The purpose of this math placement test is to help us determine a student's beginning placement level in math courses at Ohio State ATI. This test is completed entirely online and should be submitted at least 10 days before your orientation date. The results will be sent to your advisor to prepare your schedule before you arrive for orientation.
There is a 75-minute time limit to complete the test. It is available and free to all students registered for orientation; check your To Do List to see if you need to take a placment test.
There are two versions of the Math Placement test: Test B and Test D. (Your orientation confirmation letter indicates which version the student should take, if you aren't sure check your To Do List.)
- Test B - ACT math score of 24 or lower (SAT math score of 580 or lower)
- Test D - ACT math score of 25 or higher (SAT math score of 590 or higher)
Students that score high enough on B Test will automatically receive a computerized invitation to take D Test, which may result in a higher placement level.
who is exempt from the math placement test?
All entering students are required to take the Math Placement Test unless one of the following is true:
• Any student that has received AP Calculus test score prior to their orientation session and received a 3, 4, or 5 on the AB or BC exam. Official results must be sent to Ohio State.
• Any student that has received IB scores prior to their orientation session and received a 4 or higher on the higher level math exam. Official results must be sent to Ohio State.
• Transfer students that have received transfer credit for a specific Ohio State math course (for example, the class shows as Math 1148 on their transfer credit report). Students receiving general or deferred math credit, G000.xx or D000.xx, must have this credit evaluated by a math advisor in order to be exempt from the Math Placement Test.
• Nontraditional students (age 23 or older) may elect not to take the math placement exam. If you elect not to take the exam, you’ll be placed in Math 1050, an introductory math course; if you wish to begin at a higher level, you must take the math placement exam.
math placement test study materials
As students are only permitted to take the Math Placement Test one, they are highly recommended to study for this test. Before taking the Math Placement Test, students should review the topics that may be found on the test and the available study materials.
Study Materials can be found here:
• Math Placement B
• Math Placement D
to take the math placement test
Go to https://buckeyelink3.osu.edu/secure/math and login using your Ohio State Username (lastname.#) and password.
1. Thoroughly read the Math Placement Exam instructions, specifically noting the following:
You may use scratch paper, pencil, and a scientific or graphing calculator. Calculators with computer symbolic algebra or QWERTY keyboard are not permitted.
2. The test has a time limit of 75 minutes. The time remaining will be updated after you answer each question. Please note that time continues to run even if you close the browser window, log off on your computer, or if you have computer problems.
The test is entirely multiple-choice with only one correct answer. Partial credit is not given.
After you have finished taking the test, you will be given both a math course code indicating your placement level as well as a link for more information about math placement. At orientation, your faculty advisor will use this information to help you register for the appropriate math course. If your test results are a “U” (undetermined), you will need to re-test and a link will be sent to your OSU email. Please make sure to retake the test as soon as possible..
If you experience technical issues while testing, please contact Ohio State's Testing Center at 614-292-2241 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.