Biology
IU Northwest no longer requires placement testing for Biology.
Chemistry
There are two introductory chemistry courses offered IU Northwest, CHEM C103 (Introduction to Chemical Principles) and CHEM C105 (Principles of Chemistry). While C103 is a class that stands on its own, it is a great skill-building experience that has shown success in preparing students for C105.
For many students, C105 is a required course for their major program. In order to take C105, a student must fulfill one of three criteria: earn a C or better in CHEM C103 and have MATH M117 completed (or take concurrently with CHEM C103) OR score a minumum of 20 on the Chemistry Placement Exam (CPE) OR complete an online preparatory module (ALEKS).
The Chemistry Placement Exam is a timed (1 hour 15 minutes), 30 question online test that tests knowledge of high school chemistry topics. By scoring a 20 or higher, students can enroll directly into CHEM C105. Scoring an 19 or lower will require students to either take CHEM C103 or the ALEKS prep course.
