Taking the Placement Assessment


Questions are open-response:

ALEKS is not a multiple-choice Placement Assessment. It is open-response and requires you to work out solutions with a paper and pencil, then enter them into ALEKS. Be sure to have scratch paper with you. 

There is an on-screen calculator:

ALEKS will provide an on-screen calculator if you need one to complete a particular problem. Otherwise, you may not use a calculator.

Additional assistance is not allowed during a Placement Assessment:

You may only use a pen or pencil, paper, and the resources provided within ALEKS. You should not receive assistance from friends, family, other websites, textbooks, or any other resource not provided by ALEKS. Using outside resources will lead to improper placement and potentially course failure. It also qualifies as academic misconduct, which is a violation of University Senate Rules and Regulations and can result in suspension or dismissal from the university.

Submitting an answer is final:

Because ALEKS is adaptive, once you submit an answer, you cannot change it. Be sure to carefully check your answer before submitting your response. 

You will probably see questions you do not know how to answer:

On such questions it is appropriate to answer, "I don't know". On any question that you have familiarity with, however, it is important to do your best. "I don't know" is interpreted by ALEKS to mean that you do not know how to solve the topic, and this will be reflected in the Placement Assessment results. There is no penalty for incorrectly answering a question on the Placement Assessment, it only helps ALEKS understand what you know and what you don’t know. 

Placement Assessments are timed

  • You have 2 hours total to complete a Placement Assessment.

Take the Test

You can sign in to ALEKS PPL using your KU Online ID and password. You can visit My Identity for login assistance. If you are a new student, make sure you have claimed your KU Online ID. New students must claim their KU Online ID 24 hours prior to taking the assessment.