ALEKS scores: what your 0 to 100 score means

An ALEKS PPL score runs from 0 to 100 and is the percentage of placement topics ALEKS judges you have mastered, not a percentile. There is no pass mark: each college maps scores to its own courses. Across the 5 colleges below, the same lines recur: about 46 for College Algebra, 61 for Precalculus and 76 for Calculus I.

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How is the ALEKS PPL score worked out?

ALEKS reports the share of its placement topics it believes you have mastered, so 61 means about 61% of the topics, from arithmetic to precalculus. Because the test is adaptive, it estimates topics it never asked you directly from the ones it did. Kennesaw State and Marquette both describe the result this way (Kennesaw State, Marquette).

Two things follow. First, the score is not a percentile: 61 does not mean you beat 61% of students. Second, because the topic list starts at fractions, the jump from 61 to 76 is mostly upper-level material: exponentials, logarithms, trigonometry and harder functions.

What ALEKS score do you need for each course?

It depends on the college. These are the published placements we found, lowest score first; each college name links to the page we read.

Checked 12 November 2026 against each college’s page. Colleges change their cut-offs, so confirm on yours before you register.
ALEKS scoreCourse it opensCollege and source
30+MAT 111 Algebra for College MathematicsUniversity of Maine
46 to 60MTH 109 College AlgebraBradley University
61+MATH 29 Pre-Calculus, or MATH 26A Calculus for the Social and Life SciencesSacramento State
61+MATH 1113 Precalculus or MATH 1160 Elementary Applied CalculusKennesaw State University
61+MAT 122 Pre-Calculus or MAT 116 Introduction to CalculusUniversity of Maine
61 to 75MTH 112 PrecalculusBradley University
70+Math 16A (the entry course for many life and environmental science majors)UC Santa Cruz
76+MATH 1190 Calculus I or MATH 1179 Calculus for Life SciencesKennesaw State University
76 to 100MTH 121 Calculus IBradley University
76+MAT 126 Calculus IUniversity of Maine
76+MATH 30 Calculus ISacramento State

Short of the score your course needs?

Want more than one free set? Train the same math on a clock.

The ACCUPLACER Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 20 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

The ACCUPLACER Pass Pack is 640 questions: 8 full ACCUPLACER-style mocks and 20 drills, every answer worked out. Its Advanced Algebra and Functions part covers the algebra, functions, exponentials, logarithms and trigonometry that separate a 61 from a 76. It is multiple choice and not adaptive, so it trains the math, not the ALEKS screen.

See the ACCUPLACER Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked
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What does an ALEKS score usually mean?

These bands are the pattern across the colleges above, not a national scale.

ALEKS scoreWhat it usually opens
0 to 29Below most college-level courses. Expect a developmental or corequisite course, or use the Prep and Learning Module and reassess.
30 to 45Intermediate algebra or a non-STEM college math course at many colleges (for example MAT 111 at the University of Maine at 30+).
46 to 60College Algebra at many colleges (Bradley University: 46 to 60).
61 to 75Precalculus, and at some colleges an applied or life-science calculus (Kennesaw State, Sacramento State, Maine, Bradley: 61+).
76 to 100Calculus I (Kennesaw State, Bradley, Maine and Sacramento State all use 76).

How does UC Santa Cruz use ALEKS scores?

It turns your ALEKS result into a math placement (MP) tier, and each entry course asks for a tier. Math 16A, the first course for many life and environmental science majors, needs an ALEKS score of 70 or higher (UC Santa Cruz).

UC Santa Cruz Math Placement, "After your assessment"
ALEKS PPL resultUCSC placement tier
Below 60MP tier 100
60 to 69MP tier 200
70 to 74MP tier 300
75 to 84MP tier 400
85 to 100MP tier 500

What is a good ALEKS score?

The one your major’s first math course asks for. For a business, nursing or social science major that is often College Algebra (about 46). For engineering, physics, computer science or math it is Calculus I (76 at every college above that names one). Look up your major’s entry course in your college catalog, then its placement score.

If you are a few points short, that is the best case: most colleges let you work in the Prep and Learning Module and reassess, and a few points can save a whole semester. See retakes on the ALEKS test guide.

How do you raise an ALEKS score?

Find the topics that separate your score from the next cut-off, then practise them without options in front of you.

  • Below 46: linear equations, inequalities, factoring and exponent rules. These carry the most topics.
  • From 46 to 61: functions (composition, inverses, domain), systems and quadratics.
  • From 61 to 76: exponentials and logarithms, the unit circle and right-triangle trig. Many students last saw these years ago.
  • Use the free ALEKS-style practice test to see which of the four areas costs you most, then the Prep and Learning Module for the hours your college requires before a retake.

Place one course higher

Every course you test out of is a semester and its tuition you do not repeat.

The ACCUPLACER Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 20 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

The ACCUPLACER Pass Pack is 640 questions: 8 full ACCUPLACER-style mocks and 20 drills, every answer worked out. Its Advanced Algebra and Functions part covers the algebra, functions, exponentials, logarithms and trigonometry that separate a 61 from a 76. It is multiple choice and not adaptive, so it trains the math, not the ALEKS screen.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The ACCUPLACER Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the Pass Pack and price How our questions are built and checked
8
timed mocks
20
topic drills
1
score predictor

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest ALEKS score?

100, which would mean ALEKS judges you have mastered every placement topic. You do not need it: the highest cut-off we found is 76, for Calculus I.

Is 61 a good ALEKS score?

At many colleges 61 opens Precalculus: Kennesaw State, Sacramento State, Bradley and the University of Maine all use it. It is short of Calculus I, which is usually 76.

What ALEKS score do I need for College Algebra?

Often 46, as at Bradley University (46 to 60). Some colleges set other lines, so check yours.

What ALEKS score do I need for Calculus?

76 at Kennesaw State, Bradley, the University of Maine and Sacramento State.

Does my highest ALEKS score count?

At most colleges, yes. Kennesaw State, Bradley and Marquette all say the highest score is used for placement.

Is the ALEKS score a percentile?

No. It is the percentage of placement topics ALEKS judges you have mastered, not how you rank against other students.

How long is an ALEKS score valid?

Your college decides, and the rules differ, so check its placement page before you rely on an old score.

LifeScore is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to McGraw Hill or any college. ALEKS is a registered trademark of McGraw Hill LLC, and other test names are trademarks of their owners. These are original practice questions generated and answer-checked by our own code, not ALEKS questions, and the result is not an ALEKS score or a placement. Reviewed 12 November 2026 by the LifeScore Editorial Team.