Math Diagnostic Test

<p>ok I just got the email about the math placement test. I was going to open the web page and see the instructions and all but if I type in the password and user name will I be taken straight to the test? and thus start my time? I was more of just curious so I will wait but just wondering if anyone knows if I can open the link (and type in user name and password) or not. Also if I take the test online will it be considered in their office on the 16th if I take it on the 16th?</p>

<p>There will most certainly be a cover sheet on the exam (i.e. even opening the document to print it out won't start your time). I don't know the answer to your last question; I didn't know you could submit answers online, so I'd double check to make sure that's possible.</p>

<p>You can't submit the answers online, so you can't really "take the test online".</p>

<p>Has anyone already submitted his/her Final Transcript? Where should one send it?</p>

<p>o ok I see you just print it out off the internet I understand now.</p>

<p>do we just do the math diagnostic test on regular line paper and mail it in with the test?</p>

<p>That's what my son did!</p>

<p>Ben, what's the median score on the test? Not that I'm worried or anything (yeah right).</p>

<p>I have no idea what it was precisely : ). But I would hazard a guess that in the course for which this was the final, the median would have been in the mid-70s.</p>

<p>the diagnostic test is not the final in any course at caltech.</p>

<p>The placement tests for Ma1abc2ab are the ones commensurate to the corresponding finals.</p>

<p>ack! good call ilya. i misread the initial message... i guess i was talking about the math 1a placement exam or whatever.</p>

<p>i have no idea about the median for the calc diagnostic. i imagine you can make a few mistakes and still do fine.</p>

<p>Hmm, thanks. Also, as far as the exemption policy, can Math 1a alone be skipped? The letter seemed to imply that Math 1ab had to both skipped.</p>

<p>Yeah, they say you have to test out of math 1b to test out of 1a...</p>

<p>although there are two people in my class who somehow were allowed to test out of just a and c...</p>

<p>Is it looked down upon to go ahead and take math 1abc even if you've technically covered the material before?</p>

<p>I've taken multivariate and linear algebra (at Wellesley and independently following MIT's 18.06 curriculum, respectively), and everyone I've talked to says that Ma1 will in that case be repetitive. (And that, in any event, you don't pass the placement exams unless you should. Perhaps I'm just doubtful of this claim because of my sister's experience placing out of physics... she kept finding that whatever the placement exam said, Princeton's curriculum didn't quite line up with Caltech's.) </p>

<p>But my knowledge of the subjects is shaky at best; both classes were extremely practically oriented. I don't want to be bored, or give up the time for niftier classes, or not live up to Caltech's expectations given my high school transcript, but I don't want to end up completely lost all the time either! If I took 1abc I'd have time to learn the material fully, but I don't want to be lazy...</p>

<p>I know one person who knew 1ab and could have placed out easily but decided to take it just for her own good because she wanted to avoid rushing. She was easily the best student in the 1a class, but got little out of it and made an arrangement to do 1b over winter break so she could avoid more repetition. So it seems that when you pass out, it really does mean something, and you would probably not enjoy the decision to repeat the class.</p>

<p>I know what you mean about physics. I guess I had exactly your sister's situation. I came in with Princeton's PHY106 and while they let me out of 1bc (without an exam on that material, even!), I would have probably gotten a slightly more thorough education if I had taken it. So I am familiar with the feeling that you missed something by placing out... but as the first paragraph seems to show, people who go out of their way to avoid that feeling aren't always happy either.</p>

<p>oh by the way, Math 5b will cover all the theoretical aspects of 1b you might have missed.</p>

<p>Unless you become a troll you'll probably learn whatever you dont know from Ma1ab (if you test out) by helping your friends with homework, etc.
My impression is that the point of Ma1ab is to teach you what it means to write proofs (Ma1a) and what it means to think about algebraic structures (Ma1b), rather than actually learn any useful "facts" about math that you need in other classes...this is not quite the case in physics since a lot of Ph2/12 focuses on applying waves/QM/stat. mech concepts to various systems knowledge of which is assumed.</p>

<p>Is the work for Math 1 of the sort that would be reasonably simple if it did turn out to be mainly review? Would it be reasonable to take 1abc and 5 concurrently, expecting the workload for 1 to be (relatively) light, or is that schedule-wise/logic-wise unworkable?</p>

<p>I'm especially reluctant to try to place out because it's been 1-2 years since I learned this stuff, and sadly I haven't really been doing much math this year besides working on a little research project (which is in a rather obscure field).</p>

<p>Some frosh do take math 1 and 5 concurrently each year, however i am almost sure noone takes math 1 after testing out of it.
People at tech already spend too much time writing up homework sets relative to the time they spend learning, if you take Ma1 and know most of the material in advance this will be especially true- since the class is aimed at people who have never done rigorous math, you'll be expected to write up proofs of trivial results in excessive detail, worthwhile if youre learning how to write proofs for the first time but a waste of time otherwise. If you test out, any gaps in background from math 1 will easily be filled in Ma 5/108.</p>

<p>Also, Ma 2ab (differential equations and prob/stats) is a very uninteresting class for most math majors since it has long problem sets with mindless computation-intensive exercises, etc...thus making it much better suited to being taken freshman year on pass/fail so you dont feel you have to accurately answer every part of every problem of every set (which would teach you next to nothing but suck up valuable time), rather than sophomore year when youre on grades and presumably are taking 3-4 nontrivial math classes.</p>

<p>On the other hand, other than avoiding potential boredom and avoiding uninteresting exercises theres certainly no strategic disadvantage to not testing out of Ma 1 (since ma 2 isnt really a prerequisite for any classes you may take sophomore year).</p>

<p>
[quote]
Is the work for Math 1 of the sort that would be reasonably simple if it did turn out to be mainly review? Would it be reasonable to take 1abc and 5 concurrently, expecting the workload for 1 to be (relatively) light, or is that schedule-wise/logic-wise unworkable?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I agree with Ilya about the essence of Math 1. Simple -- so not burdensome intellectually -- but tedious and sometimes patronizing -- so can be burdensome time-wise. You will be asked for help with any interesting problems anyway, and it's not clear that you'll be all that excited about having to prove simple calculus facts in excruciating granularity. </p>

<p>(Beyond my one example, in my year, it is true virtually nobody takes Math 1 after placing out. She did take 1ac and 5 together, despite knowing most of 1. Poke me if you want her email address, since this seems to be a person who had exactly the experience you're considering.)</p>

<p>I slightly disagree with Ilya about 1b (that it is strictly for learning to think about algebraic structures and not facts). You learn some stuff about Hermitian matrices and the like which is good to know. However, this can be learnt in an afternoon by reading one chapter of Tommy.</p>