Entry Level Math (ELM) Requirements

All California State University undergraduates must demonstrate a reasonable level of proficiency in high school mathematics before they can enroll in college-level mathematics classes.

If you are required to take the ELM but fail to do so, you will not be allowed to register.

The Chancellor's Office of the California State University maintains an extensive "math success website". It presents a lot of helpful information about the ELM requirement, practice materials for the ELM test, etc. Please consult this website for information about meeting the ELM requirement.

The details of this Entry Level Mathematics ("ELM") Requirement are spelled out in the University Catalog and on the Testing Office Webpage. Students may fulfill the ELM requirement by passing the ELM Test, or by achieving a sufficiently high score on the Math SAT or ACT exam, or by passing approved courses at a college or university. Students may take the ELM test more than once to improve their scores. Please contact the Testing Office to register for the ELM Test or contact them (Library 3165A, 510-885-3662 or go to their website) to find out more about the ELM requirement.

Undergraduate students who do not satisfy the ELM requirement are placed in a remedial math class (one of Math 805, 900, 950). These classes review the math that students need know in order to succeed in our general education math classes (Math 1130, Math 1110, Math 1300, Stat 1000).

You may download an ELM Problem Book to test your high school math skills and prepare for the ELM Test before you take it. (It's a big file -- over two megabytes -- so it may take a little while to download. Please be patient.) The practice test begins on page eight of the Problem Book. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader plugin to read the practice test. Most modern home computers already have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, but if you do not you may download it free of charge from their website.