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, and some concentrations in Interdisciplinary Studies.

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.

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, or
  
  
• 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.

No, just taking the class does not earn an exemption. In order to be exempt from the math 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.

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.

Registration is easy and on-line for all administrations of the MAE.

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

No, the MAE will not be given in July during Bear Facts 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 Bear Facts Orientation.

Please contact the MAE administrator at 951-827-3282. Someone will contact you to resolve any problems that you have. We are here to help!!

The Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) is a 110 minute exam. Factoring in the time necessary for check-in and paperwork, students should be finished approximately two and one half hours from the reporting time.

The Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) results will be available via 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 one week 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 Learning 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 to the raw score and placement, students may receive an item analysis of their strengths and weaknesses in individual mathematics topics that can be used to get ready for UCR mathematics courses in the Fall.

• 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. In select circumstances, with the permission of the appropriate Dean’s office, the MAE may be retaken after completing Math 4 or Math 22 with a grade of C or higher if a student needs to take the Math 9 calculus series. Students may also retake the exam if their pervious exam scores have expired. Exam scores expire after one year.

• For majors that require calculus (the Math 9 sequence), such as any major in the Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) and the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS), students must receive a minimum score on the MAE for placement into Math 8A. If a student scores below the minimum, he/she must take an Intermediate Algebra course at a local Community College to prepare them for university-level work in mathematics. Upon verification of successful completion of Community College coursework, students will be permitted to enroll in Math 8A. Transcripts showing proof of completing a Intermediate Algebra course with a C or higher must be submitted to Vincent Norga at the Learning Center.

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://placementtest.ucr.edu/ccdt/.
  
• 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 $20 fee for the MAE. 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.