Student Affairs

Diagnostic Testing

Placement Testing Requirements

Placement Testing is required for all new students at Delaware Valley College as a measure of support for students in preparing them for a successful college experience by placing them into courses and programs that match their skill level. Therefore, Delaware Valley College tests incoming students in Mathematics in much the same way as many other college or university.

It is strongly recommended that students who are required to take two or more of the developmental courses (English Essentials, Fundamentals of Algebra, College Reading) enroll in one or more of these courses prior to coming to Delaware Valley College, with prior approval from the Delaware Valley College Registrar’s office. Failure to obtain approval for the DelVal Registrar may result in these courses not being permitted to transfer. 

Mathematics Placement Testing

All students who are new to the College are required to take one or more mathematics placement tests prior to registering for their first mathematics course. Some exceptions are as follows:

  • Students who have received advanced placement (AP) credit for MP 1204 Calculus I
  • Students who score a 400 or below on the SATs do not need to be tested as they will automatically be placed in Fundamentals of Algebra.  They may opt to take the placement test if they choose to. 
  • Students who have received transfer credit for a mathematics course taken at another institution and approved by the Mathematics and Physics Department as equivalent to MP0010, MP1102, MP 1203, MP 1204, or MP 1205

The placement tests, which are administered during orientation programs at the College, are designed to assess the student’s preparedness for college-level mathematics courses offered by the Mathematics and Physics Department. The number of tests required depends on the mathematics course in which the student hopes to begin his/her study. Based on the results of the tests taken, the Mathematics and Physics Department recommends a course for the student. The student may, for the purpose of review, choose to begin in a course at a subject level lower than that recommended by the Mathematics and Physics Department (for example, a student who is recommended for MP 1204 Calculus I may choose to enroll in MP 1203 Elementary Functions, which is a prerequisite course for MP 1204 Calculus I); however, because the goal of the placement testing process is to maximize the opportunity for success, the student may not register for a course at a subject level higher than the Mathematics and Physics Department’s recommendation.