I’m reasonably sure that I’ve mastered multivab and diff eqs, and the topics in math 311. Do they have tests that you can take and therefore skip the course? Also, I’m thinking about double majoring in physics and EE, is there some hidden catch to this? Is it possible to graduate within 4 years given you IB’ed english 104 and can you even IB/AP core uni electives? ty!
You’d have to check with the specific department for each class to see if they’ll allow to to challenge a class by examination. Some will, some won’t.
k tyty 
@SerenePotato All science and engineering students take the Math Placement Exam (MPE) on their second day of their NSC. That test determines what math course you go straight into and I think that will let you test out of Math 311. Good luck!
I don’t think so, at most it places you either in calc 1 or the class below calc 1. I doubt it can test whether you can skip multivab and diff eqs because it is too short
There are ways to accept classes outside of AP exams, however they are supposed to exist for classes outside of 100 and 200 level classes.( search Texas A&M DARS placement exams or credit by Department or CLEP exams ) The purpose of lower-level classes is to give you a variety of information.
But 300 and 400 level classes are classes that you could, theoretically, research how to do on your own because they are application based. The point of taking 300 level classes is to prove that you understand the material on the same level as everyone else from that school that you wish to have the credit for I giving you both the same opportunities to try application. For example , you may have taken a coding class in high school, but engineering 111 and 112 we’ll see if you can code proficiently to an industry standard. It’s not a matter of if you can or can’t code, to matter up if you’ve met the standard at A&M expect for all of it students. That is why there’s no exam for diff EQ or math 311 and some schools are even omitting Cal 3 by putting the multivariable part inside their Cal one and two programs.
As far as double-majoring EE and physics goes, it should be a minimum of four and a half years. Because you can no longer AP exam out of physics 208 because they’ve crossed listed it with the new engineering 111 112 class and you won’t finish your course series to get to your senior Capstone until you take five classes after 2:08 plus your senior design.
Since they are doing away with physics 208 and 218, 222 will also not count for at a elective for EE. The only way you could do a double major in physics with electrical now, would require you to take 6 to 11 hours of summer school each semester. ( depending on how many AP / IB credit you have ) Even then I think you would land in four and a half years. Because of the new engineering to the x Factor, electrical engineering may strongly encourage/ require you to do a summer research project or earn an internship which will require one full summer.
I don’t want this to seem like a sad post, but and they are trying really hard to make their engineering program give students a more unique experience compared to their counterparts across the country. But checking all the boxes to do a double major in 4 years and two very specific fields seems very difficult due to the way a bachelor’s degree is designed wherever you go. It’s more common for someone to try to graduate in 3 and 1/2 years or three years and earn a master in one year inside their subsequent discipline.
The reason AP exam credit and IB placement credit are not really useful to help you graduate in 4 years, is because physics and electrical engineering both have a lot of co-requisite classes and A&M knows that students who are in the top 25% of their class most likely have AP and IB credit to accept intro classes. They can make their co-requisite classes are arranged in a way that it doesn’t help you get ahead in your coursework.
But if you’re desperate for a physics double major, it works better with industrial and mechanical and, most importantly, interdisciplinary engineering because they will take physics classes at electives and interdisciplinary lets you choose up to 33 hours of electives as long as they’re in technical courses.
Just a thought… minor in Physics vs. double major. Many engineers end up minoring in a science or math. Yes, you can use AP/IB credit for Core requirements - many students do that and vast majority of freshman have tested out of English 104. Here’s the list:http://testing.tamu.edu/TestingServices/media/Media/PDFs/AP.pdf and search this one for IB http://testing.tamu.edu/AP-IB-Credit
do check with your major as to what THE DEPARTMENT wants you to complete at TAMU. You may be entitled to credit but your major is often picky about what they’ll credit you with towards graduation in that major.