Undergraduate Programs

Attending Orientation and need to take the Chemistry Placement Exam? Please follow the link below:

http://www.indiana.edu/~orient/students/cpe.html

Chemistry Placement Exam

Register for the CPE and enter the course by pressing the grey button below. You will need to know your IU username, passphrase, and university ID number.

WHO: S tudents who enroll in Chemistry C117 are required to pass the Chemistry Placement Exam (CPE) as well as pass a math prerequisite (see below for more about the math prerequisite). Students who do not take the exam will have their enrollment in C117 cancelled.

WHAT: The CPE is a multiple-choice exam composed of questions on the general chemistry, math, and reasoning skills needed for C117.

The CPE is NOT an exemption exam; that is, you cannot earn or be exempt from any course by taking the Chemistry Placement Exam.

See the end of this page for information about chemistry exemptions exams.

Purpose of the CPE

We are interested in helping students succeed in C117; therefore, we want to ensure that students have the appropriate background. The CPE is used to evaluate each student's chemistry background and preparation for C117 so that they can be placed into the chemistry course that is appropriate for them. The courses that students are placed into based on the CPE are: C103, C117, or S117. C103 is a course specially designed to prepare students for C117. S117 is the honors section of C117 (Note: S117 is only offered in the fall semester).

MATH PREREQUISITE FOR C117:

In addition to passing the CPE, students must also meet one of the following math requirements to place into C117.

1) have both a score of 17 or higher on the Math Skills Assessment Test and a score of 580 or higher on the Math SAT (25 or higher on the ACT),

2) completed an IU math course above M025 with a grade of C- or better,

3) completed CHEM-C103 with a grade of C- or better.

How to Prepare

Practice exams are offered in the Online CPE course. Students are encouraged to refresh their chemistry knowledge through the practice exams before taking the actual exam.

Frequently Asked Questions About the CPE

What material will be covered on the examination?
There are two areas of concentration on the examination. The first area is the material that we expect all students who have had a year of high school chemistry to know, including dimensional analysis (a.k.a. factor-labeling), reaction stoichiometry, and solution stoichiometry. Students' placement into C117 will depend on the number of questions correctly answered from the first area, as this material will only be reviewed briefly in C117. This material should be reviewed prior to the examination (see information above). Students who do not do well on the questions from the first area of concentration will be required to take C103 prior to taking C117. The second area of the exam covers more advanced concepts of chemistry including periodic properties, acid-base theory, equilibrium, thermodynamics, bonding, and atomic structure. This second area concentrates on topics that are considered advanced; and therefore, students that do well on the questions from the second area may be invited to take the honors course, S117.

If I think I need CHEM-C103, the preparatory course for C117, do I need to take the CPE?

No, you do not need to take the CPE in order to take C103.

Is CHEM-C103 offered during the summer?

CHEM-C103 is not normally offered during the summer. Students who would like to take a class during the summer to help prepare for C117, should take a course similar to CHEM-C103 (or CHEM-C101/CHEM-C121) at a different school. If you need help choosing a course for this purpose, please contact us at the information below.

When is the CPE given?

The CPE is available year-round. However, students should take the CPE prior to registering for classes for the semester in which they plan on taking C117. This will allow them to know their placement prior to registration.

How will scores on the examination be used?
Scores on this examination will not affect grades for C117 (or any other course). Students who do exceptionally well on the examination will be invited to enroll in the freshman honors course in chemistry (S117). Students who score poorly on this examination will be required to take Chemistry C103 in preparation to take C117 the following semester.

How many questions on the CPE do I need to get correct to pass? Unfortunately, the scoring of the CPE is not that straightforward. It is not only a matter of how many, but which questions you get correct. The determination of placement is based not only on the total number of questions correct, but also the number of questions correct in part one of the CPE. In other words, both the part one score and the total score are used in determining if a student "passed" the CPE.

I took the exam with the hope of getting into C117 next term, but I was not able to enroll in C117, will I have to take the exam again later?
No. If you take the exam now, but are not able to take the course into which you place (C117 or C103) next term, you will not need to take the exam again. The only students who have to retake the exam are those who placed into C103, took C103 and passed with a C- or better, and now want to take C117.

I have taken C103. If I do not pass the CPE, will I have to take C103 again?
Most likely, yes. For students with borderline CPE scores who have taken C103 recently (in the last two terms), we may consult with the C103 professors to see what they recommend about placement. Also, note that students must pass C103 with a C- or better before they may take C117, regardless of how they do on the CPE. Remember that mastery of the material in C103 is a prerequisite for C117. Students who do not do well in C103, will be likely to struggle in C117. If you have questions about these issues, please consult with the chemistry academic advisor, (855-2700 or chemadv@indiana.edu).

What is the Chemistry Honors Program?
Chemistry S117 is part of a special sequence of courses for well prepared and highly motivated freshman. S117 is only offered in the fall semester. On the basis of scores on the Chemistry Placement Examination, approximately 50 students will be invited to enroll in this course. Although the honors course (S117) is similar to C117, the level of work is intended to challenge students and to stimulate their eventual participation in the Honors Program in Chemistry (which includes undergraduate research).

Exemption Exams:

The Dept. of Chemistry offers exemption exams for CHEM-C101/C121 (non-science major chemistry courses) and CHEM-C117. These are normally offered only once during both the fall and spring terms.

The next date that the C117 and C101/C121 Exemption Exams will be offered is Monday November 26th, 2007 at 7:00 PM, in room Swain Hall West 119. Please arrive 15-20 minutes early and call the Undergraduate Office 812-855-2700 if you have any further questions.

Students will be given two hours to take the exam.

C117 Exemption Exam

WARNING: CHEM-C117 is the general chemistry “science major” course. While earning credit for C117 by exemption exam will meet the requirement for CHEM-C117, it does NOT provide the same background as C117. Therefore, students with special credit, either by AP or by exemption exam, should consider taking C117 or honors S117 or C106/C126 at another IU campus before taking CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry I.

The C117 exemption exam is given once during the first week of classes in the fall and spring terms. This exam can be taken only once. It is a two hour exam and students may use a calculator.

The exam covers most of the topics found in a first semester general chemistry course, including states of matter, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, atomic structure and periodicity, molecular structure, intermolecular forces, solutions, descriptive chemistry, and laboratory work.

To be eligible to take this exam, students must have 1) completed two years of high school chemistry and 2) earned one of the following scores: 650 on the Chemistry ATP Achievement Test, 600 on the math SAT, or 27 on the math ACT.

For full-time students, a score of 64 - 72 out of 81 on this exam will earn 5 cr. of grade " S".

For full-time students, a score of 73 or higher out of 81 on this exam will earn 5 cr. of grade of "A".

Note: these eligibility criteria for taking the exam and score cutoffs for earning credit are subject to change. Contact the Undergraduate Office for the most up-to-date information.

C101/C121 Exemption Exam

C101/C121 is an Elementary Chemistry course for “non-science” majors. This exam can be taken only once. It is a one hour exam and students may use a calculator. The exam will include questions on the following subjects: nomenclature, structure of matter, gas laws, atomic structure, bonding, chemical calculations, solutions, and the properties of acids, bases, and salts.

To be eligible to take this exam, students must have completed one year of chemistry and at least one year of algebra in high school.

For full-time students, a score of 42-60 on this exam will earn 5 cr. of grade "S".

Note: these eligibility criteria for taking the exam and score cutoffs for earning credit are subject to change. Contact the Undergraduate Office for the most up-to-date information.

Earning Credit by AP Exam

For students who start at IU in Fall 2007,, a score of 5 on the Chemistry AP exam, will earn students 5 hours of credit for CHEM-C117. Students who earn credit by this exam are encouraged to take either CHEM-S117 (the honors version of C117) or our Organic Prep course before taking C341 Organic Chemistry. Note: this score cutoff for earning credit is subject to change. Contact the Undergraduate Office for the most up-to-date information.

International Baccalaureate Higher Level Chemistry Exam

It is possible to earn credit for S117 by this exam with a score of 5 or higher. Note: earning credit via this exam is subject to change. Contact the Undergraduate Office for the most up-to-date information.