<p>As I understand it, beyond placements test you can also take these exams to get credit for calculus and physics courses. I was wondering if anyone knew exactly what topics were covered in both, or one of, the exams or could give a high school class comparison on material covered.</p>
<p>The placement exams automatically transfer to credits if you do well. I was placed out of the entire 150 sequence, and I automatically received credits for 151, 152 and 153 without any more tests. The exam covered materials all the way up to Calculus BC (plus the epsilon-delta proof… I think). There are no separate accreditation exams in addition to the placement exams. In short, you’ll just be writing one exam, not two. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.</p>
<p>Let me be more specific. There are two parts to the exam. The first part is called the ‘mathematics placement test’. This part covers basic concepts (pre-calculus - only multiple choice I believe). The second part is called the ‘Calculus accreditation exam’. You will be receiving up to three credits (151, or 151 plus 152, or 151 plus 152 plus 153) for this part if you do well. This part covers Calculus topics (multiple choice/guess and written). Please refer to the following excerpts for details.</p>
<p>Feel free to shoot me a private message.</p>
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<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.math.uchicago.edu/undergraduate/placement.pdf[/url]”>http://www.math.uchicago.edu/undergraduate/placement.pdf</a></p>
<p>That will help you with the math; I’m unfamiliar with physics. Things have changed a bit - everyone must take the mathematics exam now, which is online. Even just last year, it wasn’t that way for me; I got away with just taking the calculus exam, and like Divine Comedy I placed out of the 150s and into 199. If you want to receive credit/place out, take the calculus placement exam. This will be all calculus content, mostly multiple choice with a handful of tough open-answer questions in the end. You can expect the multiple choice to be much like the BC calculus exam or so in difficulty. </p>
<p>The tough questions at the end are designed to cull those who qualify for 199, 203, or 207. If you can answer any of the questions at all, give it a shot; it can’t hurt you, since there are no penalties for trying. Do your best and you may be pleasantly surprised. If you find these questions easy, you’re probably 207 material (that will lead to an interesting year, to say the least). If you’re like me and you find about 1 or 2 questions doable and just scribbled something down for the rest but found the multiple choice section easy, you’re probably bound for 199. Also, even though the college doesn’t place you into 203 to my knowledge, anyone in 199 can move up into the accelerated (Rudin) 203 section if they so desire. If you’re curious about this, send me a PM.</p>
<p>I see, that cleared up a lot, thank you to both of you. Unfortunately I did not take AP Calculus, but a SUPA Calculus class (Syracuse University) and I know the curricula (I hope that’s right) are a little different. But from what you showed me I think I covered most of those topics and possibly more, but some of those just sound like gibberish to me anyway e.g. “geometric applications of integration” sounds very vague to me.
Did you guys have to go back over topics to do well or did you remember well enough for it to come together for you while taking the test, because I’m not so confident in my ability to remember a lot of the more detailed things I learned?</p>
<p>Edit: I found a course outline. So I know I didn’t cover some of the topics that AP Calc would have covered.
- Review of Pre-Calculus: a) trigonometry; b) graphing of functions; c) special functions, including <em>x</em>, sgn x, and [x].</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Limits (including one-sided and at V): a) definitions (intuitive and formal); b) techniques of evaluation.</p></li>
<li><p>Continuity: a) definitions (at a point and on an interval); b) the Intermediate Value Theorem; c) use of IVT for numerical approximation of roots.</p></li>
<li><p>Derivatives: a) definition; b) geometric and physical interpretation; c) formulas for xn, sin x, and cos x; d) product, quotient, and chain rules; e) implicit differentiation; f) higher derivatives; g) Rolle’s Theorem and the Mean Value Theorem for derivatives; h) differentials; i) anti-derivatives.</p></li>
<li><p>Applications of Derivatives: a) increasing and decreasing functions; b) critical points and extreme values; c) max-min problems; d) related rate problems; e) concavity and inflection points; f) linear approximation; g) error estimates; h) Newton’s Method.</p></li>
<li><p>Brief Review of Conic Sections.</p></li>
<li><p>Definite Integral: a) definition (area under a curve, Riemann sum); b) average value of a function; c) Mean Value Theorem for integrals; d) Fundamental Theorem of Calculus (two versions); e) integrals of xn, sin x, and cos x; f) substitution in an integral.</p></li>
<li><p>Applications of the Definite Integral: a) areas between curves; b) volumes and surface areas of solids of revolution; c) arc lengths of curves; d) work done by a force; e) force due to fluid pressure.</p></li>
<li><p>Calculator Programs: a) numerical approximation of limits and derivatives; b) Newton’s Method; c) finite sums; d) Riemann sums; e) numerical approximation of integrals by Midpoint Rule; Trapezoid Rule; Simpson’s Rule.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>All of those topics that you listed are exam materials. My suggestion is that you should briefly review those topics, but do not study topics that you have not learned. After all, you want the exam to be a realistic reflection of your mathematical knowledge. Also, the epsilon-delta proof is a small but a hot exam topic that will most likely appear on the written section. Just a warning!</p>
<p>I agree with Divine Comedy. As you already seem to realize, you don’t actually need to have taken AP calculus to place out of calculus so long as you do well on the material. If you’re really hardcore, buy a used copy of Spivak on Amazon and look through it, but like Divine Comedy said - don’t go crazy, you’ll just be screwing yourself over if you end up in a class that you don’t belong. </p>
<p>The rule of thumb is to review all you want - but try to avoid teaching yourself things. That might lead to holes in your knowledge that will probably come back to haunt on you a midterm or final years down the road. That wouldn’t be too much fun.</p>
<p>You definitely don’t need to have taken AP Calc - I took IB Math HL which covered most of the same topics. And the test really isn’t that ridiculous; if you know the material, and do some basic review you are pretty likely to get credit.</p>
<p>So, if you get the credit does that mean you are not required to take any math because you’ve met the GenEd requirements? Does a 5 on the AP Calc AB test get you out of the math requirements?</p>
<p>Sorry — never mind – I just followed the link at #3 posted by physiocrat … Thanks!</p>