Any student who wishes to register for a math course at Western must first take the MPT. (See exceptions listed below.)

Students generally take Mathematics courses at Western for one of the following reasons:

• Each undergraduate at Western must satisfy the Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning (QSR) part of the General University Requirements (GUR). The QSR requirement is generally satisfied by taking one or more math courses at Western or the approved equivalents from an accredited community college or baccalaureate institution. Students transferring with a Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degree from a Washington state community college have generally already satisfied the QSR requirement, but may need more advanced math coursework for their academic program at Western.
• Many academic programs, such as business, computer science, education, engineering technology, social sciences, natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics), and pre-professional programs (pre-med, pre-dentistry, pre-pharmacy, etc.) require additional math course work beyond the QSR requirement. Students interested in these academic programs should begin their math course work in their first quarter at Western so as not to delay progress in their major.

Since most new freshmen register at Summerstart in August and most new transfer students register at Transitions in July, students are encouraged to take the MPT during the Statewide Testing Program held from May 1st to June 27th, 2009. This option costs less, provides a wider array of testing locations, will allow you to register for classes at the earliest possible time, and allows advisors to place you in classes appropriate for your level of math preparation and goals.

For test dates and testing locations in Washington; Boise, Idaho; and Anchorage, Alaska, see the APTP MPT Statewide Testing Program website. If you are unable to take the test through the Statewide Testing Program, the MPT is also offered during Summerstart and Transitions orientation and advising programs, and in Western’s testing center each quarter.

There are two levels of the Math Placement Test, Intermediate and Advanced.

You should take the Advanced test only if you aim to take calculus as your first math course at Western and you have completed high school math through math analysis or pre-calculus, or completed pre-calculus in college with at least a “B” (3.0) grade.

All other students should take the Intermediate test.

Students who are uncertain about which test to take are welcome to call Western’s Mathematics Department at (360) 650-3785 for advice.

Students who meet one of the criteria below do not need to take the MPT:

• The MPT is waived for students who scored three or higher on ETS' Advanced Placement Calculus Exam^* (AB or BC), with the following exception: To qualify for WWU Honors Mathematics classes, students need to pass the Advanced Form of the MPT.
• The MPT may be waived by a Math Department advisor for students who have college credit for a calculus course equivalent to Math 124 (Calculus and Analytical Geometry). Note: High school calculus courses are not considered equivalent to Math 124.
• Students who earned a “C” or better in a college Intermediate Algebra course may register for Math 101 (Functions and Algebraic Methods for K-8 Teachers) with instructor permission, Math 107 (Mathematical Reasoning and its Applications), or Math 112 (Functions and Algebraic Methods) without taking the placement test.^**
• Students who receive a score of at least 480 on the SAT (Math) or 18 on the ACT (Math) may register for Math 101 (Functions and Algebraic Methods for K-8 Teachers), Math 107 (Mathematical Reasoning and its Applications), or Math 112 (Functions and Algebraic Methods) without taking the placement test. ^**
• Students who plan to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Education – Elementary or Special Education Endorsement and have earned a C or better in a college Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra, or Pre-Calculus course within the last five years may, after admission to Western’s Elementary or Special Education programs, register for Math 381 (Teaching K-8 - designed for Elementary and Special Education students only) without taking the placement test.
• The Math Placement Test is not required for entrance into either Math 99 (Review Algebra – no degree credit) or Math 106 (Quantitative Reasoning).

^*Re AP Calculus Exam: An official score report must be sent to Western from the College Board.

^** Please note the Math Placement Test is required in order to place into any higher level math course.

Students who have completed an approved Washington Community College Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degree do not generally enroll in additional math courses at Western unless required by their academic major/minor. If you are unsure whether or not your intended academic program requires math, familiarize yourself with the degree requirements by reviewing the appropriate Major Guide.

You are encouraged to review your mathematical skills prior to the test, since such review will help you be successful at Western and the resulting score will determine your math placement. Detailed information about the Math Placement Test, including sample test questions, is available on Western’s website at http://www.wwu.edu/depts/assess/tc/mathplace.htm. Taking the test early, while your skills are current, is recommended, particularly if you plan to take math during your first quarter at Western.

The six options that satisfy the requirement are listed below. You will receive more detailed information about the QSR (Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning) requirement during orientation.

1. Complete Math 107 (Mathematical Reasoning and its Applications) AND one course from the following:
   • Anthropology 335 (Quantitative Methods in Anthropology)
   • Computer Science 103 (Intro to Computer Game Development)
   • Computer Science 172 (Intro to Robotics)
   • Math 112 (Functions and Algebraic Methods)
   • Philosophy 102 (Introduction to Logic)
   • Sociology 215 (Social Statistics)
2. Complete Math 112 (Functions and Algebraic Methods) AND one course from the following:
   • Anthropology 335 (Quantitative Methods in Anthropology)
   • Computer Science 103 (Intro to Computer Game Development)
   • Computer Science 172 (Intro to Robotics)
   • Math 107 (Mathematical Reasoning and its Applications)
   • Philosophy 102 (Introduction to Logic)
   • Sociology 215 (Social Statistics)
3. One transfer course with an MPAR attribute AND one course from the following:
   • Math 112 (Functions and Algebraic Methods)
   • Philosophy 102 (Introduction to Logic)
4. One course from:
   • Math 114 (Precalculus I)
   • Math 115 (Precalculus II)
   • Math 118 (Accelerated Precalculus)
   • Math 124 (Calculus and Analytic Geometry I)
   • Math 134 (Honors Calculus I)
   • Math 156 (Algebra with Applications to Business and Economics)
   • Math 157 (Calculus with Applications to Business and Economics)
   • Math 240 (Introduction to Statistics)
   • Computer Science 138 (Programming Fundamentals in Visual Basic)
   • Computer Science 139 (Programming Fundamentals in Python)
   • Computer Science 140 (Programming Fundamentals in C++)
   • Computer Science 141 (Computer Programming I)
   • Computer Science 145 (Computer Programming and Linear Data Structure)
5. One transfer course with an MSAT attribute.
   • For a list of such courses, review Western’s Transfer Course Equivalency Guide. Students with transfer credit will also receive an individualized Transfer Equivalency Report prior to course registration.
6. Bachelor of Arts in Education – Elementary Education students only:
   • Complete Math 381 (Teaching K-8 Mathematics I) and Math 382 (Teaching K-8 Mathematics II)