If you have earned any of the following within the past two years, you do not need to take the math placement assessment.  These scores/credits will place you into a math course and can serve as the prerequisites.

• A passing grade (C or higher) in the appropriate prerequisite college-level math course
• A sufficient score on the ACT or SAT math exams
• A sufficient score on an AP Calculus exam

Students who need to take the Placement Assessment should watch the following video and read the information below.  ALEKS PPL is used to determine which course is most appropriate for each student. After taking the placement assessment, students should meet with their academic advisor.  Advisors determine which math course is best based on the results and on which courses meet their individual major requirements.

Preparing to take the ALEKS PPL Assessment

ALEKS PPL is an online, adaptive system that covers a broad spectrum of mathematics topics. The length of the Placement Assessment varies and can up to 30 questions. You will see some, but not all, of the math you have learned in high school. It is a Placement Assessment, not a preview of math courses at Snow College. It is designed to identify if you are prepared for a particular course. After you take your first Placement Assessment, you will have the opportunity to review and master additional topics to reassess and improve your placement.

Topics covered:

• Real numbers (including fractions, integers and percentages)
• Equations and inequalities (including linear equations, linear inequalities, systems of linear equations and quadratic equations),
• Linear and quadratic functions (including graphs and functions, linear functions and parabolas), exponents and polynomials (including integer exponents, polynomial arithmetic, factoring,and polynomial equations), rational expressions (including rational equations and rational functions)
• Radical expressions (including higher roots and rational exponents)
• Exponentials and logarithms (including function compositions and inverse functions, properties of logarithms and logarithmic equations)
• Geometry and trigonometry (including perimeter, area, and volume, coordinate geometry, trigonometric functions and identities and equations).

Accessing ALEKS PPL

Snow College students can access ALEKS PPL through a link in their Snow College Badger Web account.  You will have to sign-in to your account and click on the Math Placement Exam (ALEKS) link.

Paying for ALEKS PPL

Students need to pay the $20 fee for the ALEKS PPL Assessment in Badger Web with a credit or debit card.  The $20 fee gives students access to a total of five proctored assessments that must be completed within one year. Students also have access to the individualized prep and learning modules for that year.

Getting Ready to Test

Before you take the first assessment, ALEKS PPL will present a short tutorial on how to enter answers, how to use the graphing utilities, and how to use the built in calculator that will be offered when appropriate. Take your time with this tutorial and be sure you understand how these features work. Upon completion of the tutorial, students will be ready to take their Initial Proctored Assessment. 

Snow College students can take the proctored placement assessment at the Ephraim Campus Testing Center or the Richfield Campus Testing Center. For students who do not live close to the Ephraim or Richfield campus of Snow College you may request to take the ALEKs PPL exam live with an authorized proctor.

• Testing with a live proctor:  a request to take the ALEKs PPL exam at an authorized proctor location can be made by completing the request form found here. (Additional proctor fees may apply.) Authorized proctor locations include colleges, universities, or professional testing centers. 
• Virtual Proctoring is currently unavailable.

Students need to pay for the ALEKS PPL Exam in Badger Web and complete the tools tutorial in Aleks prior to testing. If students have previously tested in Aleks, it is important to make sure the account is not inactive before scheduling an exam with an authorized proctor.