Embarking on your computer science journey? The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington is thrilled to welcome you! Whether you’re entirely new to programming or bringing prior experience, our introductory computer science courses, including CSE 121, CSE 122, and CSE 123, are crafted to suit all students, regardless of background or aspirations. To ensure you begin with the course that’s the right fit for you, we’ve developed the Paul G. Allen School’s Guided Self-Placement. This tool is designed to help you navigate your options, especially considering that prior experience can vary widely.
If you’re a complete beginner to programming, or have limited exposure, CSE 121 is likely your ideal starting point. This course is specifically tailored for students with no prior programming background. Those who have completed a high school programming course comparable to a first college-level course, such as AP Computer Science A or IB Computer Science, will typically find CSE 122 a more appropriate starting point. For students with substantial prior programming experience, CSE 123 might even be the right course to jump into. The Paul G. Allen School’s guided self-placement is designed to clarify this decision for you. It will present questions regarding your past coursework and experiences, your familiarity with key computer science topics, and your comfort level with problem-solving exercises.
This self-placement tool is adaptive, meaning the questions you encounter and their sequence are tailored to your responses. This ensures a personalized experience for each student. If you revisit and modify your answers, you might see different questions appear, allowing the tool to gather the most relevant information to recommend the best course for your individual needs. During the Paul G. Allen School’s guided self-placement, you might encounter terms or concepts that are new to you. Don’t worry! If a topic is unfamiliar, it simply indicates that you should likely enroll in a course where that concept will be taught from the ground up. We encourage you to answer all questions honestly, based on your current knowledge and experience.
We are confident that the guided self-placement will assist the majority of students in selecting the most suitable course. However, if you still have questions after completing it, our dedicated course placement advising team is here to provide further assistance. Feel free to reach out to them at [email protected] with any inquiries related to CSE 12X Self-Placement.
When you’re ready to discover your ideal starting point, simply click the button below to begin your Paul G. Allen School’s Guided Self-Placement journey.
