Biology
IU Northwest offers two introductory Biology courses. For some students, BIO L101 is required for their major program.
Biology placement is determined through evaluation of the materials you provided to the University upon application. Once your material has been reviewed, you will find your Biology placement through ONE.IU in your Student Center. If you feel that your placement is not reflective of your current skill level, we encourage you to sign up for an in-person Biology placement test. Your academic advisor will discuss your placement level with you at your advising appointment.
The Biology Placement Exam consists of 20 general knowledge multiple choice questions. The test questions are made up of high school level biology topics. By scoring a 15 or higher, a student can enroll directly into BIO L-101. If a student scores 14 or lower, they must enroll in BIO L-100 before taking L-101.
To schedule a Biology Placement Exam, please contact the Biology Department Secretary at (219) 980-6724.
Chemistry
There are two introductory chemistry courses offered IU Northwest, CHEM C101 (Elementary Chemistry) and CHEM C105 (Principles of Chemistry). While C101 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 C101 OR score higher than an 8 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 an 8 or higher, students can enroll directly into CHEM C105. Scoring a 7 or lower will require students to either take CHEM C101 or the ALEKS prep course.
