Placement Information
Students entering UNC-Chapel Hill as first-year students are encouraged to take a standardized math exam (e.g. ACT, AP, IB) before the end of their senior year of high school, if they plan to take a class in the precalculus / calculus sequence or a STEM class that requires math background. Please note these scores should 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 have completed MAT171 or MAT172 in the NC community college system or have math transfer credit from other universities with a grade of C or higher can get math placement credit that way and do not need standardized math exam scores. Transcripts must be submitted to UNC-CH admissions.
Students who do not have standardized math exam scores or transfer credit can take the ALEKS placement test.
Students who do not have any placement scores or transfer credit in their Connect Carolina account will not be able to register for courses like Math 130, Math 231, and Chem 101 that require math prerequisites, but may enroll in Math 110 and earn placement credit this way.
Placement is determined as follows:
| Exam or Course | Scores | Credit | Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAT 171 from NC Community College System | C or Higher | Math 110 P | Math 130 or 152 |
| MAT 172 from NC Community College System | C or Higher | Math 130 | Math 231 |
| ACT Mathematics Test | 26-28 | Math 110P | Math 130 or 152 |
| 29 and up | Math 110P and 129P | Math 231 | |
| AP Calculus AB (or AB subscore on the BC Test | 1 | none | based on SAT Subject Test, Math Level 1 or 2 |
| 2 | Math 110P and 129P | Math 231 | |
| 3, 4, or 5 | Math 110P, 129P and 231 | Math 232 | |
| AP Calculus BC | 1 | none | based on SAT Subject Test Math Level 1 or 2 |
| 2 | Math 110P and 129P | Math 231 | |
| 3, 4, and 5 | Math 110P, 129P, 231, and 232 | Math 233 | |
| International Baccalaureate, Mathematics Analysis and Approaches HL | 1, 2, or 3 | none | based on SAT Subject, Test Math Level 1 or 2 |
| 4, 5, 6, or 7 | Math 110P, 129P, 231, and 232 | Math 233 | |
| International Baccalaureate, Mathematics Analysis and Approaches SL | 1, 2, 3, and 4 | none | based on SAT Subject, Test Math Level 1 or 2 |
| 5, 6, or 7 | Math 110P, 129P, and 231 | Math 232 | |
| International Baccalaureate, Mathematics Applications HL | 1, 2, or 3 | None | based on SAT Subject, Test Math Level 1 or 2 |
| 4, 5, 6, or 7 | MATH 110P, 129P, and 231 | MATH 232 | |
| International Baccalaureate, Mathematics Applications SL | 1, 2, 3, or 4 | none | based on SAT Subject, Test Math Level 1 or 2 |
| 5, 6, or 7 | MATH 110P, 129P | MATH 231 | |
| Swiss Maturity Exam | 4.5 or greater | Math 110P, 129P, 231, and 232 | Math 233 |
| Additional information on international exams accepted for placement credit is given here: | https://admissions.unc.edu/credit-type/test-credit/ |
Noteworthy Placement Consideration:
- Math 115, 116, 117, 118, and 119 all satisfy the General Education Quantitative Reasoning (QR) requirement and are open to all students (no prerequisites).
- The AP Statistics Exam is not accepted for math credit or placement.
- For students who took International Baccalaureate tests prior to 2021, credits are granted for IB Mathematics and Further Mathematics but not for Mathematical Studies. Please see this table for details.
- For SAT scores, only scores for the SAT 2 Math Subject Level Test (Level 1 and Level 2) are accepted for placement. Scores on the math portion of the regular SAT 1 are not accepted for placement. A score of 590-800 on the MATH Subject Level 1 test confers credit for MATH 110P. A score of 570-630 on the MATH Subject Level 2 test confers credit for MATH 110P. A score of 640-800 on the MATH Subject Level 2 test confers credit for MATH 110P and MATH 129P.
- For students who enrolled prior to Fall 2019, different cut-off scores applied. In particular, a score of 520 on the SAT subject test Math Level 1 and 2 conferred credit for Math 110P, a score of 600 on the SAT subject test Math Level 2 conferred credit for Math 129P, and a score of 27 on the ACT Math test was needed to confer credit for Math 110.
- Additional information on exams accepted for placement credit is given here.
Placement Tests offered at UNC:
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.
The Math Department also offers an ALEKS placement test for Algebra and Precalculus each semester on the last business day before classes begin. This test is intended for students who do not already have placement scores via the ACT or SAT Math Subject Test, but any student may take it. For 2021, we hope to offer ALEKS on a regular basis with online proctoring starting in May. Details will be posted in early April.
For course-specific placement questions not answered here, contact Dr. Linda Green, greenl@email.unc.edu