Math/Chem placement tests

Colleges and Universities A-Z Penn State
1

<p>Is chemistry a required course at Penn State?
I will most likely have 7 (4 from AP Bio, 3 from AP Env Sci) science credits, and you need 9, but I was hoping I could get two from other courses.
I know there are chem placement tests which makes me think that it is required.</p>

<p>Also for the math placement tests, I took a practice and got 57%. I did great with the algebra, but then it came to trig functions and I completely forgot all of those since last year. I didn't take pre-calc or calc this year. I know I will have to take math, but will I have to take remedial courses in math? Also should I brush up on my trig functions before the exam, I know I can memorize them its just that I thought I would never need them again.</p>

2

<p>If I were you I would look at the recommended academic plans and see what the recommended courses are for your intended major.</p>

<p>[Recommended</a> Academic Plans - Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) - Pennsylvania State University](<a href=“http://dus.psu.edu/students/sem_plans.html]Recommended”>http://dus.psu.edu/students/sem_plans.html)</p>

<p>Not everyone needs to take chemistry but most science and engineering majors do. The FITCAP tests will provide guidance to the math and chemistry courses you should start with if you need them for your major.</p>

3

<p>No, chemistry is not required as a general education requirement (referred to everywhere as “Gen Eds”). Many majors have it as a requirement, but depending on yours, you may never do chem again. You will have to take the placement exam as part of FTCAP regardless. </p>

<p>The goal of any placement test is to figure out what the best starting point is for you – and by best, we mean “most likely to be a good combination of successful and educational”. You really don’t want to play the system, that only gives you a falsely high sense of placement and there you are, in a class you can’t really handle. I would review trig functions, but again, this depends on your major. If you are a comm major, or theatre major, or secondary ed English major, you can easily take a basic college math class and do perfectly fine if you do the work. If you are a science/engineering/math major, not so much!</p>

4

<p>So where did you find practice tests?</p>

5

<p><a href=“https://cbt.site.psu.edu/PracticeFtcap/[/url]”>https://cbt.site.psu.edu/PracticeFtcap/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>You dont have to take chemistry, just math. If you are in a chemistry type major then yu have to.</p>