Math Placement Assessments at Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University uses the ALEKS math placement system to help insure that you will be successful in your college math courses.
Math Placement Changes due to COVID-19
As another measure to protect students, staff, and faculty at SOU, all on-campus ALEKS Testing has been cancelled until further notice to help prevent the spreading and exposure of COVID-19 on SOU's campus.
Students may still use the form below to receive information on how to utilize the ProctorU Testing service for online proctoring, and students should know that this option does incur a $10 fee. Please remember, while students may still use the practice test for their own betterment, the only scores which can be used for actual course enrollment are those which have been proctored. If you have completed a college-level math course, but it has not been articulated, please contact mathplacement@sou.edu.
What if I need Testing Accommodations?
If you are a student requiring any sort of ADA-Compliant Learning Accommodation, including but not limited to: Extended Test Time, Screen Readers, Calculators, or other services you MUST contact the Disabilities Office at ALT-TESTING@SOU.EDU (541-552-6213) prior to arranging a placement.
To get started, students are encouraged to learn more about Math Placement by watching this overview:
A Guided Overview of Math Placement (Video)
This video will cover the basic concepts of Math Placement for new students. Captions are available!
Important information for First-Time Users!
If you are a new student, or just learning more about math placement, you may find it helpful to see what kind(s) of courses your major(s), or Pre-Professional Programs require: Math Requirements by Program! Please note: 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.
It is important to remember that if you are going to take the ALEKS Placement for official placement you must take it in a proctored setting. This means that an unbiased third-party observes your testing for scoring integrity. This can be done through an on-campus testing location, approved testing location, or online through ProctorU. Please see the details in the slider labeled "Proctoring Options".
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. Are you away from campus? That's okay! The SOU Library is proud to offer distance-based tutoring through TutorTrac.
Please feel free to visit to following pages for additional questions:
Understanding Math Placement Levels (Includes Transfer Students)
Information about the ALEKS Assessment System (Technical Information)
Navigating ALEKS for Users
ALEKS Tutorial
Accessing Your ALEKS Account
If you are not sure how to access your ALEKS account, please follow these steps:
- Visit inside.sou.edu, and log into your student account.
- Locate the box labeled "Online Services". This is generally on the right side of the page for desktop views or near the bottom of the screen on most mobile devices.
- Locate the link for "ALEKS"
- Your account will pair with your individual assessment package, which includes 5 assessments.
- Please note: The first, and only the first, assessment can be used as a practice assessment.
The ALEKS User Tutorial
Once you begin to access ALEKS, the system will automatically prompt you to work through the Tools Tutorial, which is meant to introduce you to key features such as arithmetic operators, equations, graphing, and using the on-screen calculator. The video below is strictly a visual guide, and has no sound.
For questions, please contact MathPlacement@sou.edu.
First-Time Testers
Did you know that ALEKS comes in a package of five assessments? These five attempts are free for students to take, and the first, and only the first, assessment can be used as a practice assessment. Please note: 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.
When taking the ALEKS Assessment for the first time, students will have the option to access a practice placement (no proctor, 48-hour assessment duration) to get an idea of their current skill level and find ways to improve. Students may also opt to use the first placement as an actual proctored assessment by clicking on the link labeled "Unproctored" on the landing for their first assessment.
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. Are you away from campus? That's okay! The SOU Library is proud to offer distance-based tutoring through TutorTrac.
To take an official placement, the assessment must be proctored. Proctors will enter a code to allow students to access the placement. Students will not have access to this code at any time.
The following video is a visual guide (no voice, no caption) to show students what they will see on their assessment page.
For questions, please contact MathPlacement@sou.edu.
Finishing the Assessment
When students complete any ALEKS assessment, they will be taken to a page where their final score is presented, along with where they placed in terms of Math Level. There will be a link to visit SOU's page on Math Levels, which will allow students to see exactly what courses they may be able to take.
If you are a new student, or just learning more about math placement, you may find it helpful to see what kind(s) of courses your major(s), or Pre-Professional Programs require: Math Requirements by Program!
The following video is a visual guide (no voice, no caption) to show students what they will see on their post-assessment, scoring page.
For questions, please contact MathPlacement@sou.edu.
Learning Modules
Once a student has completed a placement, they will be required to prepare themselves for the next assessment. There must be a cool-down period of 48-hours between placement attempts, and a minimum amount of time in Learning Modules prior to additional attempts. Here is a quick reference of required Learning & Prep time:
- 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. Are you away from campus? That's okay! The SOU Library is proud to offer distance-based tutoring through TutorTrac.
The following video is a visual guide (no voice, no caption) to show students what they will see when accessing the Learning Modules.
For questions, please contact MathPlacement@sou.edu.
Below you will find information on the ALEKS Placement, Preparation, and Learning (PPL) system and how we use it to place you in the right math class.
Math Placement At A Glance
What is the Math Placement Assessment?
SOU may require you to take an proctored ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning (ALEKS PPL) Assessment to determine your readiness for mathematics courses. ALEKS PPL is a web-based program that uses artificial intelligence to map your strengths and weaknesses. The Placement Assessment has up to thirty questions and generally takes 60-90 minutes to complete. After the Placement Assessment, an individualized Prep and Learning Module is available to help you refresh your knowledge on forgotten topics. Your will then have the opportunity to retake the assessment and improve your placement score.
ALEKS consists of three parts:
- An Initial Placement Assessment which you can take for practice
- The Prep and Learning Module, an individualized, self-paced online review
- Access to four additional Placement Assessments
SOU encourages you to spend time in the Prep and Learning Module, even if you achieved your desired score, because time spent in ALEKS will ultimately lead to better preparation and improved grades.
Please note, any test used in an offical capacity must be proctored. Please note: 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.
Proctoring Options
Scheduling the Assessment
Ashland/Medford Campus
Are you interested in taking the Math Placement this summer? Schedule your placement by contacting mathplacement@sou.edu!
Additional Math Placement Assessment opportunities are available at the RCC/SOU Higher Education Center in Medford. If you would like to schedule a Math Placement Assessment in Medford, please call 541-552-8150.
Off-Campus Testing
Off-Campus Options
Students may also take them at a testing center local to them, such as a community college or university testing center, or even a public library which offers proctored testing. Please be aware that these options may have an additional cost, and may not include a physical proctor. In the event there is not an individual on-site to proctor your exam, or you cannot physically make it to a testing location, you may consider the following resources.
Online Proctoring
First-Time User ProctorU Steup Guide
Returning User ProctorU Setup Guide
ALEKS Proctoring Resources (partnered with ALEKS):
Ensuring academic integrity is important for successful math placement, so we are working hard to deliver easy and affordable proctoring solutions. ALEKS has partnered with professional online proctoring companies and a network of physical locations to provide you with reliable and flexible options to ensure the integrity of our program. For institutions interested in online proctoring options, ProctorU and Respondus offer flexible proctoring solutions ranging from authentication to live proctors. We also have a network of 125+ proctoring centers available for off-campus/remote proctoring.
Looking for a physical location to proctor a student’s assessment? We have created a network of testing centers around the country available to proctor ALEKS PPL assessments. Testing arrangements are made institution to institution. If you'd like to make arrangements for a student, please email the main testing center contact listed. The designated centers fees will apply.
For a list of testing centers offering PPL proctoring services, click here.
ProctorU - https://www.proctoru.com/
McGraw-Hill Education has partnered with ProctorU to provide institutions with a trusted method for evaluating their students' math knowledge with the assurance that the correct student is actually doing the work. ProctorU’s live proctoring service combines technology and a human element to ensure the integrity of online exams through a three-step approach. The service is available 24/7/365, so students are now able to take their ALEKS PPL Placement Assessment anytime their schedule allows from anywhere (home, office, library, etc). The convenience of never having to drive to a campus or a test center is important for students with busy schedules. The service allows students to take their exams from nearly anywhere in a secured environment.
How to set up ProctorU:
If you have an account with ProctorU, simply log in, and select "Schedule New Session". Set the "Institution" option to Southern Oregon University, select the appropriate term, and the math placement exam.
If you are new to ProctorU, follow these steps:
1. Create an account with ProctorU - https://go.proctoru.com/registrations
2. Select the "Test-Taker" Option
3. Create account by entering desired information
4. Check for Windows 10 S-Mode Compatibility (prompt is automatic)
5. Select "Test Your Equipment" to ensure machine compatibility
6. Select "Schedule New Session", and Set the "Institution" option to Southern Oregon University, select the appropriate term, and the math placement exam.
7. Pay for the exam proctoring.
Software Requirements
There are no required plug-ins or applets required with your use of ALEKS PPL. As long as you have access to the internet and are using an updated browser, you should not experience difficulties in taking your Placement Assessment. For a list of preferred browsers, please review the ALEKS system requirements on their support site: http://www.aleks.com/support/system_requirements
Testing Info!
On Your Placement Assessment Day
When you come in for your placement assessment, you can either check in with the testing proctor at the lab, and they will assist you in getting settled into a computer station for the ALEKS Placement. You must provide your SOU student ID at the time of your assessment. Scratch paper and pencils are provided. ALEKS will provide an on-screen calculator if you need one to complete a particular problem. Otherwise, you may not use a calculator. Though the assessment has a time limit of 2.5 hours, if you are using proctoring services outside of SOU, such as ProctorU, we encourage setting a two-hour time limit to minimize personal costs.
Setting up your ALEKS account!
Please follow these steps when actually getting ready for the placement assessment
1. Sign into your InsideSOU Account
2. Under "Online Services" (right side of screen, long box), select "ALEKS"
3. Agree to the Terms of Use
4. Select "SOU Math Placement ..."
5. Read through the ALEKS introduction, introductory survey, and tools tutorial.
6. Begin your exam. First exam is unproctored, and used for practice. If you would like to have this exam be proctored, you must be at an approved proctoring site, and have the proctor enter the necessary code.
What is on the Math Placement?
What does Math Placement Assessment cover?
ALEKS PPL is an online, adaptive system that covers a broad spectrum of mathematics topics. The length of the Placement Assessment will vary, but can be up to thirty questions. You will see some, but not all, of the math you have learned in high school. It is a Placement Assessment, not a preview of math courses SOU. It is designed to identify if you are prepared for a particular course. After you take your first Placement Assessment, you will have the opportunity to review and master additional topics to reassess and improve your placement.
Topics covered:
- Real numbers (including fractions, integers, and percentages)
- Equations and inequalities (including linear equations, linear inequalities, systems of linear equations, and quadratic equations),
- Linear and quadratic functions (including graphs and functions, linear functions, and parabolas), exponents and polynomials (including integer exponents, polynomial arithmetic, factoring, and polynomial equations), rational expressions (including rational equations and rational functions
- Radical expressions (including higher roots and rational exponents)
- Exponentials and logarithms (including function compositions and inverse functions, properties of logarithms, and logarithmic equations)
- Geometry and trigonometry (including perimeter, area, and volume, coordinate geometry, trigonometric functions, and identities and equations).
How can I prepare?
Preparing for the Assessment
Students should take the time to review material for the assessment, but only the material which they have had a previous exposure to. For example, students who have never taken a course on Precalculus should not try to test at a level above the course. There are many different resources to use to review for the assessment, depending on the student's academic goal.
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. Are you away from campus? That's okay! The SOU Library is proud to offer distance-based tutoring through TutorTrac.
If students are aiming to place into introductory collegiate math courses, and are looking to study independently, they should study some of the following resources:
SAT Math Review or ACT Math Review
For students who have a desire to place into more advanced courses, they can consider reviewing the following material:
College Algebra and Precalculus Review - Written Examples and Notes
Khan Academy Algebra, Trigonometry and Precalculus
If I don't need to take it, should I consider taking it?
Why should I take the Math Placement Assessment?
We do not want you to waste your time or money taking a class for which you are under or over qualified. Placement scores are used to determine the most appropriate math courses for you as you move forward with your college coursework. After taking a Placement Assessment, you should meet with their advisor who will advise you on the best math class according your placement score and your major.
This is a “Placement Assessment,” not a test. The difference is that a Placement Assessment is designed to determine what you know and what you need to work on. At the end of the ALEKS PPL Assessment, you will have a much better sense of your strengths and weaknesses in math. You will then have a chance to brush on topics that you may have forgotten.
Be honest. It is important that you take the Placement Assessment seriously and give it your honest effort so your score truly reflects yourt current level of knowledge and math preparedness. There is no benefit to cheating on the Placement Assessment – the only result will be that you will enroll in a class that is too difficult, or not challenging enough, potentially costing extra time and money. While taking the Placement Assessment, do not consult any outside sources for help (friends/family, internet searches, textbooks, notes etc...). We want an accurate measure of your current mathematical knowledge state.
Please note: 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.
Still have questions? Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
