Placement Testing

• Anyone who has no other placement scores (ACT, SAT, Accuplacer, etc.).
• Anyone who has scores that fall below the benchmark listed in the chart below and wish to attempt to test out of those pre- or co-requisite courses.
• Anyone with scores older than 9 months who needs Mathematics and/or English placement.

Advising Test Score Chart

Taking a practice exam:

1. Register for a free KYOTE account.To register for a free placement account (or to log into one which you already have) go to the KYOTE website using the FireFox or Chrome browser. In the upper left of the screen there are login and registration links for student accounts. If you do not yet have an account, select “Register” to register for a student placement account (in the upper left- hand portion of the web page). When entering a student number, enter your M-number without the M.

2. It is recommended to take at least one practice exam because that allows you to get accustomed to the style of questions before taking the actual exam. Practice exams are available online two days before the official exams are scheduled. To take a practice exam, once logged into your placement account, use the pull-down menu to select an exam session whose name has the formatMSU.Algebra.Practice.091824

   MSU.Reading.Practice.091824

   MSU.Writing.Practice.091824 (the number at the end of each with change with the date)Use the password dunker.

Note: You may have to Allow Pop-up pages for the exam page to come up, so if the exam page does not appear, look near the URL entry line for a message that a pop-up window was blocked. Then click on the message and use the provided links to allow pop-up windows on KYOTE.org.

Testing will be held in the Lowry Center 1st floor lab LC1D. Spring 2025 exam dates are as follows:

• Friday, January 10th, from 1:00-4:00
• Tuesday, January 14th, from 1:00-4:00
• Thursday, January 16th, from 9:00-12:00
• Friday, January 17th, from 9:00-12:00
• ...more dates to be added for Fall advanced registration.

Exams take approximately 45 minutes each. For the mathematics exam, paper, pencil, and calculators will be provided. While taking any of the exams, students must stay on the exam page and may not open a separate window.

If you wish to attend any of the sessions, please RSVP to swilliams85@murraystate.edu. Additional exam times available by request.

If you need to take all three exams (math, reading, and writing), you may be eligible to take the Accuplacer online exam as an alternative to the KYOTE exams. Please reach out to Sarah Williams for more information.

For any questions regarding the KYOTE exams, please contact Sarah Williams at swilliams85@murraystate.edu.

Please contact Dr. Jones for any questions about ENG 111 at wjones1@murraystate.edu.

Please contact Admissions with questions about sending test scores to MSU.

Murray State will continue to administer the National ACT.  2024-2025 test dates are as follows:

• September 14, 2024
• October 26, 2024
• December 14, 2024
• February 8, 2025
• April 5, 2025
• June 14, 2025
• July 12, 2025

Learn more information regarding future National ACT dates. If you require accommodated testing, please contact the Accommodated Testing department at ACT, Inc. Check the ACT student page for updates.

ACT, Inc. has changed the name of the ACT Residual test to ACT On-Campus testing. This version of the ACT is still the same as the National version; however, answer sheets are hand-scored and can only be used for admission to Murray State, as well as for Murray State scholarship purposes. Students who do not intend to enroll at Murray State University or whose degree may necessitate later transfer to another institution (such as veterinary school, law school, etc.) are advised to take the National ACT rather than the ACT On-Campus (formerly the ACT-R).

The ACT On-Campus is offered and administered by the Office of Recruitment.

Register for the ACT On-Campus test. Space is limited and you must register in order to test.

For more information, or to cancel or change a test date, contact Leigh Knight at lknight@murraystate.edu or 270.809.5200.

For information on accommodations available for ACT On-Campus, contact the Murray State University Office of Student Disability Services at 270.809.2018 or msu.studentdisabilities@murraystate.edu.

CLEP (College-Level Examination Program®) exams offer the opportunity to test out of introductory courses and move to more advanced courses sooner, saving time toward your degree. The CLEP exam is given remotely (at home) or in person at an approved testing center. Visit the CLEP testing website for more information.

View current Listing of CLEP Credit accepted by Murray State University

Murray State University recognizes that many students gain advanced competency in specific subjects prior to enrolling in college courses. Students are encouraged to complete any national tests for credit before enrolling.

CLEP examinations may be taken by anyone and are not limited to Murray State University students. CLEP credit will not be awarded for students who are trying to repeat the course for which credit is sought. If currently enrolled in the class for which credit is sought, the current class must be dropped prior to attending the first class before CLEP credit can be awarded for that class.

It is highly recommended that potential examinees check with their academic advisor and the Registrar's Office (msu.registration@murraystate.edu) to verify that the CLEP exam will be beneficial and valid.

To be considered for credit, an official score report must be sent directly to the Admissions Office from the College Board. This could take approximately two to three weeks. A CLEP examinee must wait three months before re-taking the same exam. If taken at Murray State, unofficial results of the CLEP test are sent within two business days to the Transfer Center located on the first floor of the Curris Center. For information on the acceptance of testing credit, contact the Transfer Center at 270.809.3350 or msu.transfercenter@murraystate.edu

The DANTES DSST [(Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) Subject  Standardized Tests (DSST)] provides military members with the opportunity to test out of specific classes. Visit the DANTES website to learn more. For information on the acceptance of DSST/Dantes credit, contact the Transfer Center at 270.809.3350 or msu.transfercenter@murraystate.edu

The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is a standardized test used as an admissions requirement for many graduate schools in the United States and Canada and a few other countries. The GRE is given remotely (at home) or in person at an approved testing center. Visit the GRE testing website for more information.

The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension as well as logical and verbal reasoning proficiency. The LSAT is given remotely (at home) or in person at an approved testing center. Visit the LSAT testing website for more information.

The Praxis tests measure the knowledge and skills individuals need to prepare for the classroom as an educator. The Praxis Exam is given remotely (at home) or in person at an approved testing center. Visit the Praxis testing website for more information.

Learn about the Kentucky requirements

Working in conjunction with the Hutson School of Agriculture for the benefit of their Unmanned Aerial Systems program, the suite of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) exams will be offered. The FAA's Airman Knowledge Testing Program includes exams for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drone Operators), Instrument Rating Airplane, Private Pilot Airplane, Aviation Maintenance Technician and many others. 

Learn about PSI/FAA exams

For a tutorial video on how to register for these exams, click the link:  PSI/FAA Registration Tutorial Video

The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. The TOEFL is given remotely (at home) or in person at an approved testing center. Visit the TOEFL testing website for more information.

View TOEFL Online Study Materials

AP gives students the chance to tackle college-level work while they're still in high school—whether they're learning online or in the classroom. And through taking AP Exams, students can earn college credit and placement.

To be considered for credit, an official score report must be mailed to the Admissions Office from the specific testing service's national headquarters.

Testing credit may not be used to repeat a course taken previously and will be awarded only to students enrolled at Murray State.

Although Murray State accepts each of the AP tests listed, credit will not be awarded for two or more that have significantly similar subject content.

View current AP Exam Equivalencies