<p>I've heard caltech has a math placement exam. What branches does it test. How high up does it go? I plan on taking analysis and differential equations freshman year.</p>
<p>A math major (Ben Golub or neapol1s) would probably be better at answering this, but I'll give it a shot: </p>
<p>Caltech's math placement exam covers all of core math: </p>
<p>Math 1a: Single variable calculus
Math 1b: Linear algebra
Math 1c: Multi-variable calculus
Math 2a: Differential Equations
Math 2b: Probability and Statistics</p>
<p>For a more thorough look at differential equations, you would want to take ACM 95 abc (Complex analysis, ODE's, and PDE's, respectively). Math majors usually don't take this class, but many other majors do (physics, geology, and most engineering majors). This class takes up a lot of time, and it is very rare that freshmen take it.</p>
<p>The undergraduate analysis class is Math 108abc (classical analysis), typically taken during a math major's sophomore or junior year. I don't know if any freshmen take it, but I do know there are some courses freshmen interested in math do take, like Math 3 (beginning number theory), 4 (introduction to mathematical chaos), 5 (introduction to abstract algebra), and 6(introduction to discrete mathematics). </p>
<p>Between the year-long courses, Math 5 and 6, more people take Math 5 as a freshman. However, you don't need to pass out of anything to take either course. </p>
<p>If you're interested in physics or an area of science or engineering that is not just pure math, you may be interested in the Physics 129 abc course. Ph 129 a covers analysis, 129 b covers group theory, and 129 c covers probability and statistics in physics (stuff like Monte Carlo methods, etc.)</p>
<p>I'm not quite sure what exactly you're looking for in an analysis course, but ACM 95 might be your best bet as a combination of complex analysis and differential equations. For more information on any of the courses I mentioned, here are the course listings: <a href="http://pr.caltech.edu/catalog/courses/courses.html%5B/url%5D">http://pr.caltech.edu/catalog/courses/courses.html</a></p>
<p>There's a diagnostic exam that all freshmen have to take. It places you in Math 1 or Math 0.9.</p>
<p>Like omgninja said, there's a placement exam for each core math class. Based on this year, it seems like they'll let you out of individual classes. In previous years, placing out of 1ab was a prerequisite for placing out of 1c, and placing out of 1abc was a prerequisite for placing out of 2a or 2b. </p>
<p>According to CLUE, two freshmen are taking 108 and one freshman is taking 110, so you could probably take classical analysis as a freshman. If you're going to be a math major, you might want to take Math 5 too. If you're going to be an ACM major, 108 conveniently satisfies a degree requirement. </p>
<p>I hope that was helpful.</p>
<p>Does this mean you could possibly test out of 1a and 1c, then take 1b, 2a, and 2b as a freshman?</p>
<p>Yes, I think you can place out of 1a and 1c. (I know someone who placed out of 1a, 1c and 2a). However, 1b and 2b are both offered winter quarter and meet at the same time.</p>
<p>There are other classes (Ma/ACM 142, ACM 201, ACM 210) you can take if you want to take a real math class on differential equations (and not ACM 95).</p>
<p>I remember the requirement two years ago being,
1ab must be tested out of together (no just 1a or 1b)
1ab is required to test out of 1c
1abc is required to test out of both 2ab</p>
<p>I could be wrong though. I am pretty sure that you can't test out of 1a alone though. BTW, I tested out of 1ab and 2a, and I've heard of people testing out of 1ab and 1abc.</p>
<p>This was the official policy when I was a (pre)frosh too--but two people were allowed to skip 1a and 1c--Gary Lorden said they usually treat in on a case by case basis.</p>
<p>A good friend of mine skipped out of all 5 and was thus known as "95 frosh" for the rest of his time at Caltech. :-P</p>
<p>If I recall correctly, he TAed the class the year BEFORE I finally took it.</p>
<p>If you test out, do you get the credit or just advanced placement?</p>
<p>I believe in math you get the credit (no grades of course) and in physics you just get the placement, although that may have changed.</p>
<p>You get credit. </p>
<p>I know someone who placed out of only 1a. I had thought that this was not allowed, so I assumed the policy had been changed. Probably a bad assumption though. Don't listen to me.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Yes, I think you can place out of 1a and 1c. (I know someone who placed out of 1a, 1c and 2a). However, 1b and 2b are both offered winter quarter and meet at the same time.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I know someone who took both 1b and 2b this past term, so that's probably possible too.</p>
<p>You get actual credit for testing out of Math and Physics but not for Chem- if you test out of Chem 1 you have to take 2 terms of either chem 41 (orgo) or Chem 21 (p-chem).
Also I think the principal reason more frosh don't take ACM 95 is that most frosh who test out of math 1 are (considering being) math getting a good majors, and know in advance that this is a class most math majors don't take. If youre a very smart but lazy frosh who took differential equations in high school and are planning to major in anything other then math/cs/chem/bio taking 95 frosh year may be a good idea- you can 50-50 it on pass fail and not worry about grade.</p>
<p>The 50-50 option was removed this year, but you could still essentially do the same thing.</p>
<p>I didn't take 95 frosh year so I could p/f EE 51.</p>
<p>Well if one wanted to maximize classes on pass fail one could have taken 95 and 51 frosh year and postpone chem 1b...
But at that point figuring out how to maximize laziness takes too much effort.</p>