ADVANCED UNIVERSITY PLACEMENT (AUP) Department

Placement Tests

English:

There will be three English placement exams.  The first exam will be a TOEFL-type reading comprehension exam (multiple choice questions) – 2 reading texts with about 20 questions. This part will take about 20 minutes.

For example
Read the following passage:

Line (5)

The railroad was not the first institution to impose regularity on society, or to draw attention to the importance of precise timekeeping.  For as long as merchants have set out their wares at daybreak and communal festivities have been celebrated, people have been in rough agreement with their neighbors as to the time of day.  The value of this tradition is today more apparent than ever.  Were it not for public acceptance of a single yardstick of time, social life would be unbearably chaotic: the massive daily transfer of goods, services, and information would proceed in fits and starts; the very fabric of modern society would begin to unravel.

Example I

Sample Answer
A B C D

What is the main idea of the passage?
     A    In modern society we must make more time for our neighbors.
     B    The traditions of society are timeless.
     C    An accepted way of measuring time is essential for the smooth functioning of society.
     D    Society judges people by the times at which they conduct certain activities.

The main idea of the passage is that societies need to agree about how time is to be measured in order to function smoothly.  Therefore, you should choose C.

Example II

Sample Answer
  A B C D

In line 5, the phrase “this tradition” refers to
     A   the practice of starting the business day at dawn
     B   friendly relations between neighbors
     C   the railroad’s reliance on time schedules
     D   people’s agreement on the measurement of time

The phrase “this tradition” refers to the preceding clause, “people have been in rough agreement with their neighbors as to the time of day.”  Therefore, you should choose D.

 

The second exam will be based on the Vocabulary Levels Diagnostic Test (multiple choice questions) – a matching task with 30 questions.  This part will take 10 minutes.
For example:
Directions: This is a vocabulary test. You must choose the right word to go with each meaning. Write the number of that word next to its meaning.
Here is an example.

1  business 2  clock 3  horse 4  pencil 5  shoe 6  wall

______ part of a house ______ animal with four legs ______ something used for writing

You should answer in the following way.

1 business 2 clock 3 horse 4 pencil 5 shoe 6 wall

___6___ part of a house ___3___ animal with four legs ___4___ something used for writing

Some words are in the test to make it more difficult. You do not have to find a meaning for these words. In the example above, the words that you do not have to find the meaning for are business, clock and shoe.

If you do not know the answer, do not guess. Give answers only for those words that you know.

 

The third exam will be writing.  The time allowed is 15 minutes.  Students will be asked to write one paragraph answering a question on a general topic.  For example, you might find a question like:
Q: ‘What is the best way to learn English?’

There are three entry-level classes in AUP English.  The results of these three tests will help us place you in the one which is best for you.  In total, the three English exams are expected to take about one hour to finish.
Please Note:  If you already have a TOEFL of 500+ (or an overall IELTS Academic score of 5.5+), you will not need to sit the English placement exams.

 

Maths:

The AUP Placement exam seeks to assess at what level a student is prepared for Calculus courses within the Mathematics Department of AUP.

There are two sections each containing eight multiple choice style questions. Section I contains Pre-Calculus type and section II contains Calculus type questions.

For example, you might find questions like:

• Pre-Calculus :

Q: The solution set of the equation  is

1. {-3,4}
2. {2,-6}
3. {-2,6}
4. {3, -4}
5. {-2,-6}

• Calculus:

Q:   is equal to

1. 
   
   
2. 
   
   
3. 
   
   
4. 
   
   
5. 

The time allowed for the exam is 60 minutes. All questions are weighted equally. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers. Use of a calculator is not allowed.

Science:

• Chemistry:

The purpose of the placement exam is to assess the ability of new students entering into the Advanced University Placement chemistry program at the Petroleum Institute.

Students will be assessed on their understanding of the course content material covered in high school level chemistry. Topics may include: Atomic Structure, Simple Bonding, Chemical Formulae and Names, Handling Numbers, States of Matter and Mass Relationships in Chemical Reactions.

The exam consists of multiple choice questions only. For example, you might find questions like:

Q:  Which of the following represents a chemical change?

1. Solid ice melting
2. Wood burning in air
3. Milk boiling
4. Water turning to steam

Q:  What is the mass in grams found in 2.5 moles of Aluminum?

1. 168.6 g
2. 134.9 g
3. 32.5 g
4. 80.5g

The time allowed for the exam is 60 minutes.

• Physics:

The purpose of the placement exam is to assess the ability of new students entering the Advanced University Placement physics program at the Petroleum Institute. Based on the results, the student will be enrolled in the proper level physics course.

The exam is a multiple-choice and will assess topics covered in high school level physics. Topics may include: Vectors, Motion and Forces, Energy, Electric Field and Potential and Electrical Circuits. For example, you might find questions like:

Q:  In the absence of an external force, a moving object will:

1. go faster and faster
2. stop immediately
3. slow down and eventually come to a stop
4. move with constant velocity

Q:  A ball is thrown at an original speed of 8.0 m/s at an angle of 35° above the horizontal.  What is the speed of the ball when it returns to the same horizontal level?

1. 4.0 m/s
2. 8.0 m/s
3. 16 m/s
4. 9.8 m/s

The time allowed for the exam is 60 minutes.