<p>I didn't take precalculus in high school, but I'm self-studying for it. Does this mean I should take the precalc placement test (to test out of precalc), then the calc placement test (to see where I should be in calc)?</p>
<p>Why don't you take pre-calc in college?</p>
<p>I thought there was only the Calc placement test. It kind of tells you if you should be in calc. </p>
<p>For example if you fail it then you'll just be required to take Calc from the beginning. If you test out of the Calc 1,AB, 1271(that's the number I think), then you can start on the next one right away. However, you should be pretty confident that you have a good base of precalc because a lot of the calculus you'll be learning will simply be done by reading the book.....people have told me that it's a tough way to learn math, and I imagine it would be even harder if you weren't well-prepared in precalc.</p>
<p>That doesn't sound right, I'm almost positive when I did the to do list it mentioned other placement tests besides Calc. However, if you want to skip precalc, I suggest emailing the school math department about doing something like this; they'll give you a straight answer. Good luck with everything.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for the responses!</p>
<p>pcristiani: I don't want to take precalc in college because I want a B.S. in economics, which requires Calc 1 and Calc 2. So, I don't want to fall behind in my econ classes because I'm not far enough in math.</p>
<p>When I went to the FAQ a while back, I found this: "In most cases, the test you need to take has already been determined by your ACT math score. When you log into the test site, the right test will be there." I got a high score on the math portion of the ACT, but I'm not sure why they would give me a higher placement test because of it, as the ACT only tests through Algebra II, and would not reflect my knowledge of calc or precalc... As muzicgirl89 said, I guess I'll just have to email the math department or my guidance counselor about it.</p>
<p>Have you considered taking classes during the summers ?</p>
<p>Self-Teaching can be tough and frustrating and not for everyone.. just throwing ideas out there.. not saying you can't do it..</p>
<p>Yea, that's what I originally wanted to do. But, Minnesota said they didn't let incoming freshman take summer school, and credits from my local community college don't transfer to the school I might transfer to. So all I'd really be paying for is the education, when I think I can self-study for it pretty well. I self-studied for the Micro/Macro AP test, and, although the details were overwhelming to learn in just four months, I think I did all right.</p>
<p>But I really do appreciate that you're trying to help me. If you can think of anything else at all (e.g. supplements, things your adviser said, etc.), please post.</p>
<p>Oh, and I have one more question I forgot to ask in my original post: does anyone know how many questions are on the placement exam? The website says you get an hour, but doesn't say the number of questions. Thanks again.</p>
<p>it was 35-40 for the Calc one.</p>
<p>Ah, all right, thanks.</p>
<p>Can't recall what he got on his placement test... but it was recommended that my son take Math 3592H. Sounds pretty difficult... hopefully he's up to the task!</p>
<p>3592H is a very advanced math course. Your son probably had to take math classes at the college level prior to entering the college. </p>
<p>I, personally, don't really see the reliability of the placement tests. If I really wanted, I could probably just switch my precalc class for a clac one right now without my counselor even knowing.</p>