Placement Exams
Completing your required placement exams is one of the most important tasks you need to do before enrolling in courses at Butler. These exams are intended to determine the proper course level for certain subjects, and help ensure you aren’t placed in a class that is too easy or too difficult. Scores are for placement purposes only. Your academic advisor will use the scores to help you choose appropriate courses that fit your academic plan.
How To Get Started
To see your required placement exams, reference your To Do List on My.Butler. Incoming first-year students will also receive email notification outlining their required tests.
You’ll complete your placement exams using Canvas, Butler’s learning management platform. Access to Canvas begins once your enrollment deposit has been processed.
Before you begin, ensure you have set aside plenty of time to complete any required exams in a distraction–free environment.
Use your Butler email address and password to login to Canvas. Once you are logged in, click on the course tile for Butler Placement Exams and choose the appropriate placement exam to begin. If you have forgotten your Butler credentials or are setting up your account for the first time, instructions for doing so are available here.
Please note:
- You have only one attempt to complete any of the placement exams. There are no “retries.”
- A timer is located within each testing environment. As soon as you click on “Take the Quiz,” the timer will start. Please note that the exams may take a few moments to load.
- There is no penalty for guessing.
- To complete each exam, click “Submit Quiz” at the bottom of the exam. If the timer runs out, the exam will be submitted automatically.
- If you are a student with a properly documented disability and eligible to receive an accommodation (i.e., extended time) for placement exams, do not proceed with exams until you have contacted Student Disability Services. Special accommodation arrangements can be made for online placement exams; however, advance notice is required. Please contact Student Disability Services at 317-940-9308 or sds@butler.edu.
First Year students: Please reference your “To Do List” on My.Butler, where required placement exams will be listed based on declared college and major. If you have received updated SAT or ACT scores that may eliminate the need for certain placement exams, please be sure to submit those scores to the Office of Admission as soon as possible.
Transfer students: You will be informed individually via email about any required placement exams during the transfer process and as transfer credits are evaluated. Therefore the “To Do List” will not list placement exams for transfer students.
Please complete all necessary placement exams as quickly as possible. Advising and enrollment cannot proceed until all required exams are completed.
Placement exams may be required for transfer students, depending on your course of study and transferred credits. You will be notified individually as to which placement exams you are required to complete.
Butler University placement exams may be required depending on your course of study and/or transferred credits. If your major or minor curriculum does not have a specific requirement (e.g., foreign language) but you have an interest in continuing study of a language, it is recommended that you take the placement exam.
For certain career interests, it may also be prudent to take additional exams which may not be required for your major. As an example, if you are considering a career in health sciences (e.g., medicine or dentistry) but are not majoring in the sciences, you should complete the chemistry placement exam.
In order to be eligible for an accommodation such as extended time on the placement exams, please contact Student Disability Services at 317-940-9308. Documentation of your disability must be received by Student Disability Services at least one week prior to completing the exams for accommodations to be made.
Placement results are not available to incoming students prior to course registration. Your academic advisor will have access to results and utilize them during course selection. You will work with an academic advisor in the department of your major to identify and register for appropriate semester courses.
Instructions on how to reset your password can be found here. If you still have difficulty, submit a case for Information Technology at ask.butler.edu or call the IT Help Desk at 317-940-4357 (HELP).
Be sure your speakers are turned on for the audio portions of language placement exams.
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