About the Chemistry Placement Requirement
To enroll in general chemistry (CHE 2A or 4A), all students must earn a qualifying score on the Chemistry Placement or complete CHE 1/1V with a C- or higher (or Pass if taken Pass / No Pass). The information below provides a general overview of the Chemistry Placement, including upcoming exam testing dates. There is information about the Chemistry Placement specifically for incoming students here, and General Chemistry FAQs here. If you still have questions after reviewing this webpage, please email chemplacement@ucdavis.edu.
- Qualifying Score for CHE 2A and 4A
- All students who plan to enroll in CHE 2A must earn a 24 or higher on the Chemistry Placement or a C- or higher in CHE 1/1V. All students who plan to enroll in CHE 4A must earn a 28 or higher on the Chemistry Placement or a C- or higher in CHE 1/1V. Students who do not fulfill one of these requirements will be administratively dropped from their course by the Department of Chemistry.
CHE 2A and 4A are both general chemistry courses but are required for different majors. CHE 4A is intended for students in the following majors: Chemistry (American Chemical Society emphasis), Chemical Physics, and Chemical Engineering. CHE 2A is intended for a number of other majors. If you're unsure which general chemistry class you need to take, if any, please visit your major's webpage and direct any questions to your major advisor: https://www.ucdavis.edu/academics/majors
Students who do not earn a qualifying score on the Chemistry Placement should consider registering for CHE 1/1V in Summer or Fall. A grade of C- or higher in CHE 1/1V allows enrollment in general chemistry in lieu of a qualifying score on the Chemistry Placement. - New Student Orientation Placement Testing
Incoming first-year students will take the Chemistry Placement during an assigned week-long Orientation Testing Window based on admitted college:
Orientation 2024 Testing Window College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences May 31 - June 7, 2024 College of Biological Sciences May 31 - June 7, 2024 College of Engineering June 4 - June 11, 2024 College of Letters & Science June 7 - June 14, 2024 Emails will be send out to UC Davis email accounts with additional information in early May. After this Orientation testing window, the next opportunity for incoming first-year students to take the Chemistry Placement will be during the Fall Testing Window:
Fall 2024 Testing Window Fall (window #1) September 4 - 10, 2024 Fall (window #2) September 25 - October 1, 2024 Students enrolled (or waitlisted) in CHE 2A or 4A for Fall, but who have not yet received a qualifying score on the Chemistry Placement or a C- or higher in CHE 1/1V, will be sent exam instructions via email the days leading up to the first Fall Testing Window.
The exam can be taken one time during each testing window. As with any exam, if special accommodations are needed, please contact the Student Disability Center.
Students who are not enrolled in CHE 2A or 4A during Summer or Fall, but wish to take/retake the Chemistry Placement, may request access to the exam by completing our online Manual Registration Form. The registration form will open on the first day of each Chemistry Placement testing window and close the second to last day of each testing window. The manual registration form to take the placement exam is for UC Davis students who are not enrolled in CHE 2A or 4A during Summer or Fall. All students enrolled in CHE 2A and 4A will receive an email with instructions and do not need to manually register.- Continuing Student Placement Testing
Continuing students who enroll in CHE 2A in Summer Session 1, but who have not yet received a qualifying score on the Chemistry Placement or a C- or higher in CHE 1/1V, will be able to take the Chemistry Placement during the Summer Session Testing Window (note: incoming first-year students are not eligible to take the Chemistry Placement during this testing window). Furthermore, students who enroll in CHE 2A or 4A in Fall or Winter, but who have not yet received a qualifying score on the Chemistry Placement or a C- or higher in CHE 1/1V, will have a chance to take the Chemistry Placement prior to, or at the start of, the quarter they are taking general chemistry. The following table shows the testing window dates based on which quarter the student registers for general chemistry:
Testing Windows 2024-25 Summer Session 1 June 17-25, 2024 Fall (window #1) September 4 - 10, 2024 Fall (window #2) September 25 - October 1, 2024 Winter (window #1) December 11 - 17, 2024 Winter (window #2) January 6 - 14, 2025 Students enrolled (or waitlisted) in CHE 2A or 4A for during one of these terms, but who have not yet received a qualifying score on the Chemistry Placement or a C- or higher in CHE 1/1V, will be sent exam instructions via email in the days leading up to the first date of the testing window.
- Petition to Retake the Chemistry Placement (4x)
After three attempts a petition is required to take the Chemistry Placement for a fourth time. Email chemundergrads@ucdavis.edu to inquire about the petition process.
Petitions will be reviewed by select faculty members in the Department of Chemistry. Approval (or denial) of a fourth attempt of the Chemistry Placement will be shared via email to the student the week prior to the beginning of the exam testing window.- CHE 1/1V: Preparation for General Chemistry
As another option to help students qualify for General Chemistry is CHE 1/1V: Preparation for General Chemistry. CHE 1V is the remote-only version of the class, CHE 1 is fully in-person. Students who complete CHE 1/1V with a C- or higher can enroll in CHE 2A/4A without a qualifying Chemistry Placement score.
CHE 1V is offered in Summer Session and may be a good option for incoming first-year students who are not able to earn a qualifying score on the Chemistry Placement but want to enroll in CHE 2A or 4A in Fall. Additional information about the CHE 1V summer course can be found here:https://chemistry.ucdavis.edu/summer-sessions-prep-general-chem
Detailed Course Description: CHE 1/1V is a one-quarter online preparatory course which provides an introduction to basic ideas of chemistry in the context of real-world issues which include, air and water pollution, acid rain, global warming, and sustainability challenges.
The main goal of this course is to provide students the necessary skills and chemistry knowledge to succeed in the General Chemistry series as well as in more advanced chemistry courses. While accomplishing this important goal, the students will also explore chemistry and chemical principles in the context of real-world scenarios. The course also aims to help students gain an appreciation for the beauty and workings of chemistry and how it relates to the world in which they live in. Also, upon completion of this course, the students will develop a background that enables them to assess the benefits and risks associated with the decisions they make in their professional and personal lives.
Course Credit & Offering: CHE 1/1V provides 3 units of academic credit and is offered in Summer Session and Fall.