Placement Exams

AUTUMN 2023 PLACEMENT EXAMS

MATH EXAM (IN-PERSON)
Monday, September 11th
Math Exam will be split into multiple sessions. All students will be notified of their assigned time slot prior to the date of the exam. 

PROGRAMMING EXAM (IN-PERSON)
Tuesday, September 12th
Programming Exam will be split into multiple sessions. Full-time students will be assigned a time slot during the day. Part-time students and Joint MBA/MPCS students will automatically be assigned an evening time slot. All students will be notified of their assigned time slot prior to the date of the exam. 

Autumn Placement Exam Registration Form will open soon. 

Math Study Materials
Programming Study Materials

• The Programming Placement exam in September 2023 is an IN-PERSON exam.
• If you are planning on taking MPCS 50101 Concepts of Programming you do not need to take the programming placement exam. Please note: MPCS 50101 Concepts of Programming is a prerequisite class in the MPCS. This class will not count towards your degree requirement. It will be taken IN ADDITION to the required number of MPCS classes for your program of study.
• Please make sure to spend some time with the progrmaming exam study materials, specificicaly taking a practice exam in the testing environment.
• Placement exam results will be provided via email within several days of taking the exam.
• Exam results will let you know if you passed the exam and have received a waiver for MPCS 50101 Concepts of Programming.
• If you pass the exam, you can begin the MPCS with a Core Programming class. Your Core Programming options will depend on your score on the exam:
  • Fail: Concepts of Programming in Python
  • Low Pass: Python
  • Pass: Python or Java
  • High Pass: Python, C or Java
  • Advanced Pass: Python,  C, Java, Advanced Programming
  • Core Waiver: Can substitute Core Programming with other Core class

Please note that solving three problems will generally result in a Pass but the other levels are set on a year-by-year basis. 

• If you do not take the placement exam, you will need to enroll in MPCS 50101 Concepts of Programming. No exceptions will be made to this rule regardless of your background or coursework taken previously.
• If you are an alum of The College at the University of Chicago or a current University of Chicago undergraduate student, and have taken CMSC coursework as part of your undergraduate studies, please reach out to us at mpcs-admissions@lists.uchicago.edu to check on your eligibility for placement exam waivers. These are only given for CMSC coursework taken at the Univeristy of Chicago. 

• The Math Placement exam is an in-person exam. You must be on-campus to take the exam. 
• If you are planning to take MPCS 50103 Mathematics for Computer Science: Discrete Math you do not need to take the math exam.
• The Discrete Math placement exam can be taken only once.
• Exam results are emailed to you within a few days of taking the exam.
• Exam results will let you know if you received a PASS or a FAIL on the exam.
• A PASS will allow you to waive MPCS 50103 Discrete Math and take MPCS 50101 Algorithms.
• A FAIL means that you MUST take MPCS 50103 Discrete Math BEFORE you can enroll in MPCS 50101 Algorithms. 
• MPCS 50103 Discrete Math is a prerequisite class in the MPCS. It does not count for degree credit towards your MPCS program requirements.