I haven’t taken chemistry or calculus is over 2 years and I know I’m not going to do well on the ALEKs exam. However, I’m in the pre-vet track and I don’t want to be behind and I’m scared I’ll get put in intro to Chem. can I talk to an advisor and just go into Chem 1 or do they stick strictly to the placement test?
You can ask during Preview, but they will be reluctant (and as a pre-med, you can’t afford to struggle in these classes). ALEK’s is a pre-calculus math test, so you may do fine and this will not be an issue.
Good Luck!
In order to be placed into a calculus or chemistry class you have to take the ALEKS exam. Preview staff will ask you if you took it and what score you got before choosing which calculus or chemistry class to put you in. To be placed into general chemistry without having to take introduction to chemistry (which is an online only class by the way) you have to get a 75% or higher. If you get lower than that you can retake the exam until you do. The ALEKS exam is filled with pre-calculus concepts so if you’re fine with that subject you should be fine.
I just finished the test yesterday though and still had to reteach myself quite a bit of material with google. It seemed to start out pretty easy then just get really difficult. It’s not that the problems themselves were difficult, but the only way to get the problems is to really know the material. I went into it thinking that I was a pre-calc god, and left with a desire to really refresh on my pre-calc even though I got a 93% (with some internet aid and over 3.5 hours).
See, I haven’t taken pre calculus in 2 years so the test began to get harder for me near the end. I took AP Calculus AB this year so I thought I’d do fine but pre calc and real calc are a bit different. It wasn’t that I completely didn’t understand the math problems, it’s just that it had been so long since then! I was able to pass the test as well but just make sure to brush up on calculus and chemistry concepts before classes start so that the material doesn’t feel so foreign.