Placement Testing

The Purpose of Placements

Placement tests are not graded and do not become part of your transcript. You and the college use these exams to help figure out where you should start your study in a variety of areas.

Please try not to be anxious about placement tests. Cramming for them is not going to be useful, although it is a good idea to review subjects that you may not have looked at for three months.

Placement Information

You can see which scores and exams we have received in Workday. Once you are logged into Workday, click on your Profile Icon or Photo in the top right corner of your homepage. If some or all of your AP or IB scores are missing, please contact the appropriate national office and ask them to release your scores to Carleton. Please note that Carleton placement exams automatically update to Workday; give those scores about 4 hours to be uploaded. You can request changes in articulation by contacting the Registrar’s Office. Please note that any score that fulfills pre-requisite requirements is used even if they are not articulated for credits. Let us know if you have any questions.

Carleton Placement Exam Scores indicate which class you should register for:  e.g., a math placement score of 111 (MATH 111) means that your first mathematics course at Carleton should be MATH 111. Carleton uses your first score on the test, so if you re-take a placement test, this will not change what you see in Workday. If you believe your score should be updated by a subsequent exam, or if you are not comfortable with your placement, you should contact the Chair of the department to discuss your score.

 On the same External Records tab in your Workday Profile, you can see what placement has been granted based on your test results. To see what credit, if any, has been granted for your AP or IB scores or prior college coursework, select the Transfer Credit tab from the Academics menu in your Workday student profile.

Carleton policies governing placement and credit for AP and IB scores can be found under Pre-Matriculation Work.

Language Placement

Before you can register for a language course at Carleton, we need to determine your language placement level. Please complete the language placement process by July 15:

Mathematics Placement

Before you can register for a mathematics course at Carleton, you must determine your math placement.  To determine math placement, follow the steps outlined on the Mathematics and Statistics Math Placement page.  Please complete the math placement process by August 1.  If you are unsure about your placement or have questions, please contact the Mathematics Placement advisor.

Statistics Placement

There is no formal process for placing students in statistics courses. Students with a 4 or 5 in AP Statistics are encouraged to take Stat 230 Applied Regression Analysis. Questions about statistics courses? Email the Statistics Placement advisor.

Chemistry Placement

Before you can register for chemistry courses at Carleton, we need to determine your placement level. Please complete the chemistry placement process by August 1:

Computer Science (optional)

Most students who study CS at Carleton come in without any prior experience in the field and start in CS 111, but incoming students with some prior background should try the CS placement exam to see if starting in a different course makes more sense.

Music Theory Placement and Music Auditions (optional)

Music Theory

If you are interested in taking music theory or composition, you should take the online Music Theory Placement Exam. Students who take the exam prior to the conclusion of New Student Week and email the music department to alert them to their submitted test will receive their results before the start of classes. More information on music theory placement.

Music Auditions

Music faculty and staff members use auditions to get an idea of your skill level so they can place you in the right ensemble or, for private lessons, with the right teacher. Be prepared to play or sing a scale, do some sight reading, perform part of a solo or etude you’ve brought along, and any required excerpts. More information on ensemble auditions.

Observational Drawing & Portfolio Review (optional)

If you have had a drawing course that you think might count as the equivalent of Observational Drawing in the Studio Art Department, the department would be willing to review your portfolio. This can even be done using online images if your portfolio is visible there, or it can be done with digital images or with the actual work when you arrive on campus. We would look to see that you have done the basic things we cover in our course—drawing from a live model, perspective, line and tone studies, and work in various drawing media.

Observational Drawing is the pre-requisite for most of the courses in the Studio Art Department. If you would like to have your portfolio reviewed, please contact David Lefkowitz.