<p>Do you need to take them? No.</p>
<p>But whether you should take them depends on the strength of the rest of your app, and your economic status (low income, inner city students are given a pass…), and whether you think you can score high (relative to the campuses to which you are applying).</p>
<p>As others have noted, if you are applying to Engineering or physical science programs, Math 2 is typical; most successful applicants will take it and score well.</p>