Placement

In order to accurately assess and prepare new students for the rigors of their first semester, The University of Baltimore requires placement testing to determine accurate writing and math courses for its new and current students. Newly admitted first-year students with valid SAT/ACT scores should consult their admission counselor to determine if math placement is required.

Transfer students requiring placement should register for placement tests no later than their second semester at UBalt. Failure to do so may impact your intended graduation schedule and course registration.

If placement testing accommodations are required and you are new to UBalt or not registered with the Office of Disability and Access Services for accommodations, please send current documentation of a disability (at least two weeks in advance) to the Office of Disability and Access Services .

First-Year Student Placement Schedule

All first-year students should contact their admission counselor to verify their placement requirements. All students are required to complete the Haven and Plagiarism tutorials and placement activities prior to meeting with their first-year adviser.

For additional information, email Mr. Carey Miller, Director of Student Success and Retention, at cmiller@ubalt.edu.

Upper-Division Writing Placement Schedule

PLEASE NOTE: All placement activities have moved to an online process. Students sitting for the Upper-Division Writing Placement will receive a Zoom appointment for their scheduled date, and will complete placement through Canvas.

Fall 2023 Upper-Division Writing Placement Test Dates

The Writing Placement test is required of all UBalt students registering for WRIT 200 or WRIT 300. You can RSVP for a placement date by clicking a date below, which will take you to the placement date on the UBalt web calendar where you can RSVP using your UBalt email address.

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Writing Placement Test Instructions and Scoring Guide

For additional information, please email writingplacement@ubalt.edu.

Upper-Division Writing Placement for WRIT 300

WRIT 300 Composition and Research is an upper-division general education writing course required for all majors. Transfer and upper-division students interested in completing WRIT 300 must have all of the following:

WRIT 101 or equivalent credit either through transferring credit or completing the course with a grade of C- or higher
Received a placement of 300 on the upper-division writing placement
45 or more accumulated credits

The 90-minute placement consists of writing an essay response to a prompt. Each essay is read and evaluated by two Writing Program faculty members. Each reader scores the essay on a scale of 1 to 6, and the two scores are combined. 12 is the highest score. A score of 8 or above constitutes a WRIT 300 placement. A score of 7 or below constitutes a WRIT 200 placement.

Current University of Baltimore students should email writingplacement@ubalt.edu if they are unsure if they are required to sit for upper-division writing placement test.

*Please note: Transfer students requiring placement should do so no later than their second semester at UBalt. Failure to do so may impact intended graduation schedule and course registration.

**If placement accommodations are required, please send current documentation of a disability (at least two weeks in advance) to the Office of Disability and Access Services.

Placement test scores are valid for two years in accordance with state guidelines.

Transfer and Upper Division Math Placement Schedule

The ALEKS Math Placement is offered completely online, and can be completed on your own time and at your own pace. The ALEKS Math Placement has two components: the pre-assessment, and the official placement. The pre-assessment will generate a study path which students can use as a preparation tool to complete the official placement. The official math placement will determine the math course(s) you will be required to complete.

For additional information and preparation for the Math Placement, please email mathplacement@ubalt.edu.

Math Placement

Transfer and Freshman Math Placement Exemption Policy

Students who are required to sit for the math placement will take the ALEKS Placement. Students will complete an unproctored placement 48 hours prior to their arrival for their official Math Placement assessment. Once a student completes their placement on campus and places into developmental math, they will have the opportunity to re-take the placement for a better score. Students are encouraged to utilize the learning and prep module developed in ALEKS, based on their placement results. The prep and learning modules are open for six months from the first completed placement.

Placement scores determine initial enrollment in MATH 82: Introduction to Algebra and MATH 153: Statistics (Math 82 & MATH 153 must be taken together in the same semester), MATH 86: Developmental Mathematics-Algebra and MATH 163: College Algebra (MATH 86 & MATH 163 must be taken together in the same semester), MATH 111: College Algebra, MATH 113: Math for Liberal Arts, and MATH 115: Statistics.

Students will be advised to register for appropriate courses based on placement scores.

A score of 46 or higher will place a student into general education math i.e. MATH111: College Algebra, MATH113: Math for Liberal Arts, or MATH115: Statistics.The placement results are posted to a students' UBPortal, under Placement Test Results.

Placement FAQs

What is placement?

Placement helps evaluate a students' current knowledge or skills.
Why do I need to take placement?

At UBalt, we use placement tests to help determine what courses you need to ensure that you are successful and achieve your academic goals. Placement tests only measure your current skill level; they do not measure your intelligence or your ability.
What are the grading criteria for the Upper-Division Writing Placement?
A student’s essay will be evaluated as a piece of formal writing using the following criteria:
- Purpose: Shows an indentifiable purpose.
- Topic: Has engaged the primary issue raised by the reading passage.
- Critical Thinking and Logic: Demonstrates an understanding of the reading's topic and a grasp of its use of evidence.
- Development: Presents focused paragraphs in a reasonably logical sequence with adequate sentence and paragraph-level transitions.
- Style/Usage/Grammar: Employs adequate use of sentence structure and vocabulary; exhibits control of written English, and while the essay may contain some grammatical flaws, they do not detract from the overall effect or clarity of the writing.
- Reflection: Consistently analyzes and reflects on their reading, writing, and thinking processes; purposes at least one important revision.
- Review the Upper-Division Writing Placement rubric.
What happens if my AP credits do not transfer in as WRIT 101?

If a student’s AP credits do not transfer as our WRIT 101 College Composition, the student will be required to register for this course within his or her first two semesters at UBalt.
Can I transfer my course credit to replace the WRIT 300 course?

Generally, no. It is unusual for a transfer student to have credit for an equivalent course. Exceptions are reviewed individually by the writing program director.
Can I retake the math and writing placement tests?

Students will be allowed to request one math placement retake. After taking the math placement test for the first time, it is recommended that students wait 48 hours or two business days while logging five hours in the ALEKS platform prior to retaking the placement.

Upper-division students are not permitted to retake the writing placement test. Exceptions are determined by the writing program director.
What is WRIT 200, and why do I need to take it?

WRIT 200 Practicum in Writing is a 3-credit course which helps students prepare for WRIT 300 with an additional semester of writing instruction.
How do I take a placement test if I'm a Shady Grove student?

If you are a Shady Grove student needing to sit for the Upper-Division Writing Placement Test, please contact writingplacement@ubalt.edu.
Are there prep workshops for the Upper-Division Writing Placement?

The Achievement and Learning Center offers a free Upper-Division Writing Placement Test Preparation Workshop which provides tips and strategies for success on the writing placement test. The writing placement test is required of all UBalt students registering for WRIT 200 Practicum in Writing or WRIT 300 Advanced Expository Writing.
When should I take the Upper-Division Writing Placement?

All students must take the writing placement test before their second registration at UBalt or once they have accumulated 45 credits or more. Students are also encouraged to take this placement test early in order to register for the appropriate writing course. Failure to do so may affect their ability to get into a desired class section.
How do I RSVP for a placement date?

RSVP is required through UBalt's web calendar . Late arrivals will not be admitted. The test is 90 minutes.
How do I obtain my results after taking the Upper-Division Writing Placement?

Students' placement results are available through the MyUB Portal. Log in to MyUB and follow this path: My Self Service> Placement Test Scores
What do my math placement results mean (transfer and upper-division students)?
- If the score is between 0-45 a student will be required to register for MATH 82 and MATH 153 or MATH 86 and MATH 163
- If the score is 46 or higher a student can select MATH 111, MATH 113 or MATH 115 to fulfill the General Education math requirement.
How do I prepare for the Math Placement ?

In order to prepare for the Math Placement, you can review the Get Ready for the Math Placement Test study guide. This guide provides questions and concepts you may see on the placement. It also includes an answer key that allows you to check your work.

You can also attend one of the Math Review sessions held in the Robert L. Bogomolny Library during their Math Tutoring Drop-In hours, where a math tutor can walk you through solving the problems.

Students should also plan to review math material prior to taking the placement test. Wyzant.com and Math.com offers helpful practice tests in both pre-algebra and algebra.