Getting ready
The WSU Math Placement Assessment is not a test. It is designed to evaluate where you are in your understanding of mathematics and provide a sense of both your strengths and areas you could improve upon.
Be honest about your current skill level
Our goal is to help you be successful in your mathematics courses at WSU. You may be presented with problems that you don’t know how to complete and that’s okay. Answer the questions to the best of your ability so we can accurately assess your mathematical understanding. There is no penalty for incorrect answers.
Be honest in your answers
There is no benefit to cheating—and as a WSU student you are bound by the rights and responsibilities of the WSU Standards of Conduct for Students. Do not consult other sources (such as textbooks or online tools) or ask friends or family for assistance. They won’t be with you when you’re struggling through a math course you are not prepared for.
Give the assessment your full attention so that the results truly reflect your level of knowledge and math preparedness.
Technical Requirements
- Check your computer power supply is secure and/or your battery is fully charged.
- Check Java script is not disabled.
- A plug-in for ALEKS will download automatically when you sign in.
Helpful hints
If your computer locks up or freezes during your exam, refresh the page in your browser.
If refreshing the page does not work, close your browser completely and log back in to ALEKS. Your work is saved as you progress through the assessment and so the program will restart at the point your browser stopped responding.
ALEKS Customer Support
Refer to the ALEKS Technical Support webpage if you have problems. Contact information for ALEKS (email and phone) is also available.
Practice Opportunities
Your ALEKS account includes access to online preparation before you take your assessment and a customized learning module for six months after you take your assessment.
Practicing in ALEKS before taking an assessment will help you get used to the ALEKS interface and will allow you to refresh your math skills before the assessment.
Alternately, you may sign up for a free trial at aleks.com.
- Visit aleks.com and click on “Free Trial” in the top right menu.
- Select the “Independent Use” option.
- Select the “Explore Student Module”.
- Complete the sign-up process for a free trial account:
- For User Type, select “College”
- For Market, select the “Higher Education” option that best fits your degree plans.
- For Course Product, select the “Prep for [blank]” course that most closely matches where you think you might start. For example, if you finished precalculus in high school and hope to start in calculus at WSU, try the “Prep for Calculus” course.
- You will have three hours to explore the platform within 48 hours of signing in.