Admissions Systemwide Placement Test Requirements


Admissions ~ Systemwide Placement Test Requirements

The California State University requires that each entering undergraduate, except those who qualify for an exemption, take the CSU Entry Level Mathematics (ELM) examination and the CSU English Placement Test (EPT) prior to enrollment. These placement tests are not a condition for admission to the CSU, but they are a condition of enrollment. These examinations are designed to identify entering students who may need additional support in acquiring college entry-level English and mathematics skills necessary to succeed in CSU baccalaureate-level courses.

If you do not demonstrate college-level skills both in English and in mathematics, you will be placed in appropriate remedial programs and activities during the first term of your enrollment. If placed in remedial programs in either English or mathematics, you must complete all remediation in your first year of enrollment. Failure to complete remediation by the end of your first year may result in denial of enrollment for future terms.

You may register for the EPT and ELM at your local CSU campus. Questions about test dates and registration materials can be found at www.ets.org/csu or may be addressed to:

Admissions & Recruitment
100 Campus Center
Seaside, California 93955-8001

831-582-3738
admissions@csumb.edu

English Placement Test

The CSU English Placement Test must be completed by all entering undergraduates, with the exception of those who present proof of one of the following:

  • A score of 550 or above on the verbal section of the recentered College Board SAT : Reasoning Test taken April 1995 or after.
  • A score of 470 or above on the verbal section of either the College Board SAT or SAT : Reasoning Test taken March 1995 or before.
  • A score of 24 or above on the enhanced ACT English Test taken October 1989 or later.
  • A score of 22 or above on the American College Testing (ACT) English Usage Test taken prior to October 1989.
  • A score of 3, 4, or 5 on either the Language and Composition or the Composition and Literature examination of the College Board Advanced Placement program.
  • A score of 680 or above on the recentered and adjusted College Board SAT : Writing Test taken May 1998 or after.
  • A score of 660 or above on the recentered College Board SAT II: Writing Test taken between April 1995 and April 1998
  • A score of 600 or above on the College Board Test in English Composition with essay or the College Board SAT II: Writing Test taken March 1995 or before.
  • A satisfactory score on the CSU English Equivalency Exam taken in 1993 or before.
  • Completion and transfer to the CSU of a college course that satisfies the GE-Breadth requirement or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) requirement in English composition, provided such a course was completed with a grade of C or better.
  • A result of "Exempt" or College Ready on the Early Academic Assessment Program (EAP) Test taken in Spring of Junior year of high school.

    Note: No EPT exemption had been determined based on the writing portion of the new SAT.
Entry Level Mathematics Placement Examination
The ELM examination for entry-level mathematics skills acquired through three years of rigorous college preparatory mathematics coursework (Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry). All undergraduate students must take the test or be exempted from it prior to placement in appropriate university mathematics coursework. The campus will determine specific policies regarding retesting and placement.

Exemptions from the test are given only to those students who can present proof of one of the following:
  • A score of 550 or above on the mathematics section of the College Board SAT : or on the College Board SAT Subject Mathematics Tests
  • Level I, IC (Calculator), II, or IIC (Calculator).
  • A score of 23 or above on the enhanced ACT Mathematics Test taken October 1989 or later.
  • A score of 24 or above on the ACT Mathematics Test taken prior to October 1, 1989.
  • A score of 3, 4, or 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement calculus examination (AB or BC) or the Statistics examination.
  • Completion and transfer to the CSU of a college course that satisfies the GE-Breadth requirement or the IGETC requirement in quantitative reasoning, provided such a course was completed with a grade of C or better.
  • A result of "conditionally exempt" on the EAP and successful completion of an approved senior year experience in mathematics or related area.
  • A result of "Exempt" or College Ready on the EAP Test taken in Spring of Junior year of high school.

Note: Adopted at the California State University system level and mandated for inclusion in all CSU campus catalogs , gray-colored text applies to all 23 campuses in the system. Black text pertains uniquely to CSUMB.