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Chemistry Assessment and Placement Exams

There are two online chemistry assessment or placement exams; the first is mandatory. All course placements are determined by a student's score(s) on these assessments. Credit from Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate (HL) exam scores may be considered when making placement decisions, but they do not guarantee course placement.

Both placement assessments will open on June 1 and must be completed by the end of the day on July 31. Both assessments are administered through a Canvas course site. When the exam course site is made available on June 1, you will be invited to join. This Canvas course site (Chemistry Placement Assessments YEAR) will then appear under your courses when you log in to Canvas. The Canvas link can be found in the top menu bar on the Northwestern University home webpage.

Weinberg and McCormick first-year advisors will be notified about chemistry course placement after the assessments close. Placement information will be shared on Canvas in the second half of August.

Initial Chemistry Assessment (Mandatory)

All incoming first-year students intending to take a chemistry course are required to take the online Initial Chemistry Assessment. This assessment tests basic problem-solving skills and quantitative aspects of foundational chemistry material typically covered in high school chemistry courses. It is a timed exam that will determine whether a student should start the General Chemistry sequence with CHEM 110 or CHEM 151.

Chemistry Placement Exam (optional)

The Chemistry Placement Exam is an online, timed exam covering the course material from CHEM 110, 131/151, and 132/152. The exam is optional and only necessary for students who wish to place into the CHEM 171 sequence or organic chemistry. Students who took Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or other honors/advanced chemistry coursework in high school are recommended to take the Placement Exam to receive the most appropriate course placement.

Please also note the following important guidelines:

  1. No student may begin any of the general chemistry or organic chemistry course sequences except with the first course in the sequence.
  2. All chemistry course sequences begin only in the Fall Quarter, with the possible exception of organic chemistry. Therefore if you want to take a general chemistry course at any time during your first year, you must take chemistry during Fall Quarter.
  3. Any student who is placed into organic chemistry but wishes to take general chemistry may only take the CHEM 171 sequence.
  4. Any student who places into organic chemistry but decides to take general chemistry must complete the general chemistry sequence before proceeding to organic chemistry.