Physics and Astronomy Department
The Physics placement exam will be available June 1, 2025. Its purpose is to determine which
introductory physics course is most appropriate for you. It is not expected that you will study for
this exam, or that you will know the answers to all the questions. When we use your exam to
place you in a course, we assume that you took the exam honestly; that is, you did your best but
did not consult with any outside sources.
AP Physics Students -- If you have taken any AP Physics exam, we suggest you wait until you
receive your score so that it can be entered appropriately in the exam.
The exam should take between 20-60 minutes. Read the instructions below to get started.
General advice: Quit all programs that might interrupt you while taking the exam (email, instant
messaging, Facebook, etc).
- Have pen/pencils, paper and while not needed, a basic five-function calculator (one that
has no graphing or algebraic solving functions) handy. No other resources are allowed
(no review books, flash cards, etc.) - Set aside at least 60 minutes for the exam. Experience has shown that this time is more
than adequate to complete the exam. Give it your best effort, but if a problem is
completely unfamiliar to you, do not waste time trying to figure it out! - To access the exam, log in to Nexus as follows:
- Go to Nexus. Enter your username and password, then click on the login button.
- Your username is the first seven letters of your last name, plus the first letter of
your first name, and your password is the same one you use for your Union email
account. Any difficulties in logging in should first be addressed by following the
directions given in the window from IT Help Desk, helpdesk@union.edu - Some students share the same last name and first initial, and may have a slightly
different username, e.g. smithj3. You will have been given this username as part
of your email information. - Under “My Courses”, click on the current year’s “Physics Placement Exam.” A
page opens where you will see the actual Physics placement exam. Please follow
all instructions given on the exam. The exam consists of two parts: a
questionnaire and the actual exam. You must complete the questionnaire before
you can access the Physics placement exam.
If you should have any questions or issues, please contact Prof. Mann, mannn@union.edu.