Bradley ALEKS Math Placement Assessment

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What is ALEKS?

ALEKS PPL is a web-based program that uses artificial intelligence to map a student’s math strengths and weaknesses. The Placement Assessment includes up to 30 questions and generally takes 60-90 minutes to complete. After the Placement Assessment, each student is placed into an individualized Prep and Learning Module. Students have access to the Prep and Learning module for 12 months after they complete their first placement assessment. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to refresh their knowledge on forgotten topics. Students then have the opportunity to reassess and improve their placement.

ALEKS consists of three parts:

1. Initial Placement Assessment
2. The individualized Prep and Learning Modules, a self-paced online review
3. Access to 2 additional Placement Assessments

What is the purpose of placement testing?

The Placement Assessment results will be used to determine the most appropriate mathematics course. ALEKS PPL is a “Placement Assessment,” not a test. The difference is that a Placement Assessment is designed to determine what a student knows and what a student needs to work on. At the end of the ALEKS PPL Assessment, a student will have a much better sense of their strengths and weaknesses in math.

After taking a Placement Assessment, students are encouraged to practice and retest in the Prep and Learning Modules provided in order to refresh forgotten math skills before their first math course at Bradley. Students who want to improve their math placement score are encouraged to practice and retest.

Best effort. It is important that the Placement Assessment is taken seriously and that each student gives it an honest effort so that the Placement Assessment truly reflects their current level of knowledge and math preparedness.

Assessment, students should not consult any outside sources for help (friends/family, internet searches, textbooks, notes etc...). The purpose of the Placement Assessment is to give an accurate measure of a student’s current mathematical knowledge state so that he/she will be successful in mathematics courses.

Who takes the Bradley math placement assessment?

All incoming first-year students are required to take the mathematics assessment, including students who have or will be receiving AP or transfer credit. The assessment becomes available in mid-March and after the student's enrollment deposit has been paid. The ALEKS Assessment MUST be completed as soon as possible. A hold will be placed on your account until you have completed the assessment, which will prevent you from registering for classes. Students who are have questions about the assessment at any time should contact success@bradley.edu to discuss an alternate test date and follow up appointment. Transfer students are also required to take the Math Placement Assessment unless they have transferred an equivalent prerequisite course for the BU mathematics course they intend to take. If you think you have a course that you can transfer in, please check https://www.bradley.edu/admissions/transfer/transfer_guides/ and use the Transfer Credit Guide. It is recommended that all students take the Mathematics Placement Assessment just in case their course does not count as an equivalent prerequisite.

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What to expect during the proctored Bradley math assessment.

1. Plan to complete the assessment in a single one-to two-hour sitting. Time accommodations are built into the placement assessment. Students with time accommodations will have up to four hours to complete the placement assessment.
2. You will answer up to 30 questions.
3. There are no multiple-choice questions.
4. You will be asked to download the Lockdown Browser.
5. Before you take the assessment, ALEKS PPL will present a short tutorial on how to enter answers, how to use the graphing utilities, and how to use the built-in calculator. TAKE YOUR TIME WITH THIS TUTORIAL.
6. Once you've begun the Math Placement Assessment, you have two hours to complete it. You cannot save your place and come back to the test.
7. ALEKS scores cannot be interpreted in the same way as exam grades. If you score lower than the College Algebra cut-score of 46, Bradley University has coursework appropriate for you (AEP115), or you can use ALEKS PPL Prep and Learning Module to review and retest.

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During Remote Proctoring:

Lockdown Browser is enabled when a student takes the test. Lockdown Browser will be enabled first and may take a minute to load to your computer if your internet is slow.

1. No outside assistance is permitted. Each student has a knowledge that consists of the math topics he/she knows, does not know, and is ready to learn. The ALEKS placement assessment determines the unique mathematical state of each student. The system can then properly place students into a course based on their math abilities. Other individuals are not to be in the room while you are taking the test.
2. No outside calculators are permitted. A calculator icon will appear on the screen when it is allowed to be used. Blank paper and a pen/pencil are allowed for students to work out problems, however.
3. No use of cell phones or other electronic devices is permitted.

Bradley University takes academic integrity very seriously and investigates all allegations of academic dishonesty. Integrity is a character-driven commitment to honesty, doing what is right, and guiding others to do what is right. Bradley University students and faculty are expected to act with integrity in their educational pursuits. Cheating on an academic evaluation or assignment is a violation of the academic integrity policy. If you are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy, academic sanctions will be imposed. For more information, please refer to the academic integrity policy.

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Math Topics covered in the placement assessment

1. Real numbers (including fractions, integers, and percentages)
2. Equations and inequalities (including linear equations, linear inequalities, systems of linear equations, and quadratic equations),
3. Linear and quadratic functions (including graphs and functions, linear functions, and parabolas), exponents and polynomials (including integer exponents, polynomial arithmetic, factoring, and polynomial equations), rational expressions (including rational equations and rational functions
4. Radical expressions (including higher roots and rational exponents)
5. Exponentials and logarithms (including function compositions and inverse functions, properties of logarithms, and logarithmic equations)
6. Geometry and trigonometry (including perimeter, area, and volume, coordinate geometry, trigonometric functions, and identities and equations).

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After the Placement Assessment

• You will receive your score immediately upon completion of your Placement Assessment.
• Your ALEKS score can be viewed by re-entering ALEKS using the same access link for which you took the Placement Assessment.
• Your scores are automatically added to your student profile, which is accessible by your advisor.
• Your academic adviser will help you select appropriate courses when you are building your schedule. For first-year students, please keep record of your test score for future conversations with faculty/staff that will be assisting you in appropriate math placement when you begin registering for classes.

As soon you complete your placement assessment, you will exit out of the Lockdown Browser. Select the Return to Homepage tab at the top of your screen to view your results. There is a link on the placement results page that will take you to this webpage to view the required courses cut-scores in the table below. Continuing on to the next page you will see a breakdown of your results by topic. The final page takes your Prep and Learning Module. You will have access to the Prep and Learning Module for the next 12 months. The Prep and Learning Module is where you will spend at least 10 hours in order to remediate and retest. If you are satisfied with your placement results,congratulations! You are encouraged to use the Prep and Learning Module to continue to build your math skills before your next math course begins.

Course placement is determined as follows:

Course	Name	Bradley Placement Score
MTH 109	College Algebra	46-60
MTH 112	Precalculus	61-75
MTH 114	Applied Finite Mathematics	61-75
MTH 115	Brief Calculus With Applications I	61-75
MTH 121	Calculus I	76-100

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You must wait 48 hours between Placement Assessments. There is generally no benefit to re-taking the Placement Assessment immediately after completing a prior attempt. You cannot improve your results by simply re-taking the Placement Assessment without spending time in the Prep and Learning Module to refresh material that you may have forgotten. You may take up to 3 placement assessments. However, to make each attempt worthwhile, it is important that you spend time working in your ALEKS Prep and Learning Module between Placement Assessments so that you can improve your skills. A minimum of 10 hour in your Prep and Learning Module is required before attempting a retest.

One you have completed the minimum requirements of a 48 hour cool off and at least 10 hours in the Prep and Learning Module, a link will appear on the main page to begin a retest. If a retest has changed your course placement please contact success@bradley.edu or contact your academic advisor to discuss your options.