<p>so we had our first big test in calculus BC today, and well, it didn't go so well, so far the best grade on the test is 62 from what I've heard. I got in the 40s, which I admit, when I see something that i have no clue how to do I freak out, when in reality its easy. I could have easily gotten a 75+ by just thinking on one problem. I don't expect anyone to get higher than a 75 though. Do you think the teacher should curve the test because it was just too hard? How can anyone get an A in the class when your test grade is in the low Cs and Ds?</p>
<p>As far as fair goes? probably not. Same thing is happening in my BC class though. Luckily I got a 71, which was second to a 76 for highest grade. Most of my class got around a 50. Our excuse is that our teacher is a vampire...</p>
<p>Did the teacher apply the same grading procedure to all students? Then yeah, it is fair. You said it yourself, you could have done better. Therefore the teacher doesn't have to curve anything. Stop complaining and go study.</p>
<p>Wow...that is pretty low. I mean you guys are probably only doing limits. It could not have been that hard?? Anyway, once you are a year or more past calculus, limits will seem so basic. Like if you were in Precalculus and you saw what they were doing in Algebra 1, you would think that the algebra is so basic.</p>
<p><i>It is fair for the teacher not to curve the test</i> That was the score you earned.</p>
<p>However, the class clearly needs help and the teacher needs to come up with a plan that will help students learn the material and is not so harsh on the students' grades.</p>
<p>"Wow...that is pretty low. I mean you guys are probably only doing limits. It could not have been that hard??"</p>
<p>Just for reference, BC is Calculus II. They are past limits.</p>
<p>No, some schools do Calculus I and Calculus II in BC...It really depends. Most schools do calculus I and Calculus II in BC so you don't have to do AP calculus AB before.</p>
<p>Yeah I skipped from Pre-Cal to BC, which includes Calc 1 and 2. The test I talked about was primarily on related rates.</p>
<p>You must have had a slow BC class...rates take less than two days to go over.</p>
<p>my latin class is like that. the highest non-honors grade (we're both in the same physical classroom), was a 69. No joke. After about 25 girls getting all their parents and force, he gave them a 30 point bonus.</p>
<p>Were they questions from the AP exam? If so, I think it's entirely fair if there was a tiny curve.
If around a 50% can get you a 3 on the exam (don't yell at me if I'm wrong on that, I'm just guessing based on other AP's), then a 50% could relatively relate to a 70 in your class.</p>
<p>But to curve it so that the highest scorer has an A? Tough.</p>
<p>first of all, at my school, calculus AB is a prerequisite to BC. none of this skipping AB stuff. and yes, the 4 questions (which we were supposed to be able to answer in 45 minutes) were all past AP free response questions. i agree too, not make the highest grade (78) a 100, but rather curve the test at least 15% to give people a fighting chance in their grade.</p>
<p>My teacher just put our grade about 10 points higher for our report cards. He said that that was the grade we probably would've gotten if he weren't such a hardass. Calc can be hard, but that curve certainly made my B- seem a lot better.</p>
<p>That's about the same grading scale my teacher used in the beginning. Once you get used to the course, it really isn't that hard. :)</p>
<p>^ seconded. Calc gets easier after you go backwards =/</p>
<p>Rates are a b*^%#, though, if i recall. Easy at first, but some problems can just be plain annoying.</p>
<p>Teachers aren't required to curve. So the answer to 'is this fair' is yes. But would it be nice for your teach to curve? Heck yeah.</p>
<p>i understand teacher's are required to curve, and maybe i worded the question wrong. i'm saying, if everyone did so poorly on the test, does that mean the test was fair?</p>
<p>"i understand teacher's are required to curve"</p>
<p>They aren't required to curve.</p>
<p>"if everyone did so poorly on the test, does that mean the test was fair?"</p>
<p>Did the teacher tell you the material that was going to be on the test? Then yes, it is fair. Difficulty does not factor into fairness.</p>
<p>sorry... that above post is supposed to read "i understand teachers are NOT required to curve...", i'm just wondering on what your experiences are with tests like this. just this one test might have really messed up my chances of getting an A in the class.</p>