All students who enter Penn State as first-semester students must take placement tests to determine the best courses with which to start. These tests are taken by students only after they accept the offer of admission from Penn State and are not designed to deny any program. Presently, students take placement tests in math, chemistry, and English and the readiness level, as evaluated by the tests, is used in developing an appropriate course schedule for each student's first semester.

As part of the First-Year Testing, Counseling & Advising Program (FTCAP), all first-semester students in the College of Engineering must attend an information session about the degree requirements for the majors offered by the College at the location where they will begin their degree program. Immediately after the information session, students will work with advisers and faculty to develop a course schedule for their first semester. The course schedule is based on the results of the placement tests, the student's goals and interests, advanced placement or transfer credits, and course availability of electives.

Information about scheduling the placement tests and about the counseling and advising session will be sent to students after they accept the offer of admission. The scheduling and administering of FTCAP is done by the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS). For more information, contact the DUS FTCAP office directly at 814-865-2578. The College of Engineering is only one of the participants in the program and relies on DUS for the names of the students and their dates of participation.

Students who have earned at least 18 credits at another institution after graduating from high school are considered for admission as advanced standing or transfer students and are therefore not required to participate in FTCAP. If appropriate and relevant, they may, however, be asked to take one or more of the placement tests to help in the scheduling of appropriate courses.