2025 Advanced Standing Exams participation decreases for 5.111 and 6.100A
5.111 ASE pass rate declines by 14%, 8.01 ASE pass rate increases by 11%
Vivian Hir–The Tech
This year, Advanced Standing Exams (ASEs) for the 18.01, 18.02, 8.01, 7.01, and 6.100A exams were held online from July 24 to Aug. 6. However, the 5.111 ASE returned to an in-person format after being administered online from 2020 to 2024; it took place on Aug. 25 during Orientation Week. The remaining exams (18.03, 18.06, 5.12, 8.03, 8.04) happened in-person on Sept. 2, Registration Day. Unlike previous years, the 8.02 ASE was not offered this summer, with the next 8.02 exam offered in-person during IAP.
According to Associate Dean and Director of First Year Advising & Programming Elizabeth Young, the pass rate for the 5.111 ASE exam decreased from 39.1% in 2024 to 25.0% in 2025; the number of test takers decreased by 17.4%, from 184 in 2024 to 152 in 2025. As with past years, the Chemistry Department declined to provide information about the results of the 5.12 (Organic Chemistry I) ASE.
In addition, the 6.100A ASE had the highest number of test takers (387) with a 86.0% passing rate that mirrored 2024’s rate of 88.0%. However, the number of test takers for 6.100A declined by 15.3%, as 457 took the test in 2024. The 7.01x exam had the second-highest number of test takers (334) with a 74.0% passing rate, an increase from 64.1% in 2024.
The 8.01 exam passing rate increased from 28.0% in 2024 to 39.0% in 2025. The Physics Department did not provide data about the number of test takers for the 2025 8.01 ASE. 8.03 and 8.04 ASE test results were not shared with The Tech by the time of publication.
The passing rates for this year’s math ASEs (18.01, 18.02, 18.03, 18.06) were similar to last year’s rates. 18.01 and 18.02 had a passing rate of 27.3% and 78.5%, respectively. Out of 132 18.01 ASE test takers, 36 passed both parts and enrolled in 18.02, while 61 students passed the first part and enrolled in 18.01A. The number of test takers for the 18.01 ASE increased by 23.4% from 107 in 2024 to 132 in 2025, whereas the number of test takers for its 18.02 counterpart decreased slightly by 8.4% from 320 in 2024 to 293 in 2025.
The 18.02, 18.03, and 18.06 ASEs will be offered during finals week of the fall term. ASEs will also be administered during IAP in late January or early February of 2026. Starting in January 2026, the EECS Department will offer the 6.120 ASE.