Placement
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 Sakai. Please email Carey Miller at placement@ubalt.edu for additional infomation. You can RSVP for a placement date by clicking on the blue plus button next to Upper-Division Writing Placement Schedule.
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 students. Newly admitted first-year students with valid SAT/ACT scores should consult their admission counselor to determine if 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 a student’s 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 .
If you have specific questions, please contact Carey Miller, Director of Freshman Programs and Transitions at placement@ubalt.edu.
Placement Test Schedules and RSVP
Freshman 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 Advisor.
Fall 2021 Freshman Placement Dates and Times
- Contact Carey Miller (placement@ubalt.edu) for additional information
Upper-Division Writing Placement Schedule
(Click the blue button to review the placement dates)
RSVP is required through UBalt's Web calendar. To RSVP, choose the date below that you wish to sit for the placement test and click the corresponding RSVP link to reserve your seat. PLEASE RSVP WITH YOUR UBalt EMAIL!!
Summer 2021 Dates and Times
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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 contact placement@ubalt.edu.
Writing Placement Information
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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 Carey Miller at placement@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.
Math Placement Information
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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
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What is placement?
Placement helps evaluate a students' current knowledge or skills.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Do you offer any sample prompts or workshops for the Upper-Division Writing Placement Test?
Sample Essay Prompt
This essay prompt is only a sample. It reflects the type of question or statement to which you will be expected to respond in a placement exam.You can also view the test instructions and the rubric.
Get tips and strategies to prepare for this test by attending the Writing Center’s free Upper-Division Writing Placement Test Preparation Workshop. You can also view a session of the writing placement workshop by clicking on this LINK.
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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.
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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 placement@ubalt.edu.
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Are there prep workshops for writing?
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.
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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.
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How do I RSVP for a placement date?
RSVP is required through UBalt's Web calendar . Bring a pen or pencil and photo ID to the designated test room before the start time. Late arrivals will not be admitted. The test is 90 minutes. If you are a Web Bachelors student (online only student), click here to request off-site testing.
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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
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What do my math placement results mean (transfer and upper-division students)?
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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.
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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
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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.