Placement Testing
Registering For and Taking Placement Exams
ONLINE EXAMS FOR INCOMING STUDENTS
UW-Eau Claire - Barron County will host online placement exams in Math (Test A), English, and Languages (French, German, Spanish) for students who are admitted for the Fall 2024/Spring 2025 semesters. Registration for all online exams is currently available at the Center for Placement Testing website.
Math and English exams are required of all students regardless of prior coursework, and if you've taken two or more years of French, German or Spanish (see below for information on additional languages), that exam is highly recommended. You will be taking the tests online, unproctored, and at your own convenience. It is crucial that you complete your exams before your advising + registration appointment during orientation.
IMPORTANT: Regarding the math exam:
- Be sure to sign up for 'Test A' (the online option): You will have options to choose from Test A or Test B when registering. Be sure to choose Test A for UW-Eau Claire - Barron County when selecting your Math exam.
- Math placement is based on a combination of your test scores and other measures of your math readiness (including High School GPA, Math ACT score if submitted etc.)
- We can best support your success in math if you are placed into the correct class. That is why it is vital that all students do their own work and do their best work on placement exams. When this is not the case, students may be "mis-placed" which can lead to the need to change math classes during the semester or to unnecessary difficulty in successfully completing a math class.
Special Accommodations - do not register online: If you request to take the placement tests under non-standard conditions due to a disability, please do not sign up online. Instead, go to UW Center for Placement Testing Accommodations site and follow the instructions to begin the accommodation process.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have also been admitted to or are considering another UW System institution, please check that specific campus website for test recommendations, as they could differ slightly. If you do not have access to a computer/internet, accommodations can be made for paper/pencil testing on campus - email swearisa@uwec.edu to request.
ONLINE EXAMS PROCESS
You can register for online exams at the Center for Placement Testing website. Reminder: our online exams are not proctored.
Once in the site, you will need to log in with your UWECBC campus credentials to complete the registration form before taking the exam. Within two business days of registering (but more likely within a few minutes), you will receive an email from Meazure Learning with a username and password for accessing the exams. If you haven't received your email in two days, be sure to check your junk/spam email folder before contacting the Center for Placement Testing for support.
- To take the exam, your web browser must be able to accept cookies, JavaScript, and pop-up windows. We recommend you use the most up-to-date version of your web browser. If you leave or log out of an exam before finishing, you may log back in and the system will remember how much time was remaining.
- Upon completing an exam, you must submit it in order for us to receive your scores. If you forget to submit your exam, you should be able to log back into the system to submit.
Please note: It takes around two weeks for tests to be scored and sent to UW-Eau Claire - Barron County, therefore we highly recommend that you take them as soon as you can.
Questions?
If you have questions about the testing process, please email pottersk@uwec.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to take a placement test?
Placement tests are required of all new, incoming students who have not yet completed college-level English, mathematics or foreign language coursework. Testing in English and mathematics is required of all students, regardless of age (**foreign language testing is optional – see below**). Transfer students may not be required to take the tests if they have completed college-level, transferable coursework that provides an indication of the level of mathematics, writing or foreign language already successfully accomplished.
Placement tests are designed to help determine which of the English, math and foreign language courses are the best place for you to start within a given sequence of instruction. All University of Wisconsin students, regardless of major, are required to acquire specific proficiencies in mathematics and writing to earn an associate or a bachelor's degree. Many majors also require evidence of experience with a foreign language either at the high school or college level (please see your advisor for specific requirements).
The placement tests are specific to the UW System; tests from other colleges and universities outside the UW System do not replace these placement tests.
What do I need to know?
Students are allowed 90 minutes for each of the English and mathematics tests. The optional foreign language tests are 60 minutes. Although a calculator is not required, test-takers may use a non-graphing calculator during the mathematics test. The use of calculators on other electronic devices (e.g. cell phones, etc.) is prohibited. Calculators will not be provided.
The standard fee for the group of placement tests per test day is $40, regardless of the number of tests taken. This $40 fee will be added to each degree-seeking student’s tuition and fees account – no advance payment for testing is required. This fee does not negate fee responsibility at any four-year UW institution.
When should I take the placement exams?
Plan to take your placement tests at least ten business days prior to your advising date or before meeting with your advisor (transfer students). This permits the return of the results and scoring that will be used to help select the appropriate classes when you register.
Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the noted test start time to locate the test site. The tests begin promptly at the time listed. Late arrivals will not be admitted and must take the tests at a later date.
Do I need to bring anything to the exam?
The University of Wisconsin requires students to show a government-issued photo identification document such as driver’s license, state-issued ID or passport when they arrive to take placement tests. A high school photo ID with full name listed is also acceptable. Students will not be allowed to test without providing an appropriate photo ID. If you would like a non-graphing calculator for the math section, please bring that as well.