General Chemistry Placement Exam

General Chemistry I at Messiah University is the first in a sequence of chemistry courses intended for science and engineering majors. The course has a prerequisite of high school chemistry. It relies heavily on that material and quickly moves to new content. This course also relies heavily on the tools of algebra and quantitative reasoning.

In order to better place students in courses they are prepared to succeed in, students will need to demonstrate they have the foundational skills in high school mathematics to continue in the course. In addition to the high school chemistry prerequisite, all students will be required to submit an SAT math score of at least 550, an ACT math score of at least 23, or earn a satisfactory score on a 20-question math assessment on the first day of class. This assessment is taken without a calculator and emphasizes a conceptual understanding of numbers, decimals, units, exponential notation, fractions, multiplication, square roots, some algebra, and balancing chemical equations.

Student scores on the assessment have been shown to correlate strongly to their chances of success in General Chemistry. Students not receiving an adequate score on the placement quiz will not be permitted to take General Chemistry I in that semester. In the fall semester, enrollment may be shifted into CHEM 101, Introductory College Chemistry. This course uses the same text and homework system as General Chemistry, but moves at a slower pace, with emphasis on the problem solving and the mathematical skills needed for success in chemistry. It does not include a lab. General Chemistry I is offered again in the spring semester so that students can continue directly on. If a student receives a C or better in CHEM 101, they will be allowed to continue to CHEM 105 regardless of their math readiness score. If a student decides not to take CHEM 101, they may attempt to place into General Chemistry I in a future semester using the math readiness assessment.

If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact Dr. Jesse Kleingardner, at jkleingardner@messiah.edu.