Mathematics Placement

For Incoming Freshmen

Welcome to the Beach! Your success at the Beach starts with an accurate placement in your freshmen foundation courses, including your first-year mathematics/quantitative reasoning course (general education category: GE B4).

To that end, CSULB uses Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) Mathematics Placement, a unique program that combines adaptive assessment and personalized learning.

ALEKS Mathematics Placement

The purpose of ALEKS Mathematics Placement is to assess your individual mathematics skills and place you into an appropriate college mathematics course for success. ALEKS Mathematics Placement accurately measures your math foundation and creates a personalized learning module to review and refresh knowledge that may have grown stale.

You will receive free of charge access to CSULB's ALEKS Mathematics Placement upon accepting CSULB admission offer. All freshmen whose majors require calculus should start ALEKS Mathematics Placement on their own as soon as possible.

Read more about ALEKS Mathematics Placement.

Course Recommendation Guide

The course recommendations provided here are determined based on your degree objectives at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and your level of preparations in mathematics. Please note that the information below is only a guide and not a substitute for academic advising; you will work with an academic advisor to determine your actual mathematics placement.

View Course Recommendation Guide.

Early Start Mathematics

The CSULB Early Start Program offers tuition-free general education mathematics course (MATH 104, The Power of Mathematics) for eligible incoming first-time first-year students.

Read more about Early Start Mathematics.