Placement Exams

[Carlin Irwin]

What is the placement exam(s) like ? What do they test you on? If I pass the test, can I validate courses and replace for a higher course?

 

[fencersmother]

Math, foreign language... all the usual suspects, and one that will determine what foreign language you'll be assigned. That's right: you don't choose it.

It may benefit your GPA to be assigned to Calc I rather than CalcII, especially if you are on the cusp. The classes at USAFA move a lot faster than most high school classes. If you do validate CalcI or Chemistry, or whatever, usually you will have very little say as a 4* about which classes you will have, when you will have them, or anything at all related to scheduling.

 

[jwest182]

You get taken to a room in Fairchild ( you don't know why) and you are given a test, comparable to a normal academic test on whatever subject it may be. We got tested on math, history, foreign language, chemistry, and maybe some others I am forgetting (Basic starts to blur together afterwards, probably for the best). Based on your score, the department places you into whatever course they believe you will be successful in, but you can always go to the department and ask for a different course. Also, some courses can be validated with AP scores.

 

[fencersmother]

But you will still be there for four years - so unlike civilian college, where if you validate chemistry, math, English, etc, you may indeed chop off a year or a semester of school, you'll not graduate early by validating. You might be able to free up some space in your later-years schedules to pursue a minor, to take higher level classes, or maybe, to head up a club, or a sport.