<p>I only took pre-calc for three weeks in the summer... So I am very nervous for my math placement test. I took statistics this year in high school. How should I prepare for this test?</p>
<p>What is your goal? Do you need a certain placement to get out of a math requirement, or do you want to test into a specific class?</p>
<p>The purpose of the placement exam is to find the math course that best fits your current background. If you are shaky on pre-calc, going straight to calculus might be academic suicide.</p>
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<p>Just review with some cheap books like the one above. Besides that, you’ll be placed where you belong. My placement test was mainly algebra and pre-calc I believe–not much calc or stats. So, the test can really only place you into remedial math if you need it or into the standard calculus sequence if you do okay. </p>
<p>There’s nothing “advanced” that could identify you as a strong math student, so just review the basics.</p>
<p>^ The material on the placement exam might depend on the college. My college has two math placement exams: one for students who have no background in calculus, which places them into calc 1, pre-calc or statistics; the second exam is for students with a calculus background and places them into calc 1, 2 or 3.</p>
<p>I am going to be a bio major so being placed into pre-calc would be entirely awful. Is there anything specific I should study or know?</p>
<p>On Clemson’s placement test, there is a substantial amount of algebra II and pre-calculus material. If you have only taken 3 weeks of pre-calculus and feel shaky, I would recommend not going immediately to a regular calculus class. Find out if there’s a slower paced calculus class at your school?</p>
<p>Being placed into pre-calc would be awful. But being placed into calculus without a solid math foundation can be just as awful.</p>
<p>Yes I guess you are right… but again anything SPECIFIC that I should absolutely know</p>
<p>I’d only study the material you know. If you try and study stuff you haven’t learned there’s a chance you might place into a class you’re not qualified for, and that would be considerably worse than having to retake something you might be a bit shaky on.</p>
<p>Anything specific that you should know? Ask at your school’s collegeconfidential site, or at least tell us where you’re going! </p>
<p>There is not some standardized placement tests that all colleges use</p>
<p>Are you bound by your placement exam result? I signed up for another class than the one I was placed in, and no one ever second-guessed my enrollment.</p>
<p>However, I would only recommend ignoring your placement if you know what you are doing. I was placed into Calc 2 but decided to take Calc 3 instead. The only material I missed from Calc 2 was sequences and series, which were not relevant for Calc 3 and would be covered again in Real Analysis anyway. </p>
<p>I fully sympathize with your desire not to be placed into a remedial math class. Just be careful not to set yourself up for failure.</p>