As of Summer 2026, USC Math Placement Exams will be housed in semester-specific Brightspace courses. An updated Brightspace course will be created for each Fall and Spring semester. Students should complete their placement exam at least 10 business days before they plan to enroll in a mathematics course.

Register for the Fall 2026 Math Placement Exam

USC students can also log into their Brightspace homepage, click Tools, and select Discover. There they can search for the most current Math Placement Brightspace page.

  • The new USC Placement Exam consists of three separate assessments that test different elements of Precalculus:

    A description of the three Placement Exam Assessments: Algebra (30 questions, 120 minutes), Exponential/Logarithmic Functions (10 questions, 60 minutes), and Trigonometry (10 questions, 60 minutes).

    These assessments are taken independently, but each must be completed in a single sitting. Students may not save their work and return to an assessment later.

    At minimum, all students needing placement should take the College Algebra assessment.  Students wishing to place into Calculus should take one or both of the other assessments, as indicated in the Scoring & Placement tab below.

     

  • Students should read their major requirements and consult with their academic advisor to determine which assessments to take.  Most STEM majors should complete all three assessments, while most Business majors should complete the Algebra and Exponential/Logarithms assessments:

    To place into Math 108, 114, or 117, students must score greater than 10 on the Algebra assessment. To place into Math 118, students must score greater than 20 on the Algebra assessment and greater than 6 on the Exponential/Logarithms assessment. To place into Math 125, students must score greater than 20 on the Algebra assessment, greater than 6 on the Exponential/Logarithms assessment, and greater than 6 on the Trigonometry assessment.

    Students can see all of their scores and a list of courses they’ve placed into, by logging into Brightspace, clicking My Grades in the banner, then Grades.  Prerequisite waivers will be automatically granted within 10 business days of each assessment completion.

    Students wishing to enroll in a lower course than they placed into should consult with their academic advisor to review their course plan and request a manual prerequisite waiver.

    For more general information about Math placement and registration, including placement into higher courses via AP or other standardized testing, please see the Math department’s Registration FAQ page.

  • Students should reserve enough time to take each assessment in a single sitting, using a computer or tablet with a reliable internet connection. Smartphones are not recommended.

    Students are encouraged to review previously-learned Precalculus concepts and exercises in preparation for the Math Placement Exam, as well as the topic lists for our lower-division mathematics courses. However, we do not recommend trying to learn new concepts. A few days of self-study cannot substitute for a full course of mathematics and students risk placing themselves into a course for which they are not adequately prepared.

    Likewise, while handheld scientific calculators are acceptable for any of the assessments students should not use the internet, AI tools, or assistance from other people during the Placement Exam.

  • Students may attempt each assessment once per semester, by self-enrolling in the latest Math Placement course in Brightspace.

    When retaking, students must retake all of the assessments necessary for their desired placement.  Old scores do not transfer from semester to semester.

    To request that an assessment score be reset in the current semester because of some technical or logistical issue, students should email placement@usc.edu for assistance.  Once reset, the old score will persist in the Brightspace gradebook until the assessment is reattempted, and then it will be overwritten by the new score.

  • A student with OSAS accommodations for extra time should contact their OSAS advisor, who will forward the necessary information to our Placement office.