The University of California and California State University have jointly provided districts and individual students with pre-admission diagnostic tools for their English and Math placement exams. At the University of California, entering freshmen must take a Subject A exam to demonstrate a command of the English curriculum. While there are several ways students may become exempt from taking these placement exams, for many students who must take these placement exams it is imperative that adequate preparation is provided. The primary goal of the MDTP is to help teachers prepare students for further study in mathematics by identifying the strengths and weaknesses in students' math skills and concepts. MDTP provides testing booklets, answer sheets and scoring services to California junior and senior high schools free of charge.
Most tests are available in either Spanish or English.
Students may take a test as frequently as desired to assess math competency at any level. Districts do not need to establish any school wide testing program, but have the flexibility to allow classroom teachers to test individual students or a whole classroom in order to determine the best instructional path to further prepare students for college placement exams. The Diagnostic Writing Service is available for students and teachers to assess current writing skills against college level expectations. The goal of the DWS is to assist students in improving their writing skills. Jointly developed by California State University and University of California, the DWS measures students' work against standards for students entering the university.