Proficiency Exams
Study Guides
If you have taken any exam in a course, you forfeit your privilege to take the proficiency exam.
An exam may be taken only once.
Students enrolled in any advanced Physics course are not allowed to take any Physics proficiency exam.
Registration Fall 2023: Currently Closed
Fall 2023 PROFICIENCY EXAM INFORMATION
Proficiency Exams are one hour and fifty minutes (1hr 50min) in length, and are held at the Computer Based Testing Facility.
Registration Fall 2023: Proficiency exams for the Fall 2023 semester will be held in August at the start of the semester. Registration for Fall proficiency exams will open after July 23.
Courses Available:
The Department of Physics will be offering proficiency exams for the following courses during the Fall 2023 semester: PHYS 101, PHYS 102, PHYS 211, PHYS 212, PHYS 213, and PHYS 214.
Results: Proficiency results will be made available to students and sent to students' colleges no later than two weeks after the exams are complete.
GENERAL PROFICIENCY EXAM INFORMATION
Grade: The assigned grade is Pass or Fail. An 80% score is required to receive a passing grade. Failures are not formally reported.
Study information: A course syllabus is available on the web at http://physics.illinois.edu/academics/courses/. Click the course web site of the proficiency exam you wish to take in order to prepare for the proficiency exam.
You can also check out the Center Academic Resources in Engineering (CARE) at https://care.grainger.illinois.edu/tutoring.
Sign-up: Go to https://my.physics.illinois.edu/undergrad/proficiency/signup.asp, choose the class you'd like to take an exam in and click the 'Signup!' button.
MAKEUP FINAL EXAM INFORMATION
Students who missed a final exam in a previous semester may register to make up the final exam when the proficiency exams are given.
You must register to take a make-up final exam:
https://my.physics.illinois.edu/undergrad/proficiency/signup.asp
When you register please indicate the semester in which you took the course.
QUESTIONS
Please direct all questions about proficiency exams to our Physics Undergraduate Office Queue with PROFICIENCY as the tag in your request, email the Physics Undergraduate Office at undergrad@physics.illinois.edu, or call them at (217) 333-4361.
Include the proficiency exam you wish to take in your question.