To see placement exams required in each major for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 first year admits:
Placement Exams Required by Major Chart--updated 4/8/25
If you are admitted in any of the following majors, it is recommended that you take all four placement exams (CHEM, CSE, MATH, Writing Readiness Review):
- Undeclared
- Undeclared--Engineering
- Undeclared--Natural Sciences
- Undeclared--School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA)
All placement exams are:
- One-time-only exams
- Free
- Available only during certain dates
There is no disadvantage to taking the placement exams. When in doubt, take the exam!
- This is especially true if you are:
- Exploring different majors
- Considering a double major or optional minor
- Planning to pursue a graduate degree (master's, Ph.D.) or professional program (law school, medical school, nursing school, etc.)
- Considering multiple careers
If you take a placement exam and later receive an AP or IB exam score that places you in a more advanced class, you will be allowed to take the more advanced class.
If you take a placement exam but complete a transferable college course before you begin at UC Merced that places you in a more advanced class and you submit the official transcript to UC Merced, you will be allowed to take the more advanced class.
To see which class you are eligible to take based on your UC Merced placement exams or AP exam scores:
To see how IB exams count toward specific classes at UC Merced:
