To prepare for your first semester, most new students need to take a survey to self-place into a first-year writing (English) course. Most students also need to take a mathematics placement. These placements need to be completed before Student Success can develop your first semester schedule.
Please see the information below about each and to determine whether you are required to complete these placements.
At the bottom of this page, you will find information for accessing both placements.
Required:
Not Required:
At PennWest, we allow students to choose their path through first-year writing using a process called Directed-Self Placement (DSP). We ask new students to reflect on their experiences with writing and their confidence related to different writing tasks by taking a survey in D2L. The survey is your opportunity to think about your writing skills and practices and decide what course(s) will best meet your needs.
It’s important to note that this survey is not a test, but at the end of it, you will receive a score. We recommend a score of 75% or higher for self-placement into English 1200, College Composition. Students who score below 75% tend to be more successful if they take English 1100, Intro to College Composition and follow it up with English 1200.
After you take the survey, you will also be asked to choose between English 1100 and 1200 in another one-question survey. It’s important that you complete both steps. As you make this decision, consider your survey score, your success with writing in high school, and your standardized test scores.
Required:
OR
Not Required:
OR
OR
The mathematics placement is offered online, free of charge, and needs to be completed before a class schedule can be created for you. Students should remember the importance of academic integrity when completing a placement test without a proctor. Any assessment should be completed without support or guidance for you to receive an accurate placement.
The mathematics placement test, known as ALEKS, is a program that uses artificial intelligence to map a student’s knowledge in mathematics. The ALEKS tool is meant to ensure that you start mathematics at a place that aligns with your current skills and knowledge and where you can be most successful as you enter the University. Below are some details on what you can expect.
The mathematics assessment:
Your ALEKS score, or prior credit with a C- or better in a university prerequisite course, will be used to determine your proper starting point for your PennWest mathematics course.
Not all students will score as high as they would like on their first attempt. Please watch for communication from our Student Success staff about what your score means and any next steps.
In some instances, you may be asked to consider retaking the exam after completing a minimum of three hours of review in the prep and learning modules. Second and subsequent attempts require monitoring using Respondus Monitor that requires a lockdown browser and webcam, and the cost is $5 to the student per attempt.
View guide here
For others, you may be asked to work with your faculty advisor to discuss alternative pathways to ensure your academic success in your chosen field of study. These conversations and scheduling options are in place to help you build a solid educational foundation that will grow with you as you work through a degree program and toward your post-graduation goals.
A list of prerequisites and minimum ALEKS scores can be found here.
Students with disabilities should make requests and inquiries for accommodations directly to:
California
OSD-Cal@pennwest.edu
724-938-5781
Clarion
OSD-Clr@pennwest.edu
814-393-1877
Edinboro
OSD-Edn@pennwest.edu
814-732-2462
FIRST YEAR STUDENTS
To get started, you need to have access to your MyPennWest platform:
1. Sign into the myPennWest portal. If you have not set up your account yet, click here, scroll to the bottom of the page, and select “password set-up” under the Admitted Students section.
2. Once you are logged into myPennWest, you will be able to see the placement testing card. The icon for each placement that you need to take is located on this card. See sample below:
3. If you do not see the placement testing card, select the blue “Discover More” button that should be hovering near the middle of your screen. On the next screen, type “placement” into the Find Card search box.
TRANSFER STUDENTS
MATH: You will need your PennWest student email address and password to create your ALEKS account. Access the ALEKS assessment by clicking here. You may be asked for a cohort or class code. If that happens, please use YDF3M-EAQ4L.
ENGLISH: If you do not receive transfer credits equivalent to our ENGL 1100 Intro to College Composition or ENGL 1200 College Composition, follow the instructions below to take the placement.
To access D2L Brightspace, click here.
Scroll down the page to find your courses and select English Placement.
