How do I know if I need to take a placement test?

• CHEMISTRY: A placement test is required for Summer Session Only students who plan to register for introductory level courses in chemistry, even if they have taken the UIC prerequisite at another school. The chemistry courses which require a placement test are: CHEM 101, CHEM 112, and CHEM 114. While you will still be able to register for these classes, the instructor will verify that you have taken the appropriate prerequisites at UIC and/or have passed the appropriate placement test before allowing you to continue in the class. If you do not take the placement test by the end of the first week of the Summer Session, or if your testing score does not place you into the course, you will be dropped from the class.
  
  UIUC students must also take the UIC placement exams even if they have taken the UIUC exams at the Chicago testing site.
  
  
• MATH, ENGLISH COMPOSITION, AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES: Placement tests are no longer required for Summer Session Only students who wish to take introductory courses in math, English composition, French, German, or Spanish. Although the Schedule of Classes listings may indicate that a test is required, this requirement has been revised. Students are responsible for determining if they are registering for the proper course. An instructor may advise you to change courses if you have registered for an inappropriate level. If you have any questions, please call our office at (312) 996-9099 or toll-free at (800) 625-2013, email us at summer@uic.edu, or speak to the instructor on the first day of class.

How important are these tests and how will the results be used?

Placement tests are simply a tool designed to assess your present level of knowledge and skills in the various subject areas. They are used as a guide for placing you into the appropriate beginning classes in a subject area.

Even if you have not yet taken a placement test, you will still be able to register for a course that requires one. If your testing score does not place you into the course, you will be dropped from the class.

How can I prepare for these tests?

We encourage you to prepare for the placement test by reviewing the materials and notes you used in your high school/college classes. If you would like to see what the tests cover, check the Office of Testing Services' Test Content and Timings web page.

What are the dates and how do I register?

You may take the placement test on:

• One of several Saturdays before the start of either Summer Session
• Wednesday, May 21 (we recommend this date if you are enrolling in CHEM 101 in the 4-week session)
• or from Tuesday, May 27 – Friday, May 30
• if you have missed the above dates, contact the Summer Session Office at (312) 996-9099 or (800) 625-2013 for information about additional testing dates.

If you would like to take the test on a Saturday, you will need to register ahead of time. You can register up to 60 days in advance. For test dates and times and to register, please log in to the placement test reservation website. You will be asked for your University ID Number (UIN), which will be listed on your Notice of Admission as your Applicant ID or which you can obtain by calling our office at (312) 996-9099 or at (800) 625-2013. Once you log in, you will see upcoming test dates for the next 60 days.

If you would like to take the test on Wednesday, May 21, or the week of Tuesday, May 27 through Friday, May 30, it is not necessary to register in advance to take the test; you can simply walk in. On these dates, the test will be offered at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

All testing sessions will be conducted in the Office of Testing Services, Room 1070, in the Student Services Building at 1200 W. Harrison Street (at Harrison and Racine). You can view directions to the Office of Testing Services online. We recommend that you take the test as early as you can.

Do I need to bring anything to the test?

If you register through the placement test reservation website to take the test on a Saturday, you will receive an electronic confirmation. Please print out and bring the confirmation along with a photo ID to the test.

If you are taking a test on one of the walk-in dates, you will need to bring either your UIC student ID (i-card) or your Notice of Admission letter for UIC's Summer Session and a photo ID in order to be admitted to the test. If you do not have your Notice of Admission letter, you can stop by the Office of Admissions, located on the first floor of the Student Services Building, 1200 W. Harrison Street, and request a printout verifying your admission.

Calculators are not permitted.

How long will the testing take?

The Chemistry test is timed at one hour and will require 20-30 additional minutes for instructions and paper work.

Is there a fee?

Testing fees for Summer Session Only students are covered by summer session program fees. Summer Session Only students need not pay any fees at the time of testing, nor will they be billed separately for testing. Please be sure to let the Office of Testing Services know that you are a Summer Session Only student.

How do I find out my results?

If you are a Summer Session Only student and take the placement test on a Saturday, you can call our office at (312) 996-9099 or at (800) 625-2013 beginning the following Thursday to obtain the results.

If you take the placement test on a weekday walk-in testing date, test results typically will be available within half a business day - that is, results for morning session tests are available the same afternoon; results for afternoon session tests are available the morning of the next business day. Summer Session Only students who take the test on these dates can pick up their results in person at the Office of Testing Services.