First Year Foundations

All students are evaluated for readiness in college level Mathematics and Reading Comprehension as part of their entry process. This is done in two steps: 

• First - If students have submitted SAT/ACT/AP or Accuplacer test scores or college level course credits - we will use these to determine if a student can be exempted from one or both placement exams.
• The criteria for exemption through SAT/ACT test scores are:
  • Reading & Writing SAT score of 570 or above or an ACT English subtest plus Reading subtest score of 45 or above will exempt a student from a Reading placement exam
  • Mathematics SAT score of 570 or above or an ACT Mathematics subtest score of 25 or above will exempt a student from a Mathematics placement exam
• The criteria for exemption through AP (Advanced Placement) test scores (not courses) are:
  • Mathematics: Various test scores. Please email the Office of Testing with the score report for review.
  • Reading: Various test scores. Please email the Office of Testing with the score report for review.
• The criteria for exemption through Accuplacer test scores are:
  • Mathematics: Next-Generation QAS (Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra and Statistics) score of 275 or above OR
  • Mathematics: Next-Generation AAF (Advanced Algebra and Functions) score of 250 or above will exempt a student from the Reading Mathematics exam
  • Reading: Next-Generation Reading Comprehension score of 250 or above will exempt a student from the Reading placement exam
• The criteria for exemption through College course credits are:
  • Earned college course credits with a grade of C or better in a Reading intensive course(s) such as Literature, Philosophy, History, Psychology or completion of a developmental reading course sequence (showing approval to take college level courses) will exempt a student from the Reading placement exam.
  • Earned college course credits with a grade of C or better in Mathematics or completion of a developmental mathematics sequence (showing approval to take college level courses) will exempt a student from the Mathematics placement exam. 

• Second - students who are not exempted from placement testing must complete a placement exam process for the subjects they are not exempted from (Reading and/or Mathematics). Students may choose one of three options to complete their placement exam process . Students may choose a different option for math and reading.
• Opt into Summer FYF Program:
  • Students who feel they need to develop their college level Math and /or Reading skills may opt into the Summer FYF program without completing a placement exam in that area(s).
  • Students who choose this option would need to successfully pass an exit exam as part of their program to move to college level work in that area.
  • This is a good option for students who know they need some early development in math and/or reading comprehension and a placement exam will be an unhelpful and stressful experience
• Take a Remote Placement Exam:
  
  • Students who want to use an exam to demonstrate college level skill in math and/or reading may opt to take a remote placement exam through Blackboard.
  • This exam will be proctored through Respondus and requires reliable internet access, a computer (PC or Mac) - NO SMARTPHONES, Google Chrome, audio and webcam to complete the exam.
  • This is a good option for students who feel they can successfully test out of developmental programs in math/reading and have the required technology at home.
• Take an In-person Placement Exam:
  
  • Students who want to use an exam to demonstrate college level skill in math and/or reading may opt to take an in-person placement exam on our main campus.
  • This is a good option for students who feel they can successfully test out of developmental programs in math/reading.

• If you have qualifying SAT/ACT/AP test scores you can submit score reports to Testcenter@wpunj.edu
• For College credits an unofficial college transcript showing the final grade can also be submitted to Testcenter@wpunj.edu 
• To register for your placement options use this link: https://wpconnect.wpunj.edu/otbs/OnlineFYPTreg.cfm
• The Math exam contains 20 multiple choice questions, the Reading Comprehension contains 30 multiple choice questions.

If you have any questions, concerns or require assistance in scheduling your First Year Foundations Placement Test appointment, you may contact the Office of Testing.  The telephone number is 973-720-3095 or email Testcenter@wpunj.edu 

There is practice material available: 

• Visit EdReady by clicking here:  https://wpu.edready.org/home.  Create a free account and use the following code: wpu_practice18 to access Math practice exams OR wpu_readingpractice to access Reading practice exams.
• The practice material above is NOT a simulation of the actual exams. The actual Math exam contains 20 multiple choice questions, the Reading Comprehension contains 30 multiple choice questions.

For more information on the First Year Foundations Program, please visit the First Year Foundations Website.