We've made some changes!

UCSC Math Placement has a new, improved site: UCSC Math Coach. Whether you're new to UCSC's math placement process, or returning for some review or reassessment, we hope the Coach has what you need.

The ALEKS registration link and instruction page have been removed from this site. Please use the instructions and links in the Math Coach to register in ALEKS PPL if you're a new user, and to access ALEKS PPL if you already have a license.

Our thanks to all the UCSC students whose feedback guided the metamorphosis of this site into the Coach!

monarch caterpillar monarch emerging from chrysalis

The old content:

Some timely preparation can help you get your UCSC experience off to a great start.  Accurate assessment will help you enroll in a UCSC math course that will be challenging, but not overwhelming. We've collected some powerful tools for revitalizing the knowledge you've already gained and rapidly filling in any gaps or weak spots in your mathematical background.

Assess

Sample ALEKS pie chart.

If you're completing your Math Placement using the online placement and preparation tool, ALEKS, we've got some tips for frustration-free assessment. ALEKS placement assessments are probably very different from other math exams you've taken, so read up before diving in.

ALEKS assessments are designed to be low-stress; you have 48 hours to complete an assessment. If you experience math or test anxiety, you can take breaks during your assessment, relax, and come back ready to score high.

Practice

Sample geometry problem

If you've assessed in ALEKS, you have six months free access to an ALEKS Learning Module. Whether you're considering reassessing in ALEKS to increase your enrollment options, or buffing up your skills to be at your mathematical best for your math course, your Module will give you a terrific assortment of practice problems, custom-tailored to your learning profile. 

There are lots of great ways to polish your math chops outside of ALEKS. Tutorial videos can clarify points that you didn't quite catch when you saw them in an earlier course, or expose you to new and exciting concepts. 

 Plan

generic calculus roadmap

A study plan that fits your learning personality and schedule will help you make the most of the time and effort you invest. Set yourself a sequence of small meaningful, attainable goals that will lead you to your big goals and develop strategies for keeping yourself on track in spite of temptations.

Knowing where you're headed, and planning how and when you'll get there, will make your math preparation more rewarding and efficient. There are several pathways to your first calculus course at UCSC; if your major requires calculus, some careful planning now will maximize your opportunities later.