How does AP Calc affect the math placement?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Davis
1

<p>So I took AP Calculus this year (senior year) and will be attending Davis next year. I’m 99.999% sure that I got at least a 3 (passing) on the Calculus exam, if not a 5. So my question is, I just got the email regarding the math placement test. Does passing the AP exam automatically entitle you to a certain placement, or how does the AP exam affect this?</p>

2

<p>It used to be like that, but starting Fall 2010, they changed it so that there is no longer a way to be exempt from taking the test. (everyone takes the test, regardless of AP/SAT-M scores)</p>

<p>“For Fall 2010 registration, ALL students who register in MAT 12, 16A, 17A, 21A, 21AH, or 36, will be required to take the Precalculus Diagnostic Exam. This means we will no longer accept SAT-M or AP scores. For MAT 16A, 17A, or 21A, you are required to take the Precalculus Diagnostic Exam regardless if you passed MAT 12 (or an equivalent course elsewhere). In other words, remember this: everyone is taking the exam.”</p>

3

<p>assuming I pass the AP exam though I would be taking Math 21C, not A or B since I have already done fundamental theorem of calculus and volume by rotation and such.</p>

<p>But I still have to take it? That’s really, really stupid.</p>

4

<p>Lol yeah I have taken AP Calc A/B and a Math 1B course at my JC, but I don’t know how/if I would be able to bypass 17A to go on to B >< (it isn’t recommended to jump into C, even with 2 years of calculus)</p>

5

<p>Huh? According to the description for Math 21B,</p>

<p>21B. Calculus (4)
Lecture—3 hours; discussion—1 hour. Prerequisite: course 21A or 21AH. Continuation of course 21A. Definition of definite integral, fundamental theorem of calculus, techniques of integration. Application to area, volume, arc length, average of a function, improper integral, surface of revolution. Only 2 units of credit to students who have completed course 16B, 16C, 17B, or 17C. GE credit: SciEng.—I, II, III. (I, II, III.)</p>

<p>All of which we already did in second semester of AP calc.</p>

<p>So why wouldn’t I take part C?</p>

6

<p>you can only pass out of calc B with a FIVE on BC.</p>

<p>also, itz an easy A to take 21B again</p>

7

<p>What do you need to pass out of A?</p>

8

<p>a 4+ on AB or a 4+ on BC</p>

<p>[UC</a> Davis : Advanced Placement](<a href=“http://admissions.ucdavis.edu/admissions/fr_ap.cfm]UC”>Undergraduate Admissions)</p>

9

<p>I think it’s just a good idea to not jump to the C course at the university level with only high school prep. It doesn’t do you any harm to at least take the B course again for review.</p>

10

<p>Unless your HS curriculum was incredibly thorough, like at a topnotch math-science magnet school, you should look at the actual course syllabus of classes (go read powerpoints or etc) and decide if you should skip any classes, if at all. I highly would not recommend skipping anything more than B, just because the college curriculum could be so different.</p>