THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT ON BEGINNING CHEMISTRY AND THEIR BACKGROUND PRIOR TO ENROLLMENT IN THE COURSE. OF THE 609 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN BEGINNING CHEMISTRY IN THE 1964-65 ACADEMIC YEAR, 45 PERCENT RECEIVED GRADES OF A, B, OR C. OF THE GROUP STUDIED, 23 PERCENT WERE REPEATING THE COURSE, AND 58 PERCENT HAD COMPLETED HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY. GROUPS IN WHICH OVER HALF OF THE STUDENTS SUCCEEDED WERE (1) THOSE WHO HAD COMPLETED A YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY, (2) THOSE REPEATING A COLLEGE CHEMISTRY COURSE, (3) THOSE WHO HAD COMPLETED MATHEMATICS THROUGH TRIGONOMETRY BEFORE THE CHEMISTRY COURSE, (4) THOSE WHO WERE ENROLLED FOR 12 TO 15 UNITS OF CREDIT, AND (5) THOSE WITH THREE OR MORE POINTS ON THE COLLEGE'S CHEMISTRY PLACEMENT TEST. LACK OF SUCCESS WAS NOTED AMONG THOSE WHO (1) HAD NO PREVIOUS CHEMISTRY EXPERIENCE, (2) RECEIVED TWO OR FEWER POINTS ON THE PLACEMENT TEST, (3) WERE ENROLLED IN FROM NINE TO 11 UNITS, AND (4) HAD NOT COMPLETED OR WERE NOT ENROLLED CONCURRENTLY IN TRIGONOMETRY. THESE FINDINGS LED TO RECOMMENDATIONS THAT (1) A NEW COURSE BE ESTABLISHED FOR THOSE WITH NO PREVIOUS CHEMISTRY, (2) STUDY LOADS OF CERTAIN STUDENTS SHOULD BE LIMITED, AND (3) CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE IN THE PREREQUISITES FOR THE CHEMISTRY PROGRAM AT THE COLLEGE. DETAILS OF SEVERAL RECOMMENDED PLANS, TABLES OF FINDINGS, AND COMPARISONS OF BEGINNING CHEMISTRY GRADES WITH THOSE EARNED IN LATER COURSES ARE INCLUDED. (WO)