Testing Center - ALEKS Mathematics Placement

Texas A&M University-San Antonio offers the ALEKS PPL Mathematics placement exams for incoming students who would like to initially enroll into MATH 2312 Pre-calculus or MATH 2313 Calculus I. This exam is used for placement and proficiency purposes only and does not give credit for Mathematics classes.  Students already proficient in Mathematics can consider taking the CLEP test to get college credit.   

Prepare for the Exam

Students intending to take the placement test must first register for ALEKS PPL access through JagWire (https://jagwire.tamusa.edu/) under Student Services in the Student Resources section. After registration purchase from ALEKS is complete, students will then be able to schedule their ALEKS PPL Mathematics Placement appointment time with the Testing Center, link provided at the bottom of this page. You must complete a practie/unproctored attempt 48 hours before taking your actual proctored exam at the Testing Center. 

Upon purchase of your registration, ALEKS will provide 3 unproctored/practice tests and 2 proctored/actual tests. An unproctored/practice attempt must be taken 48 hours before your actual exam date, which is provided by ALEKS when you complete your registration purchase. An un-proctored attempt can only be used for practice purposes, and it counts toward the five allowed attempts.

Proctored exam attempts are the only acceptable attempts for placement. Schedule your proctored attempt 48 hours past the completion of your unproctored/practice attmept. You have 2 attempts to pass the proctored ALEKS PPL at the Testing Center.

STOP

*NOTICE: You may not take the exam more than once in a 48 hour period (this includes practice exams). Therefore, practice exams taken within 48 hours of a scheduled proctored exam will make you INELIGIBLE to begin the exam.

On exam day, students should plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to their scheduled time to ensure that they are able to begin the exam on time.  Scratch paper will be provided. Students may not bring a calculator – one is built into the exam.

Format of Exam

This exam is a computer-based and adaptive with up to 30 questions. The test is not multiple-choice format.

Time Limit

There is a 2 hour time limit for the ALEKS PPL exam, but the average amount of time necessary to complete the test is about 60-90 minutes.

ID Requirements

A valid government-issued ID is required to verify your identity.

Scheduling

After registration in ALEKS, students will complete the first practice assessment on their own.  Once the student intends to take a proctored placement exam, they will schedule their ALEKS PPL Mathematics Placement exam online through the Testing Center's scheduling system, link provided below.  This must be done no sooner than 48 hours after their first practice assessment.

The ALEKS PPL exam is offered Monday-Saturday by appointment at 8:30 a.m., please call to verify Saturday dates.  Walk-ins are accepted Monday-Friday starting at 10:00 a.m. and are offered up to 2 hours before the Testing Center closes.  Walk-ins are accepted on a first-come first-serve basis, as space becomes available.  Please contact the Testing Center at 210-784-1366 for current walk-in hours.

Cost

The cost for ALEKS PPL access is $20. This access includes up to 3 practice exams and a minimum of 2 proctored exams for placement. You are encouraged to take at least one practice exam well in advance of your scheduled exam. To purchase access to the ALEKS PPL:  

1. Students will log into JagWire and click "ALEKS Placement, Preparation, and Learning" under the "Student Resources" tab which opens the ALEKS PPL section.
2. Find the “incoming students” tab on the bottom of the page, click the menu button (labeled as “…”) and click “Apply Access” to continue.
3. On the following page, choose “No, I need to purchase an access code.”, which opens the McGraw Hill website.
4. On the McGraw Hill website, fill out all personal information and finish paying for your cart to gain access to your exam.
5. Complete your ALEKS practice/unproctored test then register to take your test at the TAMUSA Testing Center on the Testing Center website.
6. Register for a date 48 hours after completion of the practice/unproctored test on the Testing Center website.

Students that purchase ALEKS PPL access will have an opportunity to review and practice on mathematical skills in the ALEKS program for 12 months from the first practice or placement exam. However, for placement purposes, the proctored exam must be completed at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the semester.

A minimum of 48 hours is required between each testing attempt to allow time for work in the review learning modules. Taking the test proctored in the TAMU-SA Testing Center is required in order for the resulting score to be used for placement. 

Remote (Non-Virtual) Testing (for students outside of the San Antonio region):

To take the exam outside of the TAMUSA Testing Center, you must pay for the ALEKS PPL in JagWire, then schedule to take a "Remote Non-Virtual ALEKS" with the TAMU - SA Testing Center and then schedule an additional appointment at an outside Testing Center. 

Remote ALEKS information can take up to 7 business days to be received by the Testing Center of your choice (please schedule your appointments with at least 7 business days notice). 

Note: You must know a certified testing center in your area (we recommend a college or University testing center). It is the students responsibility to find an appropriate testing center. Requests can be denied if an appropriate testing center is not listed on the students request submission. 

*Remote exam passwords expire - if you reschedule your remote ALEKS appointment you may not be able to test successfully unless you notify both testing centers several business days in advance. 

Accommodations 

Students authorized accommodations must contact Disability Support Services and their respective college.

Course Placement Recommendations

 
These are recommended placements. The best placement depends on the student's strength developed in previous course work, enjoyment of Mathematics, and the student’s degree plans. Students that are unsure about their placement should contact the Mathematics program (210) 784-2428 or talk with their academic adviser.