In addition to taking coursework at UC Merced or another institution, students can take UC Merced's placement exams (new students only) or use test scores taken outside of UC Merced (ACT, SAT, AP, IB) to determine your level of readiness in writing, math, chemistry, computer science, and other courses.
In the charts below, there are three types of tests.
- Advanced Placement (AP) Tests
- Self-Reported Advanced Placement (SP) Tests. These will begin with the word "Self" in the Description column under Testing within the portal.
- UC Merced Placement Exams. Placement tests taken at UC Merced are for internal purposes only and are not transferable to other institutions
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Tests are not included below. You can learn more about IB Test scores in the catalog under Undergraduate Admissions.
It is important to note that the charts below show Course Placement not course credit or equivalency. Course placement refers to the course you are eligible to take.
You can view the test scores UC Merced has on record for you within Connect. Log into Connect and select My Student Record. From there, choose Student Profile then Testing.
Example:
With this information, using the charts below or the Class Schedule, you can learn which course you placed into. Using the above as an example, if you earned a score of 3 on the Writing Readiness Review you would register for WRI 001.
Jump to the following:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Chinese
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Environmental Systems Science
- French
- History
- Japanese
- Math
- Physics
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Spanish
- Statistics
- Writing
Biology Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
|
AP Biology |
APBI SPBI |
3 or lower 4 or higher |
BIO 005 Higher level course required for major |
Chemistry Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
|
UC Merced Combined Math and Chemistry Placement Exam |
WPEX |
42 or lower 43 or higher 48 or higher |
CHEM 001 CHEM 002 CHEM 002H* or CHEM 002 |
|
AP Chemistry |
APCH or SPCH |
2 or lower 3 4 5 |
CHEM 001 CHEM 002 CHEM 002H* or CHEM 002 CHEM 008 |
*With faculty approval
Chinese Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
|
UC Merced Chinese Placement Exam |
CHEX |
265 or lower 266-330 331-411 412 or higher |
CHN 001 CHN 002 CHN 003 CHN 004 |
|
AP Language Other Than English: Chinese Language and Culture |
APCI or SPCI |
1 2 3 4 5 |
CHN 001 CHN 002 CHN 003 CHN 004 Higher level course required for major |
Computer Science Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
|
UC Merced Computer Science and Engineering Placement Exam |
IPEX |
3 or lower 4 or higher |
CSE 005 CSE 022 (gives CSE 005 exemption for MBE majors) |
| AP Computer Science: Comp Science A | APCA or SPCA |
2 or lower 3 or 4 5 |
CSE 005 CSE 022 Higher level course required for major |
Economics Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
|
AP Economics: Macroeconomics and AP Economics: Microeconomics |
(APMR or SPMR) and (APMI or SPMI) |
3 or lower 4 or higher |
ECON 001 Higher level course required for major |
Environmental Systems Science Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
| AP Environmental Sciences | APES or SPES |
3 or lower 4 or higher |
ESS 001 Higher level course required for major |
French Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
|
UC Merced French Placement Exam |
FPEX |
265 or lower 266-330 331-411 412 or higher |
FRE 001 FRE 002 FRE 003 FRE 004 |
|
AP Language Other Than English: French Language and Culture |
APFR or SPFR |
1 2 3 4 5 |
FRE 001 FRE 002 FRE 003 FRE 004 Higher level course required for major |
History Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
| AP History: European History | APEH or SPEH |
3 or lower 4 or higher |
HIST 031 Higher level course required for major |
| AP History: US History | APAH or SPAH |
3 or lower 4 or higher |
HIST 016 or HIST 017 Higher level course required for major |
| AP History: World History: Modern | APWH or SPWH |
3 or lower 4 or higher |
HIST 010 or HIST 011 Higher level course required for major |
Japanese Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
|
UC Merced Japanese Placement Exam |
JPEX |
265 or lower 266-330 331-411 412 or higher |
JPN 001 JPN 002 JPN 003 JPN 004 |
|
AP Language Other Than English: Japanese Language and Culture |
APJL or SPJL |
1 2 3 4 5 |
JPN 001 JPN 002 JPN 003 JPN 004 Higher level course required for major |
Math Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
|
UC Merced Calculus Placement Exam |
APEX |
22 or lower 23 or higher |
MATH 005 or MATH 008 MATH 011 or MATH 021 or MATH 008* |
| AP Mathematics: Calculus AB | APMA or SPMA |
2 or lower 3 4 or higher |
MATH 005 MATH 011 or MATH 021* MATH 012 or MATH 022* |
| AP Mathematics: Calculus BC | APMB or SPMB |
2 or lower 3 4 or higher |
MATH 005 MATH 012 or MATH 022* Higher level course required for major |
| AP Mathematics: Calculus BC Subscore AB | APMG or SPMG |
2 or lower 3 or higher |
MATH 005 MATH 012 or MATH 022* |
*Dependent on major
Physics Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
| AP Physics: Physics C: Mechanics | APPM or SPPM |
4 or lower 5 |
PHYS 008 and 008L or PHYS 018 and PHYS 018L* Higher level course required for major |
*Dependent on major
Political Science Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
|
AP Government and Politics: United States |
APGU or SPGU |
3 or lower 4 or higher |
POLI 001 Higher level course required for major |
|
AP Government and Politics: Comparative |
APGP or SPGP |
3 or lower 4 or higher |
POLI 003 Higher level course required for major |
Psychology Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
| AP Psychology | APPS or SPPS |
3 or lower 4 or higher |
PSY 001 Higher level course required for major |
Spanish Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
|
UC Merced Spanish Placement Exam |
SPEX |
265 or lower 266-330 331-411 412 or higher |
SPAN 001 SPAN 002 SPAN 003 SPAN 004 |
|
AP Language Other Than English: Spanish Language and Culture |
APSL or SPSL |
1 2 3 4 5 |
SPAN 001 SPAN 002 SPAN 003 SPAN 004 Higher level course required for major |
Statistics Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
| AP Statistics | APST or SPST |
3 or lower 4 5 |
BIO 018, MATH 018, or PSY 010* ECON 010, POLI 010, or SOC 010* Higher level course required for major |
*Dependent on major and additional course prerequisites. For instance, enrollment in PSY 010 requires PSY 001 and MATH 005 (or equivalent) as prerequisites.
Writing Placement
| Description | Exam Code | Score | Course Placement |
|
UC Merced Writing Readiness Review Exam |
WRR |
1 or 3 2 4 or higher |
WRI 001 Consultation pending WRI 010 |
| ACT English | A07 |
29 or lower 30 or higher |
WRI 001 WRI 010 |
| ACT Combined Reading + English | A49 |
62 or lower 63 or higher |
WRI 001 WRI 010 |
| SAT (2016) Reading and Writing | S6RW |
679 or lower 680 or higher |
WRI 001 WRI 010 |
| AP English: Language/Composition | APEL or SPEL |
2 or lower 3 4 or higher |
WRI 001 WRI 010 Higher level course required for major |
| AP English: Literature/Composition | APEN or SPEN |
2 or lower 3 or higher |
WRI 001 WRI 010 |
