Placement Tests

One of the assessment tools used to insure appropriate placement into required English and math classes is the Roosevelt University Assessment (RUA). Completion of the RUA or evaluation of current ACT scores is required before students may register for courses at Roosevelt University. The RUA is a proctored, computerized test composed of three sections - Reading, Writing, and Math.

Do I need to take the RUA test?

• Freshmen who have not taken the ACT or SAT scores within the past two years are required to take the RUA before registering for classes.
• If you are a freshman and have taken the ACT or SAT in the past two years and have not completed college level English or math since the test was taken, your placement will be determined by these scores.
• Freshmen are encouraged to take the RUA if they wish an opportunity to place into higher level English and math.
• Transfer students who bring in appropriate college-level English and math courses for their degree may be exempt from one or both portions of the RUA.
• If you are not sure if you are required to take the RUA, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Academic Advising at advising@roosevelt.edu.

How long does the RUA test take?

Most students complete the entire exam in less than two hours, but there is no time limit and you may take as much time as you need.

How much does the RUA cost?

There is no charge for taking the RUA at either campus.

What if I am not local?

If you live outside of the Chicago area, please email advising@roosevelt.edu to arrange to take the RUA at a location convenient to your local area. Please include your Name, Student ID Number, and full address.

When can I take the RUA test?

Testing Labs are open on a flexible schedule with individualized start times at both the Chicago and Schaumburg campuses. Click the link for the campus at which you would like to take the RU Assessment. You will be directed to Eventbrite to complete your registration.

• Chicago Campus RUA Schedule ^*
  
• Schaumburg Campus RUA Schedule ^*

^* You will be required to create a free Eventbrite account if you do not already have one.

What do I need to bring?

Students will be required to provide their RU ID number when they sign up for the test and when reporting to take the test.

Take a Sample Test

Roosevelt University uses the following College Board Accuplacer Tests:

• Reading Comprehension
• Elementary Algebra
• College Level Math

Sample tests for all of these areas can be found online through the Accuplacer Web-Based Study App. A sample test can be taken after creating a free account.

All ensemble audition requirements will be available mid-July in Blackboard and also posted on the CCPA Current Students web page. 

If you have not yet logged into Blackboard, follow the instructions provided to create a login account.

Audition requirements and details will be in the "General Information" folder of the Blackboard organization titled Music Conservatory 2018-2019. An email will be sent to your Roosevelt address when these materials are available online.

Fall 2018 Kick-Off Week

Before you come to campus, we need you to take some online exams in music fundamentals so we know where to place you for your musicianship classes.  These online tests are available from July 20^th to August 20^th.

To complete your online tests, you must download the software for the program Musition (cloud version) by Rising Software.  Directions to do this have been sent to your RU e-mail account. 

After downloading the software, launch the program.

The program will ask for a User Name and for a password.  Your username is the first part of your Roosevelt University email address before "@mail.roosevelt.edu".  For example, if your Roosevelt email address is jsmith05@mail.roosevelt.edu, then your user name is jsmith05.  This is also referred to us your NetID.

Your temporary password is CCPAMUSIC. The program will ask you to create a new password. (You may also change your voice type if you want, but it is not required.)

Once you've logged in, select the "Home" tab at the top left of the screen. 

On the right side of the screen under Activities & Messages>Tasks>Custom Courses you will see a tab for Roosevelt University – Fundamental Diagnostics.  When you select this tab, the five tests you need to take will appear at the bottom of the screen.  The five tests are:

1-Note Recognition Test

2-Major Scales/Key Signatures test

3-Minor Scales/Key Signatures test

4-Intervals Test

5-Triads Test

When you are ready to take the test (each test can only be taken once), select the test at the bottom of the screen and chose "Start" at the top of the screen to begin the test.

Please complete all of these tests by August 20^th.

Important: These exams will not change your admission to CCPA.  We simply want to put you in a class that fits your current knowledge of musicianship.  Some students find these exams very easy, others very hard. Those finding them easy will be allowed to take further exams to place into a higher level of musicianship when they come to campus. Those who struggle with some or all of this material will be placed in the appropriate class.

In addition to these placement tests, we request that you also complete a questionnaire detailing some of your piano experience. Please note that this is also required, and should be completed in the same timeline specified above. Follow this link to complete the questionnaire.

Please contact Dr. William Hussey (whussey@roosevelt.edu) or Jeremy Cairns (jcairns@roosevelt.edu) if you have any questions or have any problems.

Graduate Diagnostic Exams

In preparing for your CCPA graduate studies, all entering MM students must complete the music history and theory diagnostic process. Please watch this video from Prof. Tom Kernan sharing information about the process, required steps, and the resources that we provide to help you prepare: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/recording/play/t5inZzgICuzwnEter_lPhSwzhBL28Hbc4M-cVr1b59ST1W8R5pFKatHsXmCcLU5N. To review what Prof. Kernan said …

June 1: You may now begin to log into Blackboard https://roosevelt.blackboard.com/webapps/login/ (using your RU login name and password) and access review materials, see the instructions for the exam, and find practice questions.

June 14 at 10 am & 7 pm (Central): Members of the faculty will offer an optional live video Q&A for any interested students. (See Blackboard for links to those sessions.)

Aug. 1 by 11:59 pm (Central): Deadline to register for your (remote/off-site) written test date & time:https://doodle.com/poll/rs2z5tggzng2m39h

Aug. 6, 11, or 13: Every student must have selected one of these dates when you will complete the remote/off-site written portion of the exam.

Aug. 20: You will complete the on-site interview portion of the exam

Depending on the outcome of your exam, you will be placed in the appropriate starting classes or required to attend one or two micro-courses during kick-off week.

The Voice Faculty at CCPA places a high premium on its students’ skills in language and lyric diction. All incoming graduate voice majors are required to complete a written diction placement exam, which will evaluate proficiency in the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for Italian, French, German, and English. In addition to the written exam, each student will undergo an individual sung evaluation, which will assess the student’s ability to demonstrate diction and language proficiency in the context of live performance.

Students will be placed in the appropriate language-section of Language Skills III-IV (PERF 312/311), or will be excused from one or more language-section, based on the results of the written and sung evaluations.

Key concepts under assessment are outlined on the accompanying document. Written exams will focus on the use of IPA. For the sung evaluation, students are asked to prepare one song or aria in each of the following languages: Italian, French, German, English. The selection does not have to be performed from memory, but it is highly recommended that you present a piece that has been well rehearsed and well coached. Please remember that this is a diction placement exam and that written evaluations and sung evaluations are weighted equally.

Graduate diction review session is available during CCPA kick-off week.

If you have questions or require additional information, please contact Dr. Shannon McGinnis: smcginnis@roosevelt.edu.

Your ACT score placed you in one class, the RUA may have placed you in another class, and you still feel misplaced …Welcome to option #3 Math PReP—Your opportunity to test out of your current math placement and into the next course.

Math PReP is a self paced review and testing program for Math 095, 096, 121 and 122.  For a small fee, you can take our Math Department Pre Test (using My Math Test).  Your initial test is based on the course in which you are placed.  Based on the test results, the web-based program will give you an individualized study plan that will review the concepts with which you are struggling.  Once the study plan is complete, we allow you to take the course placement exam again to see if you can be moved to a higher level course.

For students who wish to review concepts and prepare for their assigned course, the individualized study plan based on their test results will review the concepts taught in the prior course and allow students to work on concepts to be covered in the course that they will be taking.  

For more information, please contact Mary Williams (mwilliams@roosevelt.edu) or Cathy Evins (cevins@roosevelt.edu).

• CLEP Test Acceptable Scores