The UCI academic depart- ments are solely responsible for the selection of the tests and the criteria used in making placement decisions. In some cases, students are exempt from taking the place- ment tests based on their admissions test results or test scores from the College Board Advanced Placement Program. The chemistry test is required for students wanting to enroll in general chemistry. The ESL tests are required of some international students who are non-native speakers of English. The tests are offered six times a year, starting in May and ending the week before classes begin in the Fall quarter.
Students take two to three tests, depending on their course of study.
If a student repeats a test, the highest score is used to de- termine course placement. In the latter case, students are advised to take a lower-level course at UCI or at a community college and are not allowed to enroll. The department of English uses two raters for each writing test. Each rater assigns a holistic score of one to six for a total number of points from two to 12. Students with mid-range scores are asked to take a writing course to satisfy this requirement.