Fundamental Skills Assessment / Orientation Course Placement
Entering students are placed into academic skill building courses based on information supplied at admission (such as SAT and/or ACT scores, and/or approved transfer courses).
University of the Pacific students are required to demonstrate competency in the areas of reading, writing, and quantitative analysis (math).
MATH INFORMATION:
To satisfy the University’s quantitative analysis (math) fundamental skills requirement, a student must score 540 or above on the Mathematics Level 1 SAT Subject Test, 520 or above on the Mathematics Level 2 SAT Subject Test, pass Pacific’s Intermediate Algebra placement test (COMPASS or paper test), successfully complete MATH 005 (Intermediate College Algebra), MATH 035 (Elementary Statistical Inference), or PSYC 103 (Statistical Inference in Behavioral Sciences) with a C- or higher (or an equivalent course from another college or university with a grade of C or better) during his/her first full year of study including summer sessions.
VIEW MATH PLACEMENT CHARTS
Sample Pacific math exams:
Prealgebra Elementary Algebra Intermediate Algebra Precalculus Calculus
Answers to sample math exams: Prealgebra Elementary Algebra Intermediate Algebra Precalculus Calculus
View additional information about which math test you should take.
WRITING INFORMATION:
To satisfy the University’s writing fundamental skills requirement, a student must score 510 or above on the SAT Writing test, score 22 or above on the ACT combined English/Writing test, pass Pacific’s Writing Diagnostic Exam (Transfer students only), complete PACS 093, complete both WRIT 093X (Academic Reading & Writing I) and WRIT 093Y (Academic Reading & Writing II), or complete WRIT 093Z (Accelerated Academic Reading & Writing) with a grade of C- or higher (or an equivalent course from another college or university with a grade of C or higher) during his/her first full year of study including summer sessions.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) INFORMATION:
Students who are not native English speakers are expected to demonstrate evidence of proficiency in the English language. Such proficiency may be demonstrated through the academic record itself, by means of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or by means of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The University reserves the right to administer its own English Language test to new students and to adjust a student's academic program on the basis of test results.
For more information about fundamental skills tests and courses, please contact ERC@pacific.edu or call (209) 946-2458.
Students with documented disabilities may contact Mr. Daniel Nuss at (209) 946-2879, www.pacific.edu/disabilities, or ssd@pacific.edu for further assistance.