Required Tests

Tests Used Primarily for Course Placement

Before students can register for certain lower-division courses, most are required to take tests, the results of which will be used for placing students at the appropriate instructional levels. Academic departments use tests for placement in six areas: rhetoric and writing, entry-level mathematics, freshman technical chemistry, computer sciences, foreign languages, and mechanical engineering. Students who perform well enough on these tests can receive credit by examination for courses in those areas.

In the School of Journalism, Journalism 315, and other upper-division courses have prerequisites that require satisfactory performance on one or two basic skills tests, which are not used as bases for awarding course credit.

• they score high enough on the College Board Advanced Placement Examinations in calculus or chemistry, or on International Baccalaureate Examinations in chemistry or mathematics, or

• they took College Board Advanced Placement Examinations in foreign languages or International Baccalaureate Examinations in foreign languages.

To be exempt from the required placement tests students must have a score on record with the University of Texas at Austin. Students who have taken the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in Calculus, or International Baccalaureate Examination in Mathematics, but have not received their score, and do not have a score on the SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1 or 2 will be required to take the SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1 during their orientation.

Students should take The College Board (CB) SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1 or Level 2 in CB test centers while still in high school. The SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1 is offered on campus during testing periods scheduled by UT Austin.

All other required tests can be taken only on the UT Austin campus. A UTEID is required for taking tests on campus.

A satisfactory score on The SAT Reasoning Test Writing Section or the ACT Writing Section will allow students to claim credit for RHE 306. All students should plan to take the Writing Section of The SAT Reasoning Test or the Writing Section of the ACT while still in high school.

In addition to a satisfactory score on the SAT Reasoning Test Writing Section students may receive credit for RHE 306 through transfer credit for an English course equivalent to UT Austin's RHE 306, or a satisfactory score on The College Board Advanced Placement Examination in English Language and Composition.

Examinations used for course placement in RHE 306 for the Academic Year 2009-2010*

UT Austin Test for Credit in Chemistry 301. This test is recommended for engineering majors (with the exception of electrical and computer engineering majors) and physics majors who have studied chemistry in high school and who do not have credit for CH 301 or it equivalent. The test is appropriate for any student with a strong background in high school chemistry. Students should seek advice from an adviser or other designated faculty member in their major area about receiving credit for required courses. CH 301, Principles of Chemistry I, is the first semester technical chemistry course specified for most students majoring in the natural sciences or engineering. It can fulfill part of the natural science requirement for other degrees. The test may be taken only once.

Students with prior knowledge of American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Vietnamese, Spanish,  Russian, however acquired, must take a placement test before enrolling for the first time in a UT Austin course in that language.

Exceptions: (a) Students transferring college credit in most foreign languages are not required, but are strongly encouraged, to take a placement test before enrolling in a UT Austin course in the language for which they have transfer credit; (b) If a student has eligible scores on the AP or IB exams, he or she may not be required to take the placement test. However, if a student with no college credit in Spanish would like to enroll in a higher-level course, he or she must take the placement examination before enrolling in any Spanish course.

College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations and The International Baccalaureate (IB) Examinations in foreign languages are used by UT Austin for placement and credit.

Placement tests are offered regularly in American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Polish, Russian,Vietnamese, and Spanish. Tests in foreign languages other than these are scheduled on an individual basis; students who need to take placement tests in such languages should make arrangements directly with the appropriate foreign language departments.

Tests used for placement in foreign languages generally serve as bases for credit by examination in one to four courses. Foreign language tests may be taken only once.


For meeting a foreign language requirement, the language can be, but does not have to be, the same one studied in high school. As a general rule, students who choose to meet a requirement by continuing the study of a language they studied in high school, rather than by beginning the study of a new language, should plan to take the language test.

A satisfactory score on the GSP is a prerequisite to registration for Journalism 315 and any upper-division journalism course. Students with transfer credit for Journalism 315, or its equivalent, must have a score of at least 45 on the GSP test before they can enroll in their first UT Austin upper-division courses in journalism. Each Course Schedule lists journalism courses for which the GSP is a prerequisite. If you think you should be exempted from the GSP Test, please consult with the School of Journalism. The test does not serve as a basis for course credit. The test may be taken a maximum of three times.

The School of Journalism Word Processing Test

Demonstration of satisfactory word processing skill is a prerequisite for registration for Journalism 315 or any upper-division course in journalism. If you think you should be exempted from the Word Processing Test, please consult with the School of Journalism. The test does not serve as a basis for course credit. The test may be taken a maximum of three times.