Placement and Advisory Examinations are used by UCR to assess student readiness for University work and to determine the appropriate course placement in English, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Foreign Languages. Students must satisfy placement requirements before registering for these subjects at UCR. Exam results are used for advising and placement purposes only; unit credit cannot be earned with these exams. There are four exams:

• The Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE) is used to satisfy the University of California Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) and to place first-year students into an appropriate English composition course.
   
• The Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) is used to place first-year students into an appropriate Mathematics course.

Various Foreign Language placement exams are used to determine the appropriate level of Foreign Language entry.

• The UCR's Univeristy Writing Program administers the Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE).
   
• The UCR Academic Resource Center administers the Mathematics Advisory Exam.
   
• The Department of Hispanic Studies administers the Spanish Placement Exam. All other foreign language placement exams are administered by the Department of Comparative Literature and Foreign Languages.

• Writing: All students must satisfy the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) within three-quarters of full-time enrollment at UCR. 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 https://uwp.ucr.edu/elwr#before_enrolling_fulltime_at_ucr
   
• Mathematics: All students who plan to enter a major that requires at least one course in Mathematics need to take the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) for appropriate placement. Undeclared students should consider taking the exam if a major that they are considering requires at least one course in Mathematics.

Bourns College of Engineering (BCoE): All majors require at least one course in Mathematics, therefore all BCoE students must take the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) for appropriate placement.

College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS): All majors require at least one course in Mathematics, therefore all CNAS students must take the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE) for appropriate placement.

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS): Students in the following majors/programs in require at least one course in Mathematics and students must take the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE): Pre-Business/Business Administration, Psychology, 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 breadth (general education) requirement by enrolling in either computer science or statistics course that does not require taking the Mathematics Advisory Exam (MAE).

• Foreign Languages: Students who studied a language in high school and/or are native speakers of the language, and plan to pursue or use the language to satisfy the foreign language breadth requirement, must take a language placement examination prior to enrolling in the language course. 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). To determine eligibility for a Foreign Language Placement Exam, please go to https://chassintranet.ucr.edu/pta

• All incoming first-year students who do not have documented satisfaction of the Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) by May 1st should plan to complete the Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE) prior to attending their Highlander Orientation Session.
   
• Foreign Language Placement Exams should be taken prior to the quarter in which students start a language course. Language exams will not be given during Highlander Orientation in July. Please go https://chassintranet.ucr.edu/pta for dates, times, locations, and registration for a specific exam.
   
• The Math Advisory Exam (MAE) is offered online and is available for students to take from May 1 – July 12. Got to for more information: https://arc.ucr.edu/mae .

• Students can register for the Analytical Writing Placement Exam through the University Writing Program website.
   
• Depending on the subject, Foreign Language Placement Exams are given by appointment either in written format or by computer. Please go to https://chassintranet.ucr.edu/pta/ for dates, times, locations, and registration for a specific exam.
   
• To register for the Math Advisory Exam (MAE) go to: https://arc.ucr.edu/mae.

• There is a $100 fee for the Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE). Students who received a fee waiver for the UC Application Fee will also receive a fee waiver for the AWPE.


• There is a $35 fee (effective June 2022) required for each placement examination. The examinations offered are for the following languages: Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, French, Spanish, Russian, German, Filipino/Tagalog, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. If you would like to be tested in a language not currently offered at UCR, please contact your advisor. Incoming and continuing students agree to pay the fee at the same time they register for an exam and the cost is billed to their account after they complete the test. Non-students must pay the fee at the exam with a check (checks payable to “UC Regents”).
   
• The Math Advisory Exam (MAE) is $55 for more information go to: https://arc.ucr.edu/mae.

• Students will receive a notification about the results of the AWPE to their UCR email account within two to three weeks of taking the exam.


• For Foreign Language Exams, all students taking the computerized exams will see their placement upon finishing the exam. UCR students taking the written and oral exams will see their placement, within three (3) business days following the exam, on their R'web application Student profile under Prior education and testing. Non-UCR students will need to contact the Department of Comparative Literature and Foreign Languages three (3) business days following the exam for their results.
   
• Math Advisory Exam (MAE) results with course placement will be sent to your UCR email address.

• A sample essay for the Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE) is available at https://uwp.ucr.edu/elwr#awpe.
   
• There are no sample questions or exams for the Language Exams.
   
• The Math Advisory Exam (MAE) process allows you to do preparation, take an initial assessment, and then take up to 2 proctored attempts. The highest score will be used for placement. For more information go to: https://arc.ucr.edu/mae

• The Analytical Writing Placement Exam (AWPE) may not be taken a second time unless the student has completed a preparatory writing course at a CSU or community college.  More information can be found here: https://uwp.ucr.edu/elwr#summer-options.
   
• The Foreign Language Placement Exams may not be taken a second time in the same language.
   
• The Math Advisory Exam (MAE) process allows you to take up to 2 proctored attempts. The highest score will be used for placement. For more information go to: https://arc.ucr.edu/mae.

Please arrive on time! Students are not given additional time to complete the test if they begin late.

Photo Identification. Students need to present photo identification before the exam begins to ensure their exam can be graded.

Bring two (#2) pencils and a black-ink pen. No calculating devices of any kind are permitted for the Mathematics exam.

Parking. For exams administered on the UCR campus, parking permits are required. Upon entering campus, students should follow the signs reading “Placement Exams” to the parking attendant who will sell them a parking permit 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.