UC Math Placement Policy
UC students are placed into the appropriate level of math course to optimize success in their program of study. The following placement options are acceptable pre-requisites to register in a student’s first UC math course and select other courses:
- ACT math scores of 26 or above (preferred)
- Prior college-level math course credit
- Completion of ALEKS math placement module
ACT Math Test
Students who previously submitted their ACT scores for admission consideration will not need to do anything further for math placement – we have your scores already. Students who chose not to send UC their ACT scores may do so for the purpose of placement only. In that case, test scores can be submitted to the university directly from your MyACT account, and please note that there is a $19.00 fee to send scores not originally reported to UC. However, students may instead self-report their ACT math score for free in the Bearcat Portal. Note that UC remains test-optional and use of ACT scores for course placement does not affect admissions. The ACT math test is UC’s preferred math placement option, in lieu of earned college credit.
Prior College Credit
College-level math course credit earned through UC or another accredited college or university will be used to place students into the appropriate UC math course. Credit earned through College Credit Plus, dual enrollment, transfer credit, and test credit such as AP are permitted as long as UC has received the appropriate transcript or test credit report.
ALEKS Math Placement
Completion of the ALEKS placement modules are encouraged only for students without an ACT score or college math course credit. ALEKS may also be utilized by students who have older ACT scores (i.e., the student has learned a significant amount of math since they last took the ACT).