Placement Exam Information

To be successful in Chem I (CHEM 121), students need a working knowledge of high school chemistry and of math up through college algebra. In order to help ensure that students in Chem I have the necessary knowledge and skills, all students must take and pass the Chemistry Placement Exam, irrespective of any prior courses they have taken or degrees they have completed. Students that have registered in Chem I prior to taking the Chem Placement Exam will be removed from the class if they fail to pass the exam. While not a perfect predictor of success, experience has shown that a large proportion of students that fail the Chemistry Placement Exam are unable to complete Chem I successfully. Students that fail the Chemistry Placement Exam should take Preparatory Chemistry (CHEM 100) which has been developed specifically to prepare such students for Chem I. The Chem Placement Exam may be retaken after one school term has elapsed, although this is not recommended. Students will find that Preparatory Chemistry (CHEM 100) will prepare them for Chem I much more effectively than self study.

The Chemistry Placement Exam is a 30 question, multiple choice exam. Half the questions are basic math questions, half are basic high school chemistry questions. Topics covered are: Math: Problems involving fractions, decimal and exponential numbers, ratios, percentages, basic algebra, and slope of the graph of a straight line. Chemistry: Definitions of elements, compounds, mixtures, atoms, molecules, ions and bond types. Problems involving percentages, density, atomic structure, formulas, molecular weight, moles, and reaction stoichiometry. To pass the exam requires a minimum of twenty questions answered correctly.

The exam is given at the Testing Center (Newtown Campus - Rollins Center, Room 100, Lower Campus, Room 108, and Upper Campus, Room 105) at their scheduled testing times (For Testing Schedules visit http://www.bucks.edu/testing/assment_test.php or call 215-968-8460 for testing information). If you cannot take the exam at the Testing Center, call Dr. El Naggar at 215-968-8357 or Dr. Lee at 215-968-8364 to make other arrangements to take the exam. Please bring a pen or pencil to the exam. Your results will be available at the Science Office (215-968-8305), grading may take a few days. The result will be added to the other assessment test results in your BCCC file: a "1" in your Chem. Placement score indicates that you are able to register in Chem 1 (CHEM 121), while a "0" indicates that you may register for Preparatory Chemistry (CHEM 100).

It should not be necessary for students to prepare for the exam, nor is it recommended. It is not in the best long term interests of the student to try to "fool" the exam. However, for those who do wish to review their chemistry in preparation for the Chemistry Placement Test, a useful book is A Basic Math Approach to Concepts of Chemistry by Leo Michels, 6th Edition (or current edition),Thompson Publishing, 1996, which is available for purchase in the BCCC Bookstore. The following sections of the book are most directly applicable to the Chemistry Placement Exam, but do not necessarily cover all the math questions.

  • Unit 1, All: Whole Numbers and Decimals
  • Unit 2, All: Signed Numbers
  • Unit 3, Parts 1-3: Powers of Ten
  • Unit 4, Part 4: Dimensional Analysis
  • Unit 5, Parts 1-6: The Metric System and Density
  • Unit 6, All: The Division and Properties of Matter
  • Unit 7, Parts 1, 2, 5: Subatomic Particles & Ion Formation
  • Unit 8, Part 3: The Formula of a Compound
  • Unit 9, Parts 1-3: Naming Binary and Ternary Compounds
  • Unit 10, Parts 1 & 2: Balancing Equations by Inspection
  • Unit 11, Parts 1, 3, 4, 5, & 6: Weight Relations in Chemistry
  • Unit 12, Parts 1, & 2: Mole/mole & More Complicated Stoichiometry Calculations
  • Unit 13 Parts 1, 2 & 3 (Problems 1-26): Concentrations of Solutions