Recently took the math placement test for PCC? Placed into College Algebra?

College Search & Selection Community Colleges
1

Hey guys, I recently took the placement test and I got placed into college algebra… As a senior, I’m currently enrolled in Calculus AP right now and throughout my school year, I’ve never received a grade lower than an A- for my math classes. Was there an error? Should I contact my counselor? I’m certain that I’ve received a higher score…

2

First of all, find out how this college will place you depending on your Calc AP test score. At most schools, >3 on AP Calc A/B will get you at least into Calc I, possibly into Calc II.

Also, see if you can get a re-test to see if you can place higher.

I will tell you that this is a common occurrence at my college. Many high school students take PreCalculus or Math Analysis prior to taking AP Calc, and those classes don’t always measure up to college-level PreCalc classes. We generally find that students who complete a high school Calc class (even AP-level) can do Calc stuff like derivatives and Integrals, but they are not strong enough in the Algebra and Trigonometry skills that allow them to progress further into Calculus. Our placement tests detect students who are not strong in Algebra and Trig, despite a decent Calc grade.

3

Ask if you can retake the test. You may want to brush up on your algebra skills before retaking it as it’s probably been a while since you did any basic algebra.