Math Placement Guide
Our goal is your success. In order to set you up for that success Bellevue University requires an ALEKS mathematics placement assessment to determine your readiness for various courses.
Begin using ALEKS
The ALEKS Placement Assessment covers material from Basic Math through Precalculus and will take approximately 90 minutes to complete. After you take the assessment, a targeted Prep and Learning Module is available for you to review and learn the material, to help you improve placement and achieve better course results.
We strongly encourage you to spend several hours using the ALEKS Prep and Learning Module. Even if you have achieved placement in your desired course, time spent in ALEKS will better prepare you for your upcoming course and ultimately lead to better grades.
Need help with ALEKS?
What do my scores mean?
Results Course Placement
- MA 100 | 0-29
- MA 101 | 30-45
- MA 102 | 46-100
- MA 135 | 20-45
- MA 204 | 46-100
- MA 215 | 46-100
Contact your student coach to register for courses when satisfied with results.
Math Placement Steps
1. Contact Your Student Coach:
Your Student Coach/Advisor will provide you with an access code and detailed instructions for taking the ALEKS Placement Assessment.
2. Take the Placement Assessment:
RELAX. This is an assessment, NOT A TEST. The difference is that an assessment is designed to give you a much better sense of your strengths and weaknesses in math.
The Placement Assessment can be accessed at any time using a campus or personal computer. It consists of 25-30 open ended questions that adapt to your particular skill level. It takes an average of about 2 hours to complete and does not have to be completed in one sitting as ALEKS saves your progress. However, once you've begun the assessment you must complete it within 48 hours or your progress will be lost.
3. Interpret Your Results:
To see where your scores place you, see the grey column titled, “Results Course Placement.”
4. Enroll in a Prep and Learning Module:
Once your assessment is complete ALEKS recommends a Prep and Learning Module for you based on your unique strengths and weaknesses. You also have the freedom to choose a different Prep and Learning Module based on your goals. You will have access to the Module for 6 months following your assessment.
If you are satisfied with your results and course placement, use the Prep and Learning Module to further prepare for the course you were placed into. This will ensure your success in the class, particularly if you haven’t taken a math class for a while.
If you are not satisfied with your results, use the resources within the Prep and Learning Module to work on topics you struggled with in the assessment. This will help you to maximize your score and increase the likelihood of placing into your preferred course.
5. Retake the Placement Assessment (if necessary):
A reassessment will be available to you 24 hours after your first attempt so that you have time to study, and will remain available for 6 months. There is generally no benefit to retaking the assessment immediately after completing a prior attempt, so use that time to work in the Prep and Learning Module to refresh material you may have forgotten.
You will be able to take the ALEKS Placement Assessment two times before there is a required Prep and Learning Module. You may take the assessment up to 5 times. After each subsequent attempt (3rd, 4th, or 5th) you must spend a minimum of 3, 5 and 10 hours, respectively, in the Prep and Learning Module.
6. Register For a Mathematics or Statistics Course:
Contact your Student Coach to register for your course. Student coaches have access to your placement results and will verify that you are registering for an appropriate course. Remember that ALEKS Placement Assessment results are valid for 12 months, so be sure to register for your course within that time frame.
Still have questions? Check out the FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
All students who haven’t already met the mathematics requirement at Bellevue University.
Use of ALEKS is included in your student fees.
Yes, you may take up to 5 placement assessments. However, to make each attempt worthwhile, it is important that you spend time working in your ALEKS Prep and Learning Module in between placement assessments so that you can improve your skills.
The assessment is not proctored. You can take the assessment on your own at your convenience.
You must wait 24 hours between placement assessments. There is generally no benefit to re-taking the assessment immediately after completing a prior attempt. Unlike the SAT or ACT, you cannot improve your results by simply re-taking the assessment without spending time in the Prep and Learning Module to refresh material that you may have forgotten or to learn new material.
You may take up to 2 assessments before there is an ALEKS Prep and Learning Module requirement. Between the 2nd and 3rd placement assessments you must spend a minimum of 3 hours in the Prep module, and between the 3rd and 4th placement assessments you must spend a minimum of 5 hours in the Prep module. Between the 4th and 5th assessment you must spend a minimum of 10 hours in the Prep module.
Yes, you have 48 hours to complete a placement assessment once it has begun.
Placement assessments require approximately 90 minutes to complete, but the amount of time will vary by student. There will be a maximum of 30 questions.
ALEKS will provide an on-screen calculator if you need one to complete a particular problem. Otherwise, you may not use a calculator.
You will have to restart the assessment and all progress will be lost.
You may only use a pen or pencil, paper, and the resources provided by ALEKS. You may not receive assistance from friends, family, other websites, textbooks, or any other resource not provided by ALEKS. Using outside resources may lead to improper placement and ultimately course failure.
Your placement result is your percentage mastery on the best assessment. Course placement is determined as follows:
- MA 100 | 0-29
- MA 135 | 20-45
- MA 101 | 30-45
- MA 102 | 46-100
- MA 215 | 46-100
Your placement result is valid for 12 months.
ALEKS will begin with a brief tutorial before your placement begins.
You will have six months of access from the time that you start using your Prep and Learning module.
No, Access to a Prep and Learning Module is included along with up to 5 placement assessments.
While working in a Prep and Learning Module, you will periodically complete progress assessments to solidify your gains in knowledge.
No, you must complete a new placement assessment to change your placement result. Click on the placement tab on the upper right of the page from within ALEKS. Only your placement assessment results will be used for course placement.
No, you may only use one Prep and Learning Module. If you are unsure which module to select, use the module recommended by ALEKS.
You can use a Prep and Learning Module to review and learn, and you may take another placement assessment to improve your placement result.
No, you must achieve the minimum placement result to take each corresponding class.
Congratulations! Continue to use your Prep and Learning Module to improve your chances for success. The placement result above is the minimum preparation required for your course. Take advantage of the targeted review and learning features in ALEKS to get a better grade in your class.
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