About ALEKS

NOTICE: Continuing students who have not taken ALEKS and have not taken any college math course, may take proctored ALEKS from March 21st, 2023 until April 13th, 2023. Practice ALEKS will be available from March 17th, 2023 to April 13th, 2023, except on days in which a proctored ALEKS is scheduled. Practice ALEKS does not affect your placement. Find more information and sign up at math.miami.edu/aleks

NEW FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS - Stay tuned to your Road to UM communications for information regarding ALEKS.

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What is the ALEKS Math Placement Assessment?

ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces) is a web-based assessment system that uses artificial intelligence to create an adaptive test in order to determine a student's mathematical knowledge. The results from the ALEKS assessment are used to determine the appropriate math course for a student to take based on his/her prerequisite knowledge. The ALEKS Assessment covers a broad range of material from basic Algebra to Precalculus. The ALEKS assessment subscription is available to students for 1 year and the scores will be valid for up to 18 months.

Topics covered:

  • Real numbers (including fractions, integers, and percentages)
  • Equations and inequalities (including linear equations, linear inequalities, systems of linear equations, and quadratic equations),
  • Linear and quadratic functions (including graphs and functions, linear functions, and parabolas), exponents and polynomials (including integer exponents, polynomial arithmetic, factoring, and polynomial equations), rational expressions (including rational equations and rational functions
  • Radical expressions (including higher roots and rational exponents)
  • Exponentials and logarithms (including function compositions and inverse functions, properties of logarithms, and logarithmic equations)
  • Geometry and trigonometry (including perimeter, area, and volume, coordinate geometry, trigonometric functions, and identities and equations).

The assessment will have a maximum of 30 questions and it will take approximately 90 minutes to complete. During the proctoring session, you will have a maximum of 2 hours to complete the ALEKS assessment. After you complete the assessment, you will immediately receive your ALEKS score. The score will be visible in CaneLink within 48 hours of completing the assessment. If the desired placement is not achieved, the ALEKS Prep and Learning Modules will be available for you to review, learn material, re-take the assessment and improve your ALEKS score.