Math Placement Assessment (ALEKS PPL)

FRESHMEN ENTERING FAU FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SPRING 2019 SHOULD NOT TAKE THE ALEKS PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT.

TALK TO YOUR ADVISOR IN UNIVERSITY ADVISING SERVICES ABOUT WHICH MATH COURSE TO TAKE.

Aleks PPL is Now Live

Florida Atlantic University (FAU) requires an ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning (ALEKS PPL) Assessment to determine readiness for mathematics courses. ALEKS PPL is a web-based program that uses artificial intelligence to map a student’s strengths and weaknesses. The Placement Assessment contains up to 30 questions and generally takes 60-90 minutes to complete. After the Placement Assessment, an individualized Prep and Learning Module is available for students to refresh their knowledge on forgotten topics. Students then have the opportunity to reassess and improve their placement.
ALEKS consists of two parts:
  • Access to five Placement Assessments, all of which must be taken in a proctored environment.
  • The Prep and Learning Module, an individualized, self-paced online review.

FAU encourages each student to spend time in the Prep and Learning Module, even if the desired score is achieved because time spent in ALEKS will ultimately lead to better preparation and improved grades.

What is the purpose of placement testing?

The Placement Assessment results will be used to determine the most appropriate courses for each student as they move forward with college coursework.
This is a “Placement Assessment,” not a test. The difference is that a Placement Assessment is designed to determine what a student knows and what a student needs to work on. At the end of the ALEKS PPL Assessment, a student will have a much better sense of his/her strengths and weaknesses in math. Students then have a chance to brush up on topics that may have been forgotten or have not been practiced for some time.

Be honest. It is important that the Placement Assessment is taken seriously and each student gives it an honest effort so that the Placement Assessment truly reflects their current level of knowledge and math preparedness. Therefore, while taking the Placement Assessment, students should not consult any outside sources for help (friends/family, internet searches, textbooks, notes etc.). The purpose of the Placement Assessment is to give an accurate measure of a student’s current mathematical knowledge state so that he/she will be successful in mathematics courses.  Any student caught cheating on the Placement Assessment will be subject to serious penalties, including the possibility of revocation of admission.  Current FAU students will be subject to the terms of FAU’s Code of Academic Integrity .