BYU-Idaho uses an ALEKS placement assessment to determine readiness for math courses or to meet the mathematics prerequisites for Chemistry 105, Chemistry 106, or Physics 105. The link to begin BYU-Idaho's ALEKS Placement Exam is on this page. Before you begin, please read all of the information on this page.
Most introductory math courses have a minimum ACT/SAT prerequisite. Taking the ALEKS placement assessment is an alternative way to meet the prerequisite, shown in the table below.
| Course | Course Name | ACT MATH Score | New SAT MATH Score | Old SAT MATH Score | ALEKS * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MATH 108X MATH 101 | Math for the Real World Intermediate Algebra | 18 or higher | 470 or higher | 430 or higher | 38 or higher |
| MATH 221 A MATH 221 B MATH 221 C | Business Statistics Biostatistics Social Science Statistics | 23 or higher | 570 or higher | 540 or higher | 53 or higher |
| MATH 110X | College Algebra | 23 or higher | 570 or higher | 540 or higher | 53 or higher |
| MATH 109 MATH 111 | Precalculus Trigonometry | 23 or higher | 570 or higher | 540 or higher | 55 or higher |
| MATH 112X | Calculus I | 27 or higher | 640 or higher | 620 or higher | 85 or higher |
| MATH 119 | Applied Calculus for Data Analysis | 23 or higher | 570 or higher | 540 or higher | 55 or higher |
| CHEM 101 | Introductory Chemistry | N/A | N/A | N/A | 55 or higher (or Math 108X, 109, 110X, 112X, 113 or 119) |
| CHEM 105 CHEM 106 | General Chemistry I General Chemistry II | N/A | N/A | N/A | 70 or higher (or Math 109, 110X, 112X, 113 or 119) |
| ECON 278 (must have taken ECON 150 or AGBUS 210) | Statistics for Economists | 27 | 640 | 620 | 85 or higher (or Math 109, 110X) |
| PH 105 | Introductory Applied Physics I | N/A | N/A | N/A | 85 or higher (or Math 109, 110X-after Fall 2019 or 112X) |
* You can take the ALEKS placement assessment several times to improve your score. After you take the exam, ALEKS creates a personalized study plan to help you improve. More details are below.
The ALEKS Placement Assessment
The ALEKS Placement assessment covers material from basic math through precalculus. The exam takes approximately 90 minutes to complete. If you are unhappy with your initial score, the software includes a learning Module which helps you review and practice things you missed, so you can improve your placement. All scores over 38 are automatically entered in the BYU-Idaho system within 30 minutes. Before starting the exam for the first time, please watch this video overview of the ALEKS program (about 2 minutes). Then read through the frequently asked questions below.