<p>I have to take a math placement test, and a trigonometry placement test in a few weeks for Pitt. I had a 580 on the math section of the SAT, so I missed the cutoff by only 20 pts.</p>
<p>Unfortunately I am terrible at math, and haven't exactly learned much in the past few months (teacher left for baby, new guy wasn't that great.) I honestly have little to no knowledge of how to do the problems on this test.</p>
<p>How does your score factor in? I assume you'll take lower classes if you do worse, but is there some point where they make you take remedial classes? I'd really like to avoid that.</p>
<p>Are you in engineering? If so, I would take whatever class is appropriate no matter how “remedial” it may seem. Given the sequential nature of math, you will do better if you have a solid background. One class won’t have any bearing on your graduation date.</p>
<p>Still, 580 on math is respectable. What math classes are you deciding between? Even for a humanities major, you need some distribution of classes in the math and science areas. And if you transfer elsewhere, you will probably need a math class too. Why don’t you just review your math and do your best on the placement exam?</p>
<p>I’m not sure. It may just be that it offers you a placement suggestion rather than a definite directive. Perhaps you can register for whatever you want.</p>
<p>I think they tell you to take a remedial precalc course for a semester if you do absolutely horriblly on the placement test, but I’m sure they take SAT scores into account (I know they did that last year for Engineering majors when I went). I had a June pittstart and many kids had the option of taking the “remedial” class over the summer and being able to start with Calc 1 in the fall of freshman year. </p>
<p>As far as SATs go, 580 on Math isn’t horrible, but it’s not great. My suggestions for review, just review basic trig functions, especially sin/cos/tan relationships and special formulas (I think of the 15 (?) questions on my trig placement last year, 3 or 4 were formula questions). The algebra placement test is a joke, I got a perfect on it… (but that’s me, I like math, and placed into Calc 3).</p>
<p>You should be fine with knowledge of basic algebraic functions, but review trig functions and you’ll be okay. I think you could score as low as 7 or 8 and be fine.</p>