Academic Upgrading Placement Test
Why take a placement test?
There are 3 primary reasons to take a placement test:
- To help you fulfill a pass mark of 50% or greater for the Grade 10 English entrance requirement for admission into Academic Upgrading.
- To help you fulfill a mark of 50% of greater to prove a prerequisite for Academic Upgrading courses for which you cannot prove prerequisites.
- To help you fulfill a pass mark of 50% or greater for the English, Math, and Science entrance requirements for admission into the following career programs at NAIT:
| Currently accepting placement tests for: |
|
| Advanced Carpentry Technology |
Electrical Installations Technology |
| Advanced Plumbing Technology |
Industrial Heavy Equipment Technology
|
| Advanced Welding Technology |
Professional Meat Cutting
|
| Automotive Service Technology |
|
| Effective for applicants to Fall 2026 and beyond: |
|
| Culinary Arts |
Primary Care Paramedic |
| Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning Refrigeration Technician |
Advanced Care Paramedic |
| Water and Wastewater Technician |
Personal Fitness Trainer |
| Veterinary Medical Assistant |
Digital Design |
| IT Systems Administration |
Game Development - Animation & Game Design |
| Game Development - Game Programming |
Software Development |
| IT Business Analyst |
Baking and Pastry Art |
Please note: Placement tests can help you meet some entrance requirements, but not all. Based on your results, they may be used to satisfy the following levels:
- English Language Arts: Grade 10 or 11
- Math: Grade 10 or 11
- Science: Grade 10
If your program requires higher-level courses (for example, Grade 12 English), you’ll need to meet those requirements through other approved methods, such as official transcripts, academic upgrading, or NAIT's equivalency tests.
The Tests
Placement tests are only available for Math, English and Chemistry.
Math placement test
(3 hours maximum)
- A scientific calculator will be provided.
- This test is progressive, based on Alberta's Mathematics grades 10 to 12 curriculum
- Successful completion of grade 10 allows the student to progress
- There is no study guide; you can see what skills you will be tested on by viewing the Alberta Math curriculum online
English placement test
(1 hour maximum)
This test has 2 parts:
- Read a literary passage and answer 14 multiple-choice questions.
- Write a related essay.
- There is no study guide; you can see what skills you will be tested on by viewing the Alberta English curriculum online
Chemistry placement test
(90 minutes maximum)
A passing grade on this test will fulfil the Science 10 prerequisite for enrolment into Academic Upgrading's Chemistry 20 course.
This test cannot be used to fulfil the Chemistry 20 prerequisite for entry into Chemistry 30.
NOTE: Math 10C or equivalent is still required after passing this test.
- A scientific calculator and Periodic Table of the Elements will be provided.
- There is no study guide; you can see what skills you will be tested on by viewing the chemistry outcomes within the Alberta Science 10 curriculum online
Test details
- All placement tests must be scheduled in advance through our online booking tool
- Testing takes place with NAIT Assessment Services in room L-142
- Placement test results are only valid at NAIT and cannot be used or are accepted at other post-secondary institutions.
- Rewrites can be booked every 2 months
- Cost per test is $93.25
How to schedule an off-campus placement test
If you are a NAIT or prospective NAIT student living more than 100 km outside of Edmonton, you can arrange a placement test (excluding math) off-campus. To find more details on how to schedule an off-campus placement test, visit Off-Campus Placement Testing Scheduling Instructions.
To check list of NAIT approved off-campus invigilation sites, please visit NAIT Placement and Equivalency Invigilation Network.