<p>The CPE for C117, while possibly straightforward, is not easy at all, especially if all you took in high school was one semester/year (depending on if the high school was block scheduling or not) of basic chemistry. If you took AP Chem in high school on the other hand, then you would have a good chance of doing well on the CPE and then getting into C117 right off the bat. If you just had one year, then you’d probably do poorly on the CPE and then need to take C103 before getting into C117 the next semester. This is perfectly fine, though. Just taking “a chemistry class” in high school is absolutely not enough for the CPE/C117. If that class were as rigorous and as well-taught as AP Chem without actually being AP Chem, then yes, that would probably be fine, but AP Chem is what really prepares high school students for C117.</p>
<p>My friend who took AP Chem and got a 2150 on his SAT (I include this seemingly irrelevant detail as a testament to his intelligence) only got a 19/30 on the CPE this previous summer when trying to get into C117, and the cutoff is 17/30. This test is by no means easy, and if you get an exceptional score on it without taking AP Chem in high school, then you either had an amazing and overly difficult regular chemistry class in high school, got help from someone who knew what they were doing and you will likely struggle in C117 from the getgo, or you are randomly naturally awesome at chemistry.</p>