English and Math class placement are determined by evaluating ACT or SAT scores.
College English Requirements
| ACT English | SAT English | English Course |
|---|---|---|
| 17 or below | 420 or below | ENG 090 Basic Composition* |
| 18 or higher | 430 or higher | ENG 115 Composition I |
| * ENG 090 is a term of basic writing skills, and will not count towards your degree requirements. | ||
College Math Requirement
| ACT Math | SAT Math | Mathematics Course |
|---|---|---|
| 19 or less | 470 or less | MTH 098 Introductory Algebra* |
| 20 - 23 | 480 - 540 | MTH 111 Intermediate Algebra |
| 24 - 28 | 550 - 640 | MTH 115 College Algebra |
| 29 or more | 650 or more | MTH 221 Calculus or MTH 231 Statistics |
| * MTH 098 does not count towards a degree but it does prepare you to be successful in MTH 111 and MTH 115. | ||
Information subject to change.
Important Information about Northwood University Placement Exams
We have found a strong correlation between the scores you earn on the math and English sections of the ACT/SAT tests and the skill levels we address in the math and English courses at Northwood University. Therefore, we use these national test scores to determine what math and English course you should take as your beginning course. Since some of the courses carry “college” credit but do not count toward one of your degree courses, you do have the opportunity to contest your placement by taking an institutional placement exam. It is rare that a student will place in a higher class based on our placement exam, but it does happen.
What to expect the institutional placement exams:
Math Placement Exam
The math placement exam is designed to assess your ability in several key fundamental areas. The exam is composed of several parts. You will begin the series at the level of placement indicated by your ACT/SAT score. As you take and pass each critical section, you can choose to go to the next section. The skills addressed on the exams include the following:
- Understanding place value
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of integers, fractions, decimals and percent
- Algebraic order of operations
- Concepts and notation of ratio and proportion
- Word problems/solving for the unknown
- Linear equations and inequalities of one or more variables
- Graphing
- Exponents
- Polynomials
- Quadratic equations/factoring
English Placement Exam
The English placement exam is designed to assess your essay writing ability. The exam is 50 minutes. During that time, you will select a topic and will be required to write an essay that will be evaluated. The writing sample will determine your placement in ENG 90 or ENG 121.
The essay will be evaluated on overall quality based on the following criteria:
- Logic and organization (clear topic sentence and proper paragraph development)
- Sentence structure (no run-ons, fragments, comma splices)
- Grammar, mechanics, and punctuation
- Coherence
- Quality of ideas and support
No grade appears on your transcript as a result of either the math or English placement exam.
Academic Calendar
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