Placement Exams

Placement in math and writing courses at Missouri Western is determined by ACT/SAT subscores. Depending on your scores, you may be required to take development courses before completing your general education requirements in these areas.

If you have not taken the ACT/SAT or if you are unsatisfied with your ACT/SAT score placement, we encourage you to consider any of the placement tests listed below. Taking these exams could save you time and money as you complete your degree, because they often allow students to test into higher-level courses. Missouri Western placement exams are free and available online. See below for the details of each placement exam.

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The Mathematics Placement Exam

The Mathematics Placement Exam (MPE) was created by Missouri Western faculty using institutional data to more accurately place students into courses where they will have a higher chance of success. Students are initially placed into a mathematics class using their ACT/SAT Math subscore. Students wishing to challenge that initial placement may take the MPE.

There are two versions of the MPE. The first is a 50-minute unproctored exam that may be taken/retaken once per week. The highest score will credited to the student record. Note that a score of 70 or more will appear on the student record as a score of 69. You do not need an appointment and may take the unproctored Mathematics Placement Exam at any time and from any location.

The second version of the MPE is a proctored exam. You must earn a score of 70 or more on the unproctored exam before requesting an appointment to take the proctored exam. If you take the proctored exam and obtaining a score of 70 or more, you will not have to take the “E” lab which accompanies MAT 110 or MAT 111, and you may enroll in MAT 110 (Contemporary Problem Solving), MAT 111 (Introductory Statistics), MAT112 (Finite Mathematics) or MAT116 (College Algebra).

Both versions of the mathematics placement exam are located at placement.missouriwestern.edu. The user name and password to access the exams are your G# along with the mmdd of your date of birth. For example:
username: G00123456
password: 0428

Students will receive their score within 10 minutes of the end of each exam in their school email. When you receive a placement score that grants you access to enroll in a course, your registration restrictions will be removed by 8 p.m. that night. This will be expedited during registration days to allow visiting students to register before returning home.

Prior to taking the MPE, students are encouraged to review the topics assessed by the MPE by visiting placement.missouriwestern.edu. Available resources include video tutorials, downloadable worksheets, sample online problems identical to the problems appearing on the MPE, as well as a sample exam.

Learn More and Register for the Math Placement Exam

Refer to the chart below for the necessary ACT/SAT Math subscore OR MPE scores needed to place into Missouri Western general studies mathematics courses.

The Writing Placement Exam

The Writing Placement Exam (WPE) is administered and scored by the Department of Communication. The test consists of one essay written on the assigned topic during a 60-minute period. You will be asked to read a brief article and then write a text-based response, in academic essay format, to that article. The WPE can be taken only once, and it is for the students who have not yet been enrolled in/attempted an English composition course. The WPE  will be administered using Canvas, MWSU’s Learning Management System. Once students who qualify to take the exam have obtained a MWSU email, they will receive an invitation at that email address to take the WPE through Canvas. Students who qualify will be invited to take the exam starting May 2nd, when the exam opens, or within one week after registering for their orientation session. In Canvas, students will find the instructions for the exam, the text on which they will base their response, and the deadline date and time, prior to their registered GO, for the exam.

.If your English ACT is below 18, but you believe you have strong critical thinking, reading and writing skills, then you should consider taking the WPE. Also, if you do not have an ACT score then you should consider taking the WPE. If not, you will be placed in ENG 100.

Placement in ENG 100 Introduction to College Writing: If your score is below our cut-off, you will enroll in ENG 100 Introduction to College Writing. This is a three-credit, college level course which counts toward graduation in all two-year and four-year programs. It prepares students to succeed in ENG 104 and ENG 108 as well as many other classes that require academic writing. In this course, students will refine their writing process, engage in critical reading, thinking and writing and be required to write both personal and text-based essays.

Placement in ENG 104 College Writing and Rhetoric: If your score is above our cut-off, you will enroll in ENG 104 College Writing and Rhetoric. ENG 104 counts toward graduation, fulfilling the General Studies composition requirement for a two-year degree. For a four-year degree, you will also need to take ENG 108 College Writing and Research.

Learn More about Dates and Guidelines for the Writing Placement Exam

Refer to the chart below for the necessary ACT English OR WPE scores needed to place into Missouri Western composition courses.