Academic Resource Center

If special accommodations for testing are needed due to a disability, please contact Services for Students with Disabilities.  Appropriate documentation of need for accommodations must be provided prior to approval of testing arrangements.

Also, at UCR, we are able to test students with disabilities who require testing accommodations at any time. This also includes accommodations during the months of July and August. Please contact us if you'd like to take the exam at UCR at a time other than those scheduled on this site.

If you require accommodations for a disability, please fill out a reservation form at least 2 weeks in advance of the exam date. Documentation of disability will be required. If you have any other questions about receiving accommodations, please contact Steve Garcia via email at steven.garcia@ucr.edu or at 951-827-5245

On May 14, 2013, you will be contact via email with special instructions about taking the MAE. Please be patient and we will contact you to let you know when and where you can take the exam. The email will be sent to your UCR email account so please be sure to check there. 

All majors in the Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) and the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS), and many programs in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) require at least one course in Mathematics. The Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) is used to place first year students into an appropriate entry-level Mathematics course.

All students who plan to enter a major that requires at least one course in Mathematics should take the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) for appropriate placement. Undeclared students should consider if a major that they are considering requires at least one course in Mathematics.

• All majors in the Bourns College of Engineering (BCoE) require at least one course in Mathematics and students must take the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) for appropriate placement.
  
  
• All majors in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) require at least one course in Mathematics and students must take the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) for appropriate placement.
  
  
• The following majors/programs in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences(CHASS) require at least one course in Mathematics and students in these majors must take the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE):
  • Pre-Business/Business Administration
  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Liberal Studies
  • Economics
  • Economics/Administrative Studies
  • Economics/Law and Society
  • Business Economics
  • Political Science/Administrative Studies
  • Sociology/Administrative Studies
  • History/Administrative Studies
  • Art History/Administrative Studies
  • Psychology/Law and Society

Students in CHASS majors other than those listed above may opt to fulfill their breath (general education) requirement by enrolling in either a computer science or statistics course that does not require taking the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE). Undeclared CHASS students should take the MAE based on the mathematics requirements in the majors they are interested in pursuing. If you're still not sure, please contact your major department to verify if you need to take the exam.

Other than a student’s major, only the following conditions will exempt a student from the exam:

• Receiving a score of 3, 4 or 5 on either the AB or BC Advanced Placement Calculus Exam.
  
  
• Have transferable college credit at the Pre-Calculus (Math 5 at UCR) level or higher from an accredited institution of higher education, or
  
  
• Passing score of 5 or higher on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Math Exam.
   

Important Notes:
Just taking an AP Calculus class in high school does not earn an exemption. In order to be exempt from the MAE, you’ll need to take the Calculus AP class, and then take the Calculus AP exam (either AB or BC) and earn a score of 3 or higher.

AP or IB results may not get to UCR prior to you attending orientation and registering for classes. The safest thing to do is the take the MAE anyway. If you recieve a passing score on the AP or IB, the result of those exams will override the result of the MAE. 

AP results may not be available until late June or early July. The safest thing to do is take the MAE so that you have a math placement in hand when you come to orientation. If you end up getting AP Calculus credit, then the AP calculus score will override the MAE placement. (NOTE: AP Stat does not exempt you from taking the MAE)

The MAE should be taken before orientation. Exams will be given on the UCR campus during May and June.

Yes, there will be a limited number of MAE administrations in select locations across California in May and June. These off-UCR locations will have limited seating and will be reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Making a reservation is easy and on-line for all administrations of the MAE.

Students who show up to the test without a reservation will be admitted on a space-available basis. Making a reservation over the web is quick and easy, and students can reserve a seat for the exam as late as the day before the exam. For MAEs given at other campuses, reservations close the Thursday before the scheduled exam date. There is no guarantee that there will be room to admit students who have not reserved a seat for the exam in advance.

No, the MAE will not be given in July during Highlander Orientation. The MAE exam is necessary to enroll into a UCR Mathematics course. In addition, many disciplines including Chemistry and Biology, require Mathematics before enrolling into entry level courses in these fields. Therefore, students who have not taken the MAE before July may be severely limited in their registration for Fall classes during Highlander Orientation.

Please contact the MAE administrator at 951-827-3281. Someone will contact you to resolve any problems that you have. We are here to help!!

The Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) is composed of 2 parts. Part 1 is 45 questions and takes 60 minutes. Part 2 is 60 questions and takes up to 90 minutes. In total, the actual testing time is a 150 minute exam. Factoring in the time necessary for check-in and paperwork, students should be finished approximately three hours from the reporting time.

All students will receive an email in their UCR email account with their math placements. You should recieve an email within a few weeks of taking the exam.

Students that are entering UCR in the Fall can also look on your MyUCR account by clicking on the "My Test Scores" tab along the top of the page. Results should be posted to your MyUCR account about a week or two after you take the exam. You can then click on your placement to find out more information about the course.

Since MAE results are part of a student's confidential academic record, by federal law, the Academic Resource Center cannot give out results by telephone, FAX, or to a person other than the student taking the exam.

Students may visit an academic advisor in their college or department in person to receive their placement information. In addition, students may request their placement information at the Academic Resource Center with picture ID.

• Please arrive on time! Once an exam begins, no one is allowed to enter the examination room. Traffic through Southern California is often heavy and there is highway construction close to the University, so students should organize and plan accordingly to allow sufficient time to reach the test site.
• Bring Photo Identification. Students need to present photo identification at check-in, or they will not be admitted to the exam.
• Students will need to know their student ID numbers (860XXXXXX).
• Bring two (#2) pencils and a pen.
• No calculating devices of any kind are permitted for the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE).

For exams administered on the UCR campus, parking permits are required. Upon entering campus, students should follow the signs reading “Placement Exams” which will lead to the parking attendant, who will provide a parking permit for $5 and direct them to a parking lot and testing rooms. If students arrive before or after a parking attendant is available, a parking permit may be purchased at the UCR main entrance Kiosk booth on West Campus Drive, across from the Administration Building (Hinderaker Hall). Cars without valid UCR parking permits are subject to ticketing.

Yes, performance on the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) will be used to place students into the appropriate UCR entry level Mathematics course. If students attempt to enroll in classes at a higher level than the one indicated by their placement, their registration will be blocked. Students’ Academic Advisors may suggest enrolling in a lower level course to gain stronger skills and understanding before enrolling in the course in which they placed.

In most cases, the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) can only be taken once. Students may retake the exam if their previous exam scores have expired. Exam scores expire after one year.

The lowest placement students can receive is titled Intermediate Algebra Workshops (IAW - LNCR035).  These workshops were created to help prepare students for university-level work in mathematics. Once a student is registered via GROWL for LNCR035, the student will be permitted to enroll in either Math 8A or Math 4 during their regularly scheduled enrollment period. 

Yes, there are placement exams in Writing, Chemistry, and various Foreign Languages. For more information:

• Writing: By the third quarter of attendance at UCR, all students must satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) although UCR expects students tot take the appropriate course during their first quarter of enrollment. Receiving a satisfactory score on the Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE) is one way to fulfill this requirement. For a full list of ways to satisfy the ELWR, please go to http://elwr.ucr.edu/placement.html.
  
• Chemistry: The California Chemistry Diagnostic Test (CCDT) is one of several methods used for placement in chemistry courses. For a full list of ways to meet these requirements, please go http://Academic Resource Center.ucr.edu/chem.
• Foreign Languages: The College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) requires students to study a foreign language. There is no language requirement in the Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) or for most majors in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS). Students who studied a language in high school and/or are native speakers of the language, and plan to use the language to satisfy the foreign language breadth requirement, must take a language placement examination the quarter before they plan to enroll in the language course. To determine eligibility for a Foreign Language Placement Exam, please go to http://placementtest.ucr.edu/foreign_lang/

Yes, there is a fee for the MAE. Math Advisory Exams administered on UCR's campus cost $40 during the months of July-April, and $20 during the months of May-June (The July 1st exam at 9am and 2pm on the UCR campus ONLY will also be $20). Math Advisory Exams administered at other campuses cost $40.  UCR students will have the fee assessed on their student account in GROWL in either August or September. Therefore, UCR students do not need to bring money to the exam. Non-UCR Students will need to pay for the MAE when you take it. We accept cash or checks made out to the Regents of the University of California.

No. There are no electronic devices of any kind allowed on the MAE including, but not limited to, calculators, cell phones, mp3 players, etc.