will determine the next questions you are shown. No two people will see the same set of questions. There is a calculator utility in the ALEKS platform which is made available for some problems but not others, depending on the level and needs of the problem. Do not use your own calculator. Do not use any resources other than your brain and scratch paper. Average time to completion is about an hour, so you should be sure you have at least twice that available, just in case. If you have to pause the assessment, you have up to 24 hours to complete it. If you lose your connection, you will be brought back to the place you left off when you log back in via this page.

When you are done with the assessment, you will be shown a link to a Valparaiso University web page describing cut off scores and what they mean in terms of placement. If you achieve the placement you want or need, you are done! If you want to shoot for a higher placement, you can continue the placement process: after a minimum of 3 hours working on tutorials in the ALEKS Preparation and Learning Modules, you will have access to retake the math placement assessment. (Those tutorial modules are not generic, but are created for you individually based on your performance in the original assessment.) You can repeat this cycle up to 4 times.

In general, make a genuine effort to get things right, but use the “Don’t Know” option when it’s really appropriate. This system is not a gatekeeper designed to keep you out of courses; it is an assessment system designed to give you a clear indication of classes in which you’re ready for success.

You can read more information about the math placement process here:

To log on to the ALEKS placement system, enter your Valparaiso University username and password here: