Information for New Students Attending New Student Orientation or the Transfer Transition Program

Who has to take the CPE?
Students intending to study pre-med, chemistry, biochemistry, biology and other sciences should plan to take the Chemistry Placement Exam (CPE). Proper placement in this exam is ONE of the requirements in order to enroll in Chemistry C117; students must also meet a math prerequisite (more information on this may be found at: http://www.chem.indiana.edu/academics/ugrad/cpe.asp). Students who do not take the exam will not be allowed to enroll in Chemistry C117. THIS EXAM SHOULD BE TAKEN PRIOR TO YOUR ARRIVAL FOR ORIENTATION IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

Students in all majors will have the opportunity to earn credit for freshman-level chemistry courses by taking a separate Chemistry Exemption Exam at the beginning of the fall semester. Information on the Chemistry Exemption Exams may be obtained by visiting http://www.chem.indiana.edu/academics/ugrad/cpe.asp or by calling (812) 855-2700. Look for more details about all exemption exams in theWelcome Week Schedule of Events booklet you receive in August.

What is the CPE?
The CPE is a timed, 30-question, multiple-choice exam composed of questions on the general chemistry, math, and reasoning skills needed for C117. The CPE is NOT an exemption exam; that is, you cannot earn or be exempt from any course by taking the Chemistry Placement Exam.

The CPE is used to evaluate each student's chemistry background and preparation for C117 so that they can be placed into the chemistry course that is appropriate for them. The courses that students are placed into based on the CPE are: C103, C117, or S117. C103 is a course specially designed to prepare students for C117. C117 is the first course in the chemistry sequence for science majors. S117 is the honors section of C117 (Note: S117 is only offered in the fall semester).

How to Prepare
Practice exams are offered in the Online CPE environment. We encourage you to refresh your chemistry knowledge through the practice exams before taking the actual exam.

To take the CPE:
Following the link below will lead you to the Online CPE environment . You will first need to register for the exam, after which you will be allowed to enter the CPE course. You will need to know your IU username, passphrase, and university ID number in order to register.

Once you enter the CPE course, you will have the option of reviewing your chemistry knowledge through practice exam questions. STUDENTS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO WORK THROUGH THE PRACTICE QUESTIONS BEFORE TAKING THE ACTUAL EXAM. You will have 1 hour and 15 minutes to take the exam. Once you have taken the exam, your placement will be displayed on-screen.

You may take the exam any time after you are signed up for orientation; have your username. passphrase and your university ID number available to sign in. You will need to complete the exam prior to your arrival on campus for orientation so that your advisor can best assist you.

Follow the link below to continue to the Online Chemistry Placement Exam:

https://calmweb.chem.indiana.edu/cpe_online/

Additional Information About the CPE

What material will be covered on the examination?
There are two areas of concentration on the examination. The first area is the material that we expect all students who have had a year of high school chemistry to know, including dimensional analysis (a.k.a. factor-labeling), reaction stoichiometry, and solution stoichiometry. Students' placement into C117 will depend on the number of questions correctly answered from the first area, as this material will only be reviewed briefly in C117. This material should be reviewed prior to the examination (see information above). Students who do not do well on the questions from the first area of concentration will be required to take C103 prior to taking C117. The second area of the exam covers more advanced concepts of chemistry including periodic properties, acid-base theory, equilibrium, thermodynamics, bonding, and atomic structure. This second area concentrates on topics that are considered advanced. Students that do well on the questions from the second area may place into the honors course, S117.

How will scores on the examination be used?
Scores on this examination will not affect grades for C117 (or any other course). Students who do exceptionally well on the examination will be invited to enroll in the freshman honors course in chemistry (S117). Students who score poorly on this examination will be required to take Chemistry C103 in preparation to take C117 the following semester.

How many questions on the CPE do I need to get correct in order to pass?
Unfortunately, the scoring of the CPE is not that straightforward. It is not only a matter of how many, but which questions you get correct. The determination of placement is based not only on the total number of questions correct, but also the number of questions correct in part one of the CPE. In other words, both the part one score and the total score are used in determining if a student "passed" the CPE.

What is the Chemistry Honors Program?
Chemistry S117 is part of a special sequence of courses for well prepared and highly motivated freshmen. S117 is only offered in the fall semester. Students place into S117 by virture of their score on the Chemistry Placement Exam. Although the honors course (S117) is similar to C117, the level of work is intended to challenge students and to stimulate their eventual participation in the Honors Program in Chemistry (which includes undergraduate research).

More FAQs about the Chemistry Placement Exam, as well as the Chemistry Exemption Exams, can be found at http://www.chem.indiana.edu/academics/ugrad/cpe.asp or by calling the Chemistry Undergraduate Office at (812) 855-2700.