Mathematics Placement Information

Before taking your first math course at UT, you need to know the math requirements for your major and which math course is the best for you to begin to fulfill these requirements. Since you’re here, we assume you know what your major requires. If you don’t know what math courses you need to take you should see an advisor or check out the catalog.

The purpose of this site is to help you determine the place to start that will give you the best chance to reach your goal. This means that we want you in a class that you are ready for, but is not just a review of material that you already know well. If you take the class that you are placed into, we’ve seen that students have a 75-80% of making a C or better. If you take a class that you do not place into, the likelihood of success is below 50%.

You’ve probably heard about the challenges in the transition from high school to college and those challenges are especially true in mathematics. You may find that you are placed into a course that seems at first like a course you took in high school. However, at the college level, this course will be quite different. You’ll have to adjust to the faster pace of a college class, to the emphasis on learning the concepts and processes and not just on the right answers, and to the switch of responsibility from the teacher keeping you on track in the classroom to your own responsibility for keeping on track both in and out of the classroom. Being in the right class can make the transition easier.

Placement Level

Your course options are determined by your placement level. The first step is to use the table below with your Math ACT and/or Math SAT scores, to determine your placement level.

Math ACT	Math SAT taken before 3/2016	Math SAT taken after 3/2016	Placement Level	Prerequisite for:
21 or lower	510 or lower	530 or lower	1	113, 115, 119
22 to 24	520 to 560	540 to 580	2	119
25 to 27	570 to 620	590 to 650	3	123, 125, 130, 131, 151
28 to 31	630 to 710	660 to 710	4	141, 152
32 or higher	720 or higher	720 or higher	5	147*

* Math 141, 152, and 147 require knowledge of trigonometry. Students without such should first take Math 130.

If your placement level is not high enough, then you’re qualified to take a pre-requisite course. Math 119 is the pre-requisite for Level 3 courses and Math 151. Math 130 is the pre-requisite for the Level 4 courses.

If your placement level is high enough for the course you need for your major, then you are ready to take that course and be successful.

Adjustments to Placement

Two things you may have done that would change your placement level:

Took (and passed) a college-level math course for credit.

If you took a course for college credit called College Algebra and got a C or better, then your minimum level is 3; if the course is Precalculus, your minimum level is 4; if it is Calculus or higher, your minimum level is 4. If you took some other course, you’ll need to check with your advisor to see which course at UT it is equivalent to, and how that affects your level. Make sure to send an official transcript to UT.

Took and made a passing score on a college credit exam (AP or CLEP).

If you scored a 3 or higher on the AP Calculus AB or BC exam you are at least at level 4. If you took and passed the CLEP College Algebra exam you are at least at level 3. If you passed the CLEP Precalculus exam, you are at level 4. Make sure to send your scores to UT.

Three things you can do between now and the beginning of classes in August to boost your placement level:

Take and transfer to UT, college credit in College Algebra or Precalculus.

It is likely your local community college offers these courses during the summer. They are also offered here at UT if you’re around this summer. When you sign up to take these courses, make sure that they will transfer to UT as the correct courses. Also, other schools may have different placement and prerequisites for their courses, so you may have to take additional courses before you can take the course you need for UT.

Take a CLEP test.

CLEP tests are offered in many different places with a wide range of scheduled times. You can check for nearby testing centers and their available dates online at their website.

Online Placement Exam

If you’re close to the cutoff for the next higher placement level and you’ve had a course in high school that compares (by name) to the class you’ve placed into, then you should consider signing up for and taking our online placement test. The system we use provides a 16 week subscription that lets you take the placement exam up to 3 times and also provides practice tests and a study plan to help you prepare for the exam. you’ll need a score of 80% or higher to pass.

Instructions for the UTK Online Placement Exam (updated 2/22/24)

The Online Placement Exam is administered through the MyMathTest™ website. With your registration, you get 16 weeks (or until 03/01/2025) of access to various features:

Placement Exam (limit of 3 attempts)
Step-by-step help to successfully solve math problems.
Personalized study plan and exercises
Help when YOU need it. MyMathTest includes multimedia learning aids, like videos and animations.

Before You Begin: To register at MyMathTest.com you will need:

A major credit card. The cost is around $20.
Our school’s zip code: 37996 and name: University of Tennessee
A valid email address
Your UTK email address (this will be your login name). It is your UTK netid plus @vols.utk.edu, e.g. jsmith23@vols.utk.edu
Program ID: (if used, the 0 is a zero, I is a capital i)
- To place out of College Algebra (MATH 119): Level 3 Program ID: XL4M-P1W7-901Y-7EW2
  - The Program Name is Level 3 Placement 2024-25
- To place out of Precalculus (MATH 130) Level 4 Program ID: XL4M-P1WE-001Y-4EW2
  - The Program Name is Level 4 Placement 2024-25
Student Registration: Go to www.mymathtest.com. Click on Student then OK! Register Now, to begin the registration process.

Follow the directions given, using the data from above. There are three important points:
- When it asks about access or an access code, you will need to purchase the access. The Program ID is not the access code.
- On the Access Information Screen, you’ll be asked whether you already have a Pearson Education Account. Click NO even if you already have an account.
- For your login name, use your complete UTK email address; if your netid is jsmith123, your email is jsmith123@vols.utk.edu. You must use your UTK email address as your login name as it is the only way we can link your placement results to your records at UTK. If it is not available, you can use your netid plus @tennessee.edu or @utk.edu.
- When it asks about access or an access code, you will need to purchase the access. The Program ID is not the access code.
- On the Access Information Screen, you’ll be asked whether you already have a Pearson Education Account. Click NO even if you already have an account.
- For your login name, use your complete UTK email address; if your netid is jsmith123, your email is jsmith123@vols.utk.edu. You must use your UTK email address as your login name as it is the only way we can link your placement results to your records at UTK. If it is not available, you can use your netid plus @tennessee.edu or @utk.edu.
Once your registration is complete, you will see a Confirmation screen (this information will also be emailed to you). Now that you have registered, click Log In button to continue to enroll in your instructor’s MyMathTest grade book.

Logging In:
Go to www.mymathtest.com, enter your login name and password, and click Log In.
- Click the Enter MyMathTest button.
- The first time you log in to MyMathTest, you may be asked to “enroll in a new placement program” – Carefully enter the appropriate Program ID from above (sometimes it works best to copy and paste the Program ID to get all the characters correct).
- Confirm the course name and then click the Enroll button. You will now have access to your resources.
- Before you start, you should run the Browser Check and view the How to Enter Answers information. Both are available once you enter the program.
Deadlines: For guaranteed placement for any upcoming semester, you must pass the test by Midnight (ET) on the Sunday before the first day of classes. Late results will still be entered but may limit your opportunity to register for the right course.

Results:
After you complete and pass the test, you will receive an email confirming that you’ve moved to a new placement level. Your scores will be entered into the system, but it may take up to a week for them to be processed. You will not receive any notice that your scores have been entered, so you’ll just need to keep checking to see if you can register or not. If you continue to get a message that you do not meet the pre- or co-requisite requirements after one week has passed, please email collins@utk.edu.

Honor Statement:

While taking the placement test you should not use any outside resources nor get any advice or help from another person. You may use a scientific (nonsymbolic) calculator. By signing up and taking the exam you are confirming that you agree to follow these rules. Cheating on the placement exam is not only a violation of UTK’s Honor Statement but may also put you in class that you are much less likely to be successful in completing or in getting a decent grade.

Need help?

Go to www.mymathtest.com and click the Support tab on the top navigation to access Customer Support via CHAT, email, or toll-free phone. If at any time you forget your login name or password, go to www.MyMathTest.com and click “Forgot login name/password” to have it emailed to you!

Remember that you only have 3 attempts at the placement exam, so make sure you have read everything on the web page and are familiar with the system before you start.

If you have questions or need more information, please email us at collins@utk.edu.

FAQ

Q: My ACT score puts me at the level I need for the class I want to take, do I need to take a placement test?
A: No. The placement test, and the other options, are only to increase your level, if you need it.

Q: I placed at level 4, but my major requires Math 125, do I have to take Math 141 instead?
A: No. If you’re at level 4 you qualify for courses at levels 1-4 and you should take whichever is appropriate for your major.