I received a 4 on calc AB, and I haven’t gotten my BC score but I don’t want to count on me passing.
I have checked ucla’s ap credit plcement for AB for letters and sciences and I’m confused, it just says 4 units of calculus. I took and passed the Calculus readiness test, and I’m wondering if I would be allowed to go straight into 31B.
I feel very confident in my AB skills, since I took BC senior year and the first semester was just a repeat of my junior year and I got a very high grade for first semester. However, second semester for BC material I started slacking off and getting senioritis and I didn’t do as well as first semester, which is why I’m not 100% sure that I passed the BC test.
If I feel very comfortable with AB material but iffy with BC material, would taking 31B be a good idea? I checked the course outline of 31A and it just seems like I’d be doing AB for the 3rd year in a row; but then again, this is UCLA and not high school.
I posted this from my phone and the spacing disappeared, sorry!
A 5 on AB is needed to move to 31B. A 4 on BC is needed to move to 31B
if you have a choice (and I’m not sure you do if you report your AP units to UCLA) then I’d recommend taking 31A no matter what your AP score. For 2 reasons.
First, if you sign up for 31B in the fall you’ll be with all the other smart kids coming in with AP credit. Math classes are hard enough, why sign up for the one with even smarter kids than average?
Second, year-long sequences start with A in the fall quarter and so that’s where you’ll find the most offerings. They will offer 31B in the fall but you’ll have far fewer choices of class and discussion times. I prefer a schedule that has classes when I want them instead of being stuck with 8am classes and hour gaps to sit around and twiddle my thumbs.
A quick update on my situation, I passed BC with…a 3. So I guess I’m in AP credit limbo still.
@mikemac , you’re right about being stuck with 8 am’s. I’ve played around with course offerings on the course planner before I attend my NSO, and the only way for me to take 31B AND this poli sci class I wanted is to take an 8 am.
@10s4life Okay. So there isn’t typically any flexibility with this? Having to take limits/derivative calculus for the 3rd year in a row would probably make me want to pull my hair out, knowing I wasted my time and money in Calc AB. But I would probably struggle very little in the class in comparison to me taking 31B. Though, I would enjoy the challenge and being able to move forward. If I explained my awkward AP credit situation to my counselor or advisor, what do you think they would recommend/what options would they give me?
Thank you for your advice, this is just making me go insane because I’m a poli sci major but I truly fell in love with math my junior year of HS and figured I should continue to pursue it in college.
What was your AB subscore on BC?
https://www.admission.ucla.edu/prospect/APCreditLS.htm says that you need a 5 on AB (or AB subscore of BC) or a 4 on BC to be credited with Math 31A.
http://catalog.registrar.ucla.edu/ucla-catalog2017-780.html and http://polisci.ucla.edu/undergraduate/the-major/check-sheet indicate that the UCLA political science major does not require Math 31A, and its statistics requirement can be fulfilled by courses that do not require calculus at all (although one option listed, Economics 41, requires Math 31B).
Here are some UCLA math exams:
http://www.bruintestbank.com/math/
Most of the 31A exams have solutions in them, but the W13 Conley final does not, so you may want to try it to see how well you really know the 31A material by UCLA standards.
@ucbalumnus I got a 4…again!!
Looks like I will most likely not be credited with Math 31A officially then. I do realize the political science major does not require it, but I am interested in an Economics or possibly math double major since I really do enjoy calculus.
Thank you so much for taking the time to find the links, I will take a look at the 31A exams as it should be a helpful gauge as to how prepared I really am!
@lamebridge In your case you must take Math 31a. I hope you took the math placement test otherwise you can’t take math until winter quarter. You would’ve needed a 4 on bc to go to 31b.
Wow those AP scores are horrible lol. If you are truly at UCLA and a student enrolled there, I would recommend just doing it over. 1) You won’t be with the other “competent” students who would destroy you academically 2) You will get a free grade boost since it will be review for you. GPA is important, get an A on these even if you’re bored that you have to take it again.
@mlsdream89
Horrible? Seriously? For having received C’s in math my entire life up until sophomore year of HS, those were my lowest AP scores out of the 13 I’ve taken.
Yes, I am “truly” at UCLA, I don’t see what point there would be to lying about what school I’m attending and starting a fake thread. Thanks for your reply, but it’s amazing what wonders common decency can do for people.
Based on your ignorant replies on other threads, it sure doesn’t seem like you’re withholding the True Bruin values. Are you sure you’re a student?
And for future students who might be in this situation, I was told to take math 31A for the college of L&S and math 31b for winter quarter.