Students may enroll in Chemistry 101 if they have passed the Chemistry Placement Test (CPT) with a score of 40 or more OR Completed Chemistry 100 at CSUN with a grade of 'C' or better. (Note: A grade of 'C-' in Chemistry 100 is not considered passing) The CPT is a 60-point, three part test. PART I (20 points) covers elementary algebra including exponential notation.
Chemistry Placement Test Review
PART II (20 points) deals with general chemical knowledge while PART III (20 points) deals with specific chemical knowledge. You must register online for the Chemistry Placement Test at least one week prior to the test date. See to find current test dates, test fee and information on how to register for the test. The website also provides information on the type of payment that is accepted, identification required, other regulations that must be followed for the test, and how to obtain your scores. A student may test only once in a 6 month period. If you have not completed a high school chemistry course or have completed such a course more than two years ago, you should NOT take the CPT.
Instead, you should enroll in Chemistry 100 (Introductory Chemistry) to prepare for Chemistry 101. Completion of Chemistry 100 at CSUN with a grade of 'C' or better will automatically qualify you for the admission to Chemistry 101. You should be aware that approximately one-half of the students who pass the CPT with a score in the low 40's, fail to earn a grade of 'C' or greater in Chemistry 101. If you feel the need to prepare for the CPT, we recommend that you review standard elementary algebra and high school level chemistry texts. These texts are usually available at most public libraries. These include Schaum's Outline Series editions of Elementary Algebra by Barnet Rich and Chemistry Foundations by David Golberg.
