Calculus Placement Exam
This web page contains information about the placement exam for MATH 10524 Calculus I, which is taken primarily by science and engineering students. If you are a Business student interested in taking Applied Calculus, please consult the MATH 10283 Applied Calculus placement exam page.
A student who has not yet attempted MATH 10054 (Precalculus with Trigonometry) may place directly into MATH 10524 (Calculus I) by passing an online placement test offered by the Department of Mathematics. To register for the placement test, email Kristi Rittby with the following information: First name, middle initial, last name, TCU ID number. The administrator will respond with instructions on how to take the test.
Each student will have only one opportunity per semester to take the test.
The test consists of 20 short answer questions. Each student will have one hour to complete the test. Most calculators are allowed, but CAS (Computer Algebra System) calculators such as the TI-89 and TI-92 are not allowed. Topics covered on the exam include the following:
- Equations and Inequalities
- Functions and Graphs
- Polynomials and Rational Functions
- Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
- Trigonometric Functions
Once you have registered on test program website, you will have access to review materials and practice problems.
Each student is expected to complete the test on their own, without help from textbooks, unapproved technology, notes, or other people. The purpose of this placement test is to assess whether the student has sufficient background to succeed in MATH 10524. Outside help on the placement test will only prove detrimental to a student who enrolls in a class for which he or she is not sufficiently prepared.