My son found out he only needs to take the Accuplacer to test in to Calculus. He doesn’t need to do the other Accuplacer tests.
The school he will be attending is an hour and a half away and our neighbor is bringing her daughter tomorrow morning to take the Accuplacer at the same college. She just offered to bring my son so he can take his Accuplacer too.There are still time slots available.
Do you think I should have my son take the Accuplacer test tomorrow even though he didn’t study or do any of the practice books?
Or, should he wait, do the practice tests and then take the test another time? I was trying to save myself driving an hour and a half to the college just for him to take the test. Our MAC computer was stolen out of my son’s bag when he went to the gym. So right now we do not have a computer that is capable of taking the Accuplacer at home.
So my question is: Does he really need to study for the Accuplacer before he takes it tomorrow?
Depends on how strong your son is in math. Also whether the college allows a retake if results the 1st time aren’t good enough to place into Calculus. Does he need to place into Calculus to be on track for his major?
This question is actually more complicated than you realize, perhaps. Is it a placement test for a community college or four year? Is he majoring in something that relies on a math sequence, or not? In other words, does he need to get to a certain level in math to complete his degree (in which case, studying for the test will likely mean he places much higher in the sequence and ultimately has to take fewer courses), or does he just need to take one math class no matter where he places (in which case, challenging himself will only make him have to do higher math and potentially get a lower grade in that course in college)?
I think he should probably study (as is usually recommended) before taking the test, but if he has the option of a retake, it might make sense to take it tomorrow.
Make sure your son is invested in doing the best he can for this test. As mentioned above, placement below his actual knowledge and ability level could waste valuable time and money. My son didn’t study and blew off his Accuplacer test at community college. He placed into Intermediate Algebra (equivalent of high school Algebra II), a developmental (remedial) course, even though he had completed Precalculus in high school.
Thank you. He is majoring in accounting and going to a 4 year university… In order for him to take Calculus in the fall, he has to pass the Calculus Accuplacer. If he doesn’t pass the test, he has to take Pre Calc as a freshman in college and then can take Calculus if he does well in that.
Yes, he should study using the practice questions provided. (My D took it last fall for dual enrollment–I don’t think she would’ve passed without practicing.)
I’m going to caution in the reverse…placement in a class above his level could be equally as problematic. Failing a class and having to retake it will cause just as much wasted time, plus the GPA repercussions. College math is not the same as HS. He needs a strong foundation, especially as an accounting major.
IMO the point of the placement tests is to really figure out what a student needs to be taking in college. If someone is borderline, I think it’s best to repeat the course in college.
Agreed, @momofsenior1 . However, Accuplacer is a notoriously bizarre test that sometimes has questions that can throw a kid who generally knows his or her stuff. Also, if the college hasn’t validated their cut scores well, which many do not, then it can often inaccurately place students many levels below where they should place.
http://math.buffalo.edu/rur/rurci3.cgi may be helpful in letting him know what topics he needs to know before calculus 1, even though it is not Accuplacer. But if has trouble on that quiz, taking the Accuplacer now will probably result in a low placement.