Placement Information

Students entering the University as First-Year Students are required to take a standardized Mathematics placement exam (e.g. SAT Subject Level 1 or 2, ACT, AP, IB) for Math 130, 152, or 231 before the end of their senior year of high school.  Please note these scores must be sent to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, so that they will be available for placement purposes during summer registration. Students who do not have these scores in their Connect Carolina student account will not be able to register for the above courses. If you have not taken a standardized placement test in high school; you may enroll in Math 110.  Placement credit for Math 110 (Math 110P) is awarded as shown and may be used to fulfill a Math 110 prerequisite. No credit hours are awarded.

Placement is determined as follows:

ExamScoresCreditPlacement
SAT Subject Test, Math Level 1520-800Math 110PMath 130 or 152
SAT Subject Test, Math Level 2520-590Math 110PMath 130 or 152
600-800Math 110P and 129PMath 231
ACT Mathematics Test27-28Math 110PMath 130 or 152
29 and upMath 110P and 129PMath 231
AP Calculus AB (or AB subscore on the BC Test1nonebased on SAT Subject Test, Math Level 1 or 2
2Math 110P and 129PMath 231
3, 4, or 5Math 110P, 129P and 231Math 232
AP Calculus BC1nonebased on SAT Subject Test Math Level 1 or 2
2Math 110P and 129PMath 231
3, 4, and 5Math 110P, 129P, 231, and 232Math 233
International Baccalaureate, High Level1, 2, 3, and 4nonebased on SAT Subject, Test Math Level 1 or 2
5, 6, or 7Math 110P, 129P, 231, and 232Math 233

 

Noteworthy Placement Consideration:

  • Math 116, 117, 118, and 119 all satisfy the General Education Quantitative Reasoning (QR) requirement and are open to all students (no prerequisites).
  • The standard level (SL) version of the International Baccalaureate is not accepted for credit at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  • The AP Statistics Exam is not accepted for math credit or placement.
  • Students who do not already have scores on exams listed on the above chart that place them into their desired courses should take the SAT Subject Test, Mathematics Level 2, for the following reasons:
  1. there is a chance that the AP or IB score may be too low for placement;
  2. the AP or IB score may not be available in time for summer registration.

The Mathematics Department offers calculus placement tests each semester on the last business day before classes begin. The departmental calculus placement exam is open only to students who already have been placed into MATH 231 or above.  This exam is not a means to award credit; rather, it is a means to appropriately place students within the calculus sequence.  The Math Department does not offer any placement exams other than the Calculus Placement Tests.

For course-specific placement questions not answered here, contact the appropriate personnel: