What is a placement exam?
For subjects offering multiple levels (e.g., Calculus: MATH 130s Elementary Functions and Calculus, MATH 150s Calculus, MATH 160s Honors Calculus), your placement results tell you which level or course is the best place for you to begin. You will need a placement to enroll in courses in Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, and languages beyond the first-quarter level. You may only register for a course that matches your placement; the placement cannot be changed without express consent of the department. This page will explain how you receive your placement and what that placement means.
Which placement exams do I need to take?
- Math: Every incoming student must take the Mathematics Placement Exam. The Mathematics Placement Exam is also used to assist in determining your Chemistry and Physics placements. Please do not skip the Mathematics Placement Exam!
- Chemistry: Every incoming student who plans to enroll in a chemistry course while at the University of Chicago must complete the Chemistry Placement Exam. If you are unsure if you will enroll in Chemistry, take the exam!
- Computer Science: Students with prior experience in Computer Science who want to pursue further study of Computer Science should take the Computer Science Placement Exam. Students who are interested in Computer Science and have no prior programming experience do not need to take the exam and should plan to enroll in CMSC 14100 Introduction to Computer Science I.
- Physics: There is no Physics Placement Exam. Students interested in enrolling in Physics will get a placement based on their Math Placement Exam score and any applicable AP/IB scores.
- Language: Take language placement test(s) if you have prior study in a language, even if you are uncertain whether you will resume studies in that language here.
For students joining us in Autumn 2025, placement exams will be available beginning the week of May 5 and due on Friday, June 20 (with the exception of Computer Science). You will receive an invitation via email to access the placement pages on a platform called Canvas. The Computer Science Exam will be held on June 17-18. After placement tests are scored, your results will be visible in your my.UChicago portal on Monday, July 21. Please complete the exams on time to ensure you receive your results by this date, which is prior to your first academic advising appointment and pre-registration for Autumn Quarter courses.
What if I need accommodations for the placement exams?
If you believe you may qualify for ADA accommodations, please contact the Student Disability Services office at https://disabilities.uchicago.edu/ as soon as possible. Should you receive accommodations for additional time on exams, you will be able to apply those accommodations to your placement exam and can find instructions on how to do so on the landing page for each placement exam in Canvas starting the week of May 5.
Honors sequences
In some cases, you may be eligible to enroll in an honors course sequence. This often comes from AP or IB exam scores in Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, and/or Biology. This truly is an invitation - you're not required or expected to pick the honors option - but you might find that an honors sequence is a particularly good fit for you. For some considerations when deciding between a standard and honors sequences, see here.
AP/IB/A-Level Exam Scores
Request your AP and/or IB exam results through the College Board and/or International Baccalaureate website(s) by Friday, June 20 to ensure that your placement is confirmed in time for pre-registration (CEEB #1832). Remember that you can submit these requests before the scores reach you at home, and given the short timeline, we highly recommend you to do that. Please request any A-Level Exam results to be sent to UChicago as soon as possible upon their completion as well.
You can learn more about the impact of AP/IB/A-Level exam results in the College Catalog. Note that although you may earn credit from some AP/IB/A-Level exam scores and other forms of examination credit, at least 3800 of your total 4200 units must be earned through course enrollment. If you earned examination credit for a specific course (e.g., CHEM 11100 Comprehensive General Chemistry I) and later enroll in an equivalent course on campus (e.g., CHEM 11100 or CHEM 12100 Honors General Chemistry I), you will also forfeit the examination credit for the course in favor of the course enrollment credit.
Additional Resources
Should you have any questions or concerns, please utilize the following resources:
- Additional instructions and answers to frequently asked questions will be available in Canvas once you accept your invitation to each placement page.
- The 2025-2026 College Catalog is now available and features detailed information about placement exams, AP/IB/A-Level results, and accreditation exams.
- For technical issues with Canvas, please reach out to the College Academic and Student Services Office at casso@uchicago.edu for assistance.
- Further guidance on interpreting and applying your placement exam results will be provided during your one-on-one academic advising appointment and the summer webinar series (both) starting in late July.