General Chemistry and Placement Requirements

UC Davis students work in groups during a Chemistry 2B lab at UC Davis on Monday, May 5, 2014. The students were looking for chemical equilibrium using observational color shifts.

Placement Requirement

All students who register in CHE 2A or CHE 4A are required to either (a) earn a qualifying score on the Chemistry Placement, or (b) earn a C- or higher in CHE 1/1V. Students who do not satisfy this requirement to remain enrolled in general chemistry will be administratively dropped from the course by the Department of Chemistry. There are no exceptions to this policy.

More information about the Chemistry Placement can be found here:

General information about Chemistry Placement

Chemistry Placement for Orientation

Chemistry Placement FAQ

More information about CHE 1/1V can be found here.

The Academic Assistance and Tutoring Center provides review materials, workshops, drop-in and group tutoring, and additional resources. 

Incoming students and students who are enrolling in CHE 2A/CHE 4A will be emailed a link for the chemistry placement. Students can also manually register for the placement here. (Note - registration will not be available until 11am the date of the testing window).

Upcoming Placement Windows

New Student Orientation 2025 Chemistry Placement:

College of Letters and Science: June 2 (11am PST) - June 9 (11am PST)

College of Biological Sciences: June 2 (11am PST) - June 9 (11am PST)

College of Engineering: June 9 (11am PST) - June 16 (11am PST)

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: June 9 (11am PST) - June 16 (11am PST)

Graduate School of Management: June 9 (11am PST) - June 16 (11am PST)

 

Summer Session 1 2025 Chemistry Placement :

June 16 - June 24

Summer Session 2 2025 Placement :

July 28th - August 5

Fall 2025 Chemistry Placement :

1st placement window – September 3 - September 9
2nd placement window – September 24 - September 30 

Winter 2026 Chemistry Placement :

1st placement window – December 10 - December 16
2nd placement window – January 5 - January 13

Students enrolled (or waitlisted) in CHE 2A or 4A for the upcoming term, but who have not yet received a qualifying score on the Chemistry Placement or a C- or higher in CHE 1/1V, will be sent exam instructions via email in the days leading up to the first date of the testing window. 

Those who are not enrolled or waitlisted can also manually register here at the start of each placement window.


Laboratory Section

All students enrolled in chemistry lab courses are required to follow the safety rules. These rules are mandatory and expected from all students at all times, including the FIRST DAY of lab. Please familiarize yourself with the information before your first scheduled lab.

Of special note is the required safety apparel:

  • ANSI-compliant, indirectly-vented, chemical splash safety goggles
  • 100% cotton lab coat
  • Closed-toe, closed-heel shoes
  • Clothing that completely covers your arms and legs

Students are also required to have a current lab manual. Manuals are provided below in PDF form for viewing and downloading. They are also available for purchase at the UC Davis Bookstore.

Safety goggles and lab coats are available for purchase at the UC Davis Bookstore. As a part of our "Green Lab" initiative, your lab coat and goggles may be donated at the end of the quarter to be washed and sold at a reduced rate. We encourage you to buy used when available.

 

Course Materials