Networking, Security, and Systems Administration Placement Exams

Every quarter, the department of Networking, Security, and Systems Administration at RIT offers students the opportunity to place out of selected Networking and Systems Administration courses. This opportunity is based on the fact that many students have pre-existing skills and knowledge that satisfy the requirements of a particular course. If you are interested in the placement exams, the following information is provided to assist you in preparing for the examinations.

Credit or Waiver

Successful completion of any placement exam does NOT give you credit for the course. Upon successful completion of a placement exam, the course will be waived as a requirement and a NSSA elective must be completed to fulfill the credit hour requirements.

The Examinations

Placing out of any Networking or Systems Administration course requires passing two examinations (one written and one practical) with a score of 85% or better on each examination.

Written Examination - The written examination questions may be any combination of multiple choice, matching, true/false or short answer. You may use one 8 x 11 double-sided handwritten crib sheet in the exam. Click on the applicable link below to see what material is covered on the exam.

Practical Examination - The practical examination is normally given upon successful completion of the written examination. NOTE: If you do not pass the written examination, you will not be afforded the opportunity to take the practical examination. The practical examination requires a hands-on demonstration of your skills and abilities in the subject for the course that you are testing out of. For information on the specific knowledge you will be tested on please click on the appropriate link below.

Examination Dates & Registration Requirements

The placement exams are given in two parts, a written exam and a practical hands-on exam. The dates for the written examinations for the current academic year are in the table below. If you plan to take a written placement exam you must register for the exam by sending an email to informaticsugrad@rit.edu specifying your name, which exam you wish to take, and on which date you would like to take the exam.

Examination Times

You will be allotted two or three hours to complete the written exam. If you successfully pass the written exam with a score of 85% or better, a time will be scheduled for you to take the practical examination. If you have a conflict with the scheduled times or you want to take multiple placement exams, please send an email to informaticsugrad@rit.edu to see if alternate arrangements can be made.

Examination Location

All written exams will be administered at the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences (building 70) in the room indicated. Students interested in taking the placement exam need to email informaticsugrad@rit.edu indicating which exam they plan to take. The exams are offered on the Friday of week 3 in fall, winter and spring quarters to test out for the following quarter. The location of the practical exam will be determined upon successful completion of the written exam.

Summer 084 Placement exams will be offered by request only.

Email informaticsugrad@rit.edu to request a time for 084.

Examination Schedule