Registration and Testing Information for Transfer Students

All transfer students are required to sign-up for a testing and registration date through our testing/ registration database, prior to registering for your first semester classes. You MUST sign-up through this database even if you think you may be exempt from testing. Once students have signed-in, they will be asked a series of questions to determine if they will need to take one of the ACCUPLACER placement exams for either English or math. These assessments are not admissions tests. They are specifically designed to use as a tool for placement and to help ensure academic success at Rutgers-Newark.

All students will automatically be assigned a registration date based on the testing date they signed up for. During registration, all students will meet with an academic advisor to review general education requirements and to make course selections for the upcoming semester.

English Exam-
There are three parts to the English placement exam: Sentence Sense, Reading Comprehension and an essay. Students’ writing will be evaluated on the understanding of the text, response to the question and mastery of grammar and syntax. You will have 2 ½ hours to complete the English portion of the exam.

Math Exam-
Math concepts will range from basic computation to fractions, decimals, linear equations, quadratic expressions, algebraic expressions, algebra, trigonometry, logarithms, pre-calculus and calculus. You will have 1 ½ hours to complete the math portion of the exam.

Sign-up HERE for Testing and Registration

View ACCUPLACER Online Student Testing Guide

View ACCUPLACER Sample Test Questions

Are there any testing exemptions?
Certain incoming transfer students may be exempt from the English and/or Math placement exams. The guidelines for these exemptions are listed below and there are no exceptions to these guidelines.

English Exemptions
The English placement exam will NOT be required of:

  • Students who have taken a college level English course in the US (ie. English Composition I or English Composition II)
  • Students who have completed 6 credit hours of English Advanced Placement and received a score of 4 or 5 on the English composition exam (Advanced Placement must have been completed while student was in high school).
  • Students who have passed a CLEP English I and II exam and scored at or above 50th percentile (All CLEP must have been completed PRIOR to entering any college).
  • Transferring in a grade of C or better from Composition or Writing courses from Rutgers.

Those students who MUST complete the placement exam in English include:

  • Students who have taken technical writing or literature courses rather than composition courses.
  • Students who have not completed a college level English Composition course in US.
  • Any student who would like to take the exam to improve your writing skills may test.
  • All International Students (F-1 visa holders), first-year and transfer students arriving to Rutgers directly from out of country.

Math Exemptions
The Math placement exam will NOT be required of:

  • Students transferring in a C or better in college level Pre-Calculus.
  • Students transferring in a C or better in college level Calculus.
  • A student who has received a grade of C or better in a New Jersey course equivalent to Rutgers–Newark College Algebra according to the Matrix can be placed directly into Pre-calculus (640:114 for liberal arts majors) or Basic Calculus (640:119 for pre-Business majors).
  • A student who has taken a New Jersey prerequisite for Rutgers-Newark College Algebra according to the Matrix and who has received a grade of B or better in that course, may be placed directly into College Algebra at Rutgers-Newark.
  • A student who has taken Math 100 and received a C or better at Essex County Community College.
  • A first-year student with an AP score of 4 or 5 in AB Series (Calculus I) or with an AP score of 4 or 5 in BC Series (Calculus II).
  • Students who have already earned a B.A./B.S. degree from an American University.

Those students who MUST complete the placement exam in mathematics include:

  • Students who have not taken or who have not passed a previous math course.
  • Students who have not taken developmental or college-level courses which are sufficient for a prerequisite for College Algebra at Rutgers-Newark.
  • Students who have taken a prerequisite for College Algebra and received a grade of C or below.

The placement test is recommended for students who have not taken math in the last (5) years or who will need math skills in their major.

How much time does the ACCUPLACER placement test require, and what must be brought to the test center?
You should allow approximately four hours for the entire exam. ACCUPLACER is a self-paced, computerized test. This allows you to proceed at your own rate, however, you must stay within the time allowed.

You MUST bring the following information and supplies on the day of the test:

  • Photo ID (driver's license or high school ID with photo) *You will not be allowed to test without a valid photo ID!!
  • Your RUID number
  • Pen or pencil

You may NOT bring:

  • Books, dictionaries, notes, or papers
  • Calculators, cell phones, or any other electronic devices
  • Food or beverages

* Students who give or receive help during the placement exam, use notes or aid of any kind, or remove test materials from the testing center will not be permitted to finish the exam, and their scores will be disallowed. The University will void any test scores if there is any reason to question its validity.
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