TCNJ Mathematics Placement Exam | Mathematics and Statistics at TCNJ

Introduction and General Information:

TCNJ uses the ACCUPLACER system for its math placement test, and you will take the Advanced Algebra and Functions (AAF) test. You will take no other ACCUPLACER tests for TCNJ.

Many students entering The College of New Jersey will choose to take calculus, economics, or another course with a mathematics prerequisite. TCNJ is deeply interested in student success in mathematics, and college-level algebra, precalculus, and calculus courses are more rigorous than the corresponding courses taught in most high schools. For this reason, we have developed a placement system designed to identify the initial math course in which you are most likely to succeed. Even if you have had a calculus course in high school, we may require you to begin with another course to ensure your success when you take our calculus sequence.

There are several reasons why you may need to be placed into a mathematics course.

Your major may require a calculus course (see the table on the math placement website).
Your major may not require a calculus course, but you might want to take a calculus course to meet the quantitative reasoning requirement of TCNJ’s general education program.
You might want to complete a minor that requires a calculus course.

If you do need to take a calculus course, you have the following options for determining your first math course:

Use SAT or ACT math scores
Use AP Calculus exam credit
Use IB Mathematics exam credit
Use transfer credit, including dual enrollment credit
Use scores from the ACCUPLACER placement test
Use scores from the old, discontinued Mobius placement test at TCNJ

If you have already taken the old Mobius math placement test at TCNJ, you will NOT be able to take the new ACCUPLACER test.

You will have the option of taking the test virtually or at a physical testing center. TCNJ does not currently have a testing center, but there are a number of colleges and universities in New Jersey that serve as testing centers for ACCUPLACER.

Here are the general steps for the ACCUPLACER math placement test.

Decide whether you will take the math placement test virtually or at a physical testing center or if you will send scores to TCNJ.
Complete the survey questions to let us know your choice and whether you need any accommodations.
We will generate a voucher that will be sent to you by email and that will contain instructions on the next steps.
Schedule your placement test.
Prepare for the placement test.

Here’s what you need to do:

Visit the Math Placement website to determine whether you need to take a calculus course and to learn about the placement options.
If you need math placement, determine which one of the options listed above you will use.
Complete the mandatory Math Placement Survey (see link below). You will need to complete the survey, regardless of whether you need math placement or not.

Complete the survey as soon as you can, and you must complete the survey (not the math placement) within two weeks of the date you receive this email (not when you open it). Failure to do so will automatically place you into the lowest level mathematics course.

The survey will give you specific instructions for the option of math placement you choose.

ACCUPLACER has several resources to help you prepare for the Advanced Algebra and Functions (AAF) test, including test-taking tutorials and free practice tests. Visit the ACCUPLACER Student Portal to explore these resources.

Take the placement test. A link to your score will be sent to you by email and your score will automatically be sent to TCNJ.
Review your test results to find out the course into which you are placed.

You will only be able to take the new ACCUPLACER math placement test once. It is therefore important for you to do everything to make sure your math placement score accurately reflects the math skills you have currently. If your score underestimates your abilities, you may end up being placed into a course that covers concepts you already know, thereby “wasting” a course and potentially delaying progress to your degree. If your score overestimates your abilities, you may end up being placed into a course that is beyond your abilities, which we have found leads to poor grades or withdrawal from courses, which often delays students’ progress toward their degrees.

Here is the link for the survey: https://forms.gle/REQdUg8nthcDdgWW6.

Placement Scores:

For the new ACCUPLACER test:

	*MAT095*	*MAT119*	*MAT120*	*MAT125*	*MAT127*
AAF Score:	280 to 259	260 to 279	260 to 279	280 to 300	280 to 300

Virtual or On-Site Testing:

The virtual option is the most convenient, as you can complete the test anywhere you have a quiet space with a good internet connection. If you do not have such a space, or your internet connection is not strong, you may wish to opt for a physical testing location.

The College of New Jersey pays for the ACCUPLACER test and students pay for the proctored testing. Virtual proctoring costs $28; physical testing centers at colleges in the state of New Jersey charge between $25-$50.

Virtual proctoring is conducted through ProctorU, and you can learn more about the steps involved in virtual testing from ProctorU.

You can find testing locations through the ACCUPLACER Test Center Locator. You should only consider colleges and universities, as high schools may test only their own students. Contact the testing center to verify that you can test there, find out the procedures for testing, and schedule your test. You will need to receive your voucher from ACCUPLACER before you can take the test at the testing center.

Virtual Testing

Register with ProctorU
Verify Computer Requirements
Schedule your testing appointment with ProctorU

Schedule your test at least 72 hours in advance to avoid additional fees.

Pay for the remote proctoring
Take your test at your scheduled time.

You can access a quick start guide that outlines the process of taking the math placement test virtually through Proctor U, and you can find a wealth of information about test-taking at ProctorU’s test-taking library.

On-Site Testing

Go to the Test Center Locator and find an appropriate location. You will receive an email when we have created your voucher, and the voucher will be printed out for you at the Test Center. Here is the process for :

Contact the testing center to find out how to schedule your test, the location of the testing center, the cost and payment, and other important information (you can do this before you receive the voucher.
Schedule your testing appointment.
Most testing centers require a photo ID.
Take your test at your scheduled time.

Test scores are automatically sent to TCNJ.

Preparing for the Math Placement Test:

Accommodations:

ACCUPLACER is an untimed exam, but if you require additional accommodations due to a documented disability (e.g., you are not able to take a placement test on a computer), you must first register with the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) at this link. Accommodations will be provided once your eligibility is determined through the ARC process. Please note that this process can take up to two weeks, so we encourage you to register as early as possible.

ACCUPLACER works with the following assistive technologies, and you also need to first register with ARC for this accommodation:

ZoomText Magnifier/Reader: https://www.zoomtext.com/products/
Kurzweil 3000 for Windows, a Professional Color Windows-based reading, writing, and learning software for struggling test takers: https://www.kurzweiledu.com/products/products.html
JAWS (Job Access with Speech) is a screen reader developed for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content or navigating with a mouse: http://www.freedomscientific.com/Products/Blindness/Jaws
Read Write Gold: https://www.texthelp.com
NVDA, no-cost screen reader option: https://www.nvaccess.org/download/

Placement Scores:

	*MAT095*	*MAT119*	*MAT120*	*MAT125*	*MAT127*
AAF Score:	280 to 259	260 to 279	260 to 279	280 to 300	280 to 300

If you took the old, discontinued Mobius placement test at TCNJ, here are the placement scores needed for each course:

If you need MAT 127:

If you score 17 or more on the Calculus Readiness Test Exam, you can enroll in MAT 127 (and you do not have to take the Algebra Skills Test). If you don’t, check your Algebra Skills Test score. If you scored at least 15 on the Algebra Skills Test, you can take MAT 120: Precalculus which is the prerequisite for MAT 127. Otherwise, you should enroll in MAT 095: Intermediate Algebra which will prepare you for MAT 120.

If you need MAT 125:

If you score 15 or more on the Calculus Readiness Test Exam, you can enroll in MAT 125 (and you do not have to take the Algebra Skills Test) . If you don’t, check your Algebra Skills Test score. If you scored at least an 11 on the Algebra Skills Test, you can take MAT 119: Introduction to Functions, which is the prerequisite for MAT 125. Otherwise, you should enroll in MAT 095: Intermediate Algebra which will prepare you for MAT 119.

If you need MAT 120:

If you score 15 or more on the Calculus Readiness Test Exam or you score at least 15 on the Algebra Skills Test, you can take MAT 120. If you score below 15 on the Calculus Readiness Test Exam AND you score below 15 on the Algebra Skills Test, you should enroll in MAT 095: Intermediate Algebra which will prepare you for MAT 127.

If you need MAT 119:

If you score 15 or more on the Calculus Readiness Test Exam or you score at least 11 on the Algebra Skills Test, you can take MAT 119. If you score below 15 on the Calculus Readiness Test Exam AND you score below 11 on the Algebra Skills Test, you should enroll in MAT 095: Intermediate Algebra which will prepare you for MAT 125.

If you have any questions about math placement, please contact us at mathplacement-group@tcnj.edu.