Home > Help > Frequently Asked Questions Online Placement Assessment Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS I forgot my password.  What do I do? Writing:  Students who forget their password for the Writing Assessment site need only click on the "Forgot my password" link on the login page to get their password sent to them via email Math: Students who forget their password should refer to the letter sent them from the Assessment Center.  Students who did not receive such a letter (or are unable to locate it) should contact the Assessment Center as soon as possible.   I haven't received the letter from the Assessment Center yet. What should I do? If you are a Bridge Program student or have registered for Premiere DePaul #6 (July 25 - 26), and have yet to receive a letter from the Assessment Center, please contact us via email as soon as possible.  We will get you the information you need take your assessments online and on time as soon as we can.  STUDENTS WHO ARE REGISTERED FOR ANY OTHER PROGRAM WILL NOT RECEIVE A LETTER FROM THE ASSESSMENT CENTER UNTIL MID JULY. I don't want to take any placement test.  How can I get out of it? NOTE: THE ASSESSMENTS ARE NOT TESTS! Although they make look like tests, you should think of them as additional measures to help us advise you in the registration process.  Traditional tests have passing and failing standards and are intended to provide your instructor with sufficient information as to your skills in a particular subject. The Math and Writing assessments do not function in this manner.  Your advisor will consider your entire academic profile while discussing your course selection options with you during orientation. The short answer is, online assessment participants must take the entire math assessment and writing assessment following their particular schedules.    I already know which courses I want to take.  Why can't I just register for them by myself? It is the case that some of our new students have developed a well informed academic plan without the help of an Academic Advisor at the University.  But our research indicates that this number is nominal.  To insure that every student has the best academic plan that the University has to offer, we require that each student works with an Academic Advisor to develop a plan that will cinch a great collegiate experience and a timely graduation. Furthermore, those students who have developed an academic plan without the assistance of the University often times are not privy to pertinent information about the First Year Program and other programs, and consequently the plan at hand could be greatly improved with the collaborative work of student and Academic Advisor. What if I experience computer problems during my online assessment session? Students experiencing technical difficulties which are hindering them from complete their assessments online must contact us immediately. May I use a calculator in the math assessments? No. The assessment questions are designed so that calculators will not be needed. Could I receive advanced credit for passing the assessments? No. The assessments are simply designed to place you in courses most appropriate to your academic background and level of skill. For more information about advanced credit, please click Advanced Placement (AP) or College Level Examination Program (CLEP). What if I have a physical or learning disability? Special accommodations for students with disabilities can be made on an individual basis. Please contact the Plus Program at (773) 325-7745 for additional information. How will my placement scores be used? Writing. Your essay score will be factored with other indicators of academic preparation (e.g. previous grades and standardized test scores) to determine which writing courses you should take at DePaul. If you are a transfer student who has taken college-level writing courses elsewhere, your advisor will use the score to help assess your preparedness for upper level coursework. Mathematics. Your placement scores will be used to determine which mathematics courses you should take. If your Computational Skills or Basic Algebra score fall below the university cutoffs, you must either retake the assessments successfully or take the appropriate developmental courses before registering for other mathematics or science courses at DePaul. We recommend that any student planning to retake an assessment should at least practice with the Computational Skills Sample Questions or the Basic Algebra Sample Questions, or take a special math review workshop before doing so. To find out more and register for this workshop please click Math Retake Review Workshop. Please bear in mind that the purpose of developmental courses is to ensure your success in higher level studies. While you may be naturally eager to move ahead in your coursework, it is better to build a solid academic foundation during your first term or two than jump ahead and get into difficulty in courses for which you are not fully prepared. This could result in frustration and the need to drop or retake courses resulting in a possible delay in completing your program. Will I receive credit if I take a developmental course? Depending on your DePaul college and major, you may receive credit for up to three developmental courses. However, developmental courses cannot be used to satisfy Liberal Studies, core or major field requirements. In addition, they may not be accepted for transfer credit at another college or university.