Chemistry Placement Exam

The Chemistry Placement Exam is now CLOSED until Spring 2026.

• First-year students: If you need to register for CHE-105/106 or CHE-110/111 for Fall 2025, please visit the New Student Registration page for information on how to do Schedule Adjustments.
• All other students: You may register for any OPEN section of CHE-105/106 or CHE-110/111. Permission is not required.
• We are not keeping wait lists at this time. If you cannot find open sections that will work in your schedule, we highly recommend (a) considering adjustments to other courses in your schedule and/or (b) watching MyGustavus to see if a better section opens up.
• If you are still unable to make open sections fit into your schedule, please send a message to chemistry-placement@gustavus.edu. Please include a list of your other courses for Fall 2025. You may not get a response until late August, but we will do our best to get you into general chemistry if you need it.

Current Gustavus Students:

• You wlil need to take this exam if you plan to register for CHE-105 / CHE-106 Foundations of Chemistry lecture / lab; and/or CHE-110 / CHE-111 General Chemistry lecture / lab in the next semester, even if you have taken the exam in a prior year.
• Please take this exam as soon as possible, ideally at least 3 days before meeting with your advisor.
  
• You must complete the exam in order to get permission to register for CHE-105 / CHE-106 or CHE-110 / CHE-111, but you will be able to choose which courses you will take.
• Approximately 3 days following your completion of the exam, you will receive a letter in your Gustavus email with your placement advice and permission to register.

Incoming Gustavus Students:

• You only need to take this exam if you wish to enroll in a chemistry class in the next semester.
• Important note: CHE-105 / CHE-106 Foundations of Chemistry lecture / lab will be offered only in the fall semester.
• Incoming student placement exams will not be processed until late April and within week after that. 
• You will receive a letter in your Gustavus email detailing your placement. The summer registration team wil use this placement to register you for the appropriate course. 

For more detailed guidance, please read this General Chemistry information sheet.

This placement exam assists us in meeting the class needs in the chemistry tracks.

Track 1:

• CHE-105 / CHE-106 Foundations of Chemistry lecture / lab, (offered only in Fall) and
• CHE-110 / CHE-111 General Chemistry lecture / lab.

Track 2:

• CHE-110 / CHE-111 General Chemistry lecture / lab. (Will be offered in both Fall and Spring.) 

FYI: Instructions for Taking the Chemistry Placement Exam - when it opens prior to Spring 2026 course registration. 

• This is an unproctored, online exam. When taking this exam, you agree to abide by the Gustavus Honor Code and not use any unauthorized materials or aid.
• If you encounter technical prboems have qustions, you may send an email to a chemistry professor at chemistry-placement@gustavus.edu.
• To take this exam you will need approximately 30 mintues to work without interruption, however, there is no time limit.
• You will need scratch paper, a pencil, a calculator, and a periodic table.
• If you need accommodations for this exam please contact the Accessibility Resources staff in the Academic Support Center by calling 507-933-7227.