Math Placement Assessment

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4 Steps to Complete Math Placement @ SOU

Watch a video introduction to how ALEKS works!

Activate your ALEKS Account
- SOU has partnered with ALEKS to administer math placement exams. Head to inside.sou.edu, log in, and then click the link for ALEKS in the blue "Online Services" section. This should automatically add you to SOU's math placement class, "SOU Math Placement AY22-23, Starts June 2022."
Complete the Tutorial & Take a Practice Test
- When you first log into ALEKS, it will prompt you to answer a short survey where you indicate your last math class.
- Next, ALEKS will prompt you to complete a short tutorial on how to use the website. This is important as you will complete the placement exam in ALEKS using these tools.
- Once the tutorial is complete, you should complete the unproctored Placement Assessment. This is a practice version of the placement exam. Complete this on your own first to familiarize yourself with the format and tools used in the exam.
Sign Up for Your Official Test
- Once you have completed the unproctored placement exam, you can schedule your official, proctored exam.
- Zoom Proctoring: Book through Navigate
- On Campus Proctoring: Limited availability for in-person proctoring will resume through the Math & Science Lab tutors in Week 2 of the Fall term.
- If the previous options do not work for you, you can also schedule proctoring with ProctorU, a company that SOU partners with. NOTE: ProctorU does charge fees for proctoring your exam.
- For ADA accommodations for testing, please contact our Disability Resources office (dr@sou.edu) for scheduling your math placement exam.
- Your placement level will be transferred from ALEKS to SOU within 2 business days. Once your placement has been transferred to SOU, you can register for a math course that matches your placement level.
If You Want to Retake the Placement Exam
- If you are unhappy with your initial placement results and would like to retake the exam, you may do so.
- You must wait at least 48 hours before retaking the exam.
- You must spend a minimum amount of time completing Learning Activity modules in ALEKS prior to retaking.
  - Before taking a 2nd placement: 3 hours in Learning Modules
  - Before taking a 3rd placement: 5 hours in Learning Modules
  - Before taking a 4th placement: 5 hours in Learning Modules
  - Before taking a 5th placement: 8 hours in Learning Modules
- Are you interested in getting tutored? SOU students have access to the excellent peer tutors in our Math Tutoring Center located in the SOU Library.
- Once you are ready to retake your exam, schedule proctoring using the links in Step 3.

Math Placement Policies

- All official placements must be proctored, unproctored test results cannot be used for offical math placements.

- Students are prohibited from using any of the following during an exam, unless an ADA accommodation has been made: Calculators, Phones/Smart Devices, Internet Windows/Browsers other than ALEKS, Textbooks, Notebooks, secondary computers (which aren't being used for the ALEKS testing instance).

- Once you activate your ALEKS account, your access to the system will expire after one year, and you will be required to purchase an additional set of ALEKS tests.

- Students must complete required Learning and Preparation Modules as prompted in ALEKS prior to taking additional proctored tests, after the completion of the first exam.

Placement Testing with ProctorU

Once you have completed Steps 1 and 2 of the math placement process, you can choose to schedule proctoring with ProctorU.

ProctorU is a live online proctoring service that allows you to take your exam from the comfort of your home. ProctorU is available 24/7; however, you will need to schedule your proctoring session at least 72 hours in advance to avoid any on-demand scheduling fees. Please note that the ProctorU service requires a computer, reliable internet connection, a webcam, and a photo ID.

ProctorU recommends that you visit Web RTC Troubleshooter prior to your proctoring session to test your equipment. We recommend you click on the button that says “connect to a live person” to fully test out your equipment. Please make sure that you are using the current version of your browser and have downloaded the ProctorU Extension for Chrome or ProctorU Extension for Firefox.
Additionally, please visit and review the test-taker resource center here. You should expect the startup process with the proctor to take about 10-15 minutes. However, this time will not affect your exam time. Please feel free to direct any questions to the student support team via the live chat within your account.

Other Proctoring Options

We understand that students may not always have access to, or interest in, using ProctorU testing services. To assist students in this regard, we allow students to arrange a Third-Party Proctor. A third-party proctor will need to be an unbiased individual with no familial or personal relationship with the tester, nor someone who stands to benefit from their performance. Generally, these individuals are not friends, family, or employers.

Common examples of third-party proctors are:

1. Proctors at local community testing center

2. Proctors at local library

3. Proctors at a local high school, community college, or university

4. Teachers/instructors at a local high school, community college, or university

To arrange a Third-Party Proctor students must first acknowledge that they are responsible for the following:

- Finding a Proctor

- Paying any associated fees, if applicable

- Arranging a Day and Time of testing

- Having access to reliable equipment needed for testing

- Testing in a test-friendly environment.

The Math Placement Coordinator (MathPlacement@sou.edu) will need to receive an email from you with the following information:

- Name of Proctor

- Day and Time of Test

- Contact Information for the Proctor

The Math Placement Coordinator will give the proctor all necessary instructions to administer the exam.

Students may not access any of the following during testing:

- Cell Phones/Smart Devices

- Notes, textbooks, or other review resources

- Additional internet browser windows or tabs

- Calculators of any kind, except the on-screen calculator provided by ALEKS on designated problems.

Any violation of these standards can result in test scores being redacted.

4 Steps to Complete Math Placement @ SOU

Still have questions? Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.