Placement Information

This section will help you gain a better understanding of taking placement exams prior to your arrival at Dickinson. It is important to pay close attention to the July 1 due dates, as your scores will be discussed with you by an academic advisor when selecting course levels your first semester. In this section you will find information on language, math, chemistry and music placement.

Also check out the FAQ: Language Study and Placement page for additional information.

Language Placement Exam Information

Language Background Form

Regardless of whether you intend to continue with a language you studied in high school or start a new language, it is very important that you complete the Language Background Form available at the Gateway forms tab. Include information on all languages studied.

Where do I find the Language Placement Exams?

The language placement exams for Italian, French, German and Spanish can be found on the Student Forms tab on the Dickinson Gateway. Students should use the password devils to access the French, German and Spanish exam. There is no password needed to take the Italian placement exam.

Who should take the Online Exam?

Select a language and use the flow chart to determine whether you should take the exam:

What if I am interested in continuing with a language other than French, German, Italian, Latin or Spanish?

Be sure you provide this information regarding all of the languages you studied in high school on the Language Background form available on the Gateway.

If you are interested in taking Arabic, click here.
If you are interested in taking Ancient Greek, click here.
If you are interested in taking Modern Hebrew, click here.
If you are interested in taking Japanese, click here.
If you are interested in taking Latin, click here.
If you are interested in taking Russian, click here.

Transfer Students

Students who have studied French, German, Italian or Spanish at another institution should take the placement exam. The results of the placement exam will be used to determine appropriate course equivalency for college-level coursework completed. For other languages, see guidance offered in the section above.

Math Placement Information

All incoming students must take the 25-question, 30-minute mathematics placement exam. The only students who are exempt are those who:

received a score of 3 or higher on the AP Calculus AB exam (or an AB subscore of 3 or higher on the Calculus BC exam)
received a score of 4 or higher on the AP Calculus BC exam
received a score of 5 or higher on the International Baccalaureate (IB) Mathematics SL or HL exam
received an A or B on the British Advanced Level (A-Level) Mathematics exam

Note: The mathematics placement exam is also use for chemistry placement. Students will be allowed to request CHEM 131 if they score a 6 or higher on the Mathematics Placement Exam OR if they are exempt from taking the placement exam as described above.

Where do I find the mathematics placement exam?

The mathematics placement exam can be found on the Student Forms tab of the Dickinson Gateway.

What topics are on the mathematics placement exam?

The mathematics placement exam was written by the Mathematical Association of America. It is a calculus readiness exam. As such, the exam is used to evaluate your proficiency in pre-calculus. There is no calculus on this placement exam. See the Mathematics Placement Information page for a list of topics covered by the mathematics placement exam.

I am interested in taking a mathematics course at Dickinson. What should I take?

The Mathematics Placement Information page contains a list of entry-level mathematics courses at Dickinson, an interactive placement guide, and other useful information.

Chemistry Placement Exam Information

The Chemistry Placement Exam is a 63-question, 75-minute exam assembled by Dickinson's chemistry department. Its purpose is to allow the department to determine your readiness for college-level chemistry by assessing your comprehension in three basic areas: General Mathematics, General Chemistry Knowledge and Specific Chemistry Knowledge.

The chemistry department has found that there is a strong correlation between a student's high-school math background and their future success in chemistry. Consequently, if you have taken the math placement exam at Dickinson and received a score of 5 or below, you will not be able to request CHEM 131 until you obtain a passing score on the math placement exam. If you received a score on the math placement exam between 6-10, the chemistry department highly recommends that you purchase the book Essential Algebra for Chemistry Students by David W. Ball (ISBN: 978-0-495-01327-3) and complete all exercises in preparation for a math exam that will be given to all CHEM 131 students during the first week of the fall semester.

Where do I find the Chemistry Placement Exam?

The placement exam can be found on the Student Forms tab of the Dickinson Gateway.

Who should take the exam?

All students who plan to take chemistry courses must take the exam. Many majors (including biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, neuroscience, and geology) require chemistry courses and all pre-health students must take chemistry courses regardless of major.

You can call the chemistry department at 717-245-1296, or e-mail the departmental coordinator (Jann Ernst) at ernstj@dickinson.edu for more information.

Music Theory Placement Exam Information

Where do I find the Music Placement Exam?

The placement exam can be found on the Student Forms tab of the Dickinson Gateway.

Who should take the exam?

Any student who is interested in taking music theory courses.

You can call the music department at 717-245-1568, or e-mail Professor Blyth at blyth@dickinson.edu for more information.