Dun dun dun! Another exam?! Well, kind of.
That Math Placement Exam IS an exam, but, unlike many others, it doesn't determine if you pass or fail or even get into the University of Maryland.
The Math Placement Exam is a tool that we use to place you into the appropriate math courses here at the University. We don't want you to have to take a class that you don't need to or to place you into a math too hard or too easy for you.
It is important that you take the Math Placement Exam before coming to your Orientation so that your advisor has the necessary information to advise you.
Even if you have taken a math class at another university or taken AP exams or have high SAT scores, you should still take the Math Placement Exam. The rigor of another course may not match the level or rigor at the University of Maryland. Or, it could have been many years since you have taken your last math course and you don't really remember as much as you thought you did.
Remember, the Math Placement Exam CANNOT hurt you in any way. It can only HELP YOU. Even if you have a high grade in a calc course, but then score lower on your Math Placement Exam, your high grade in calc will override your low grade on the Math Placement Exam.
It is important to note that some majors and colleges REQUIRE that you take the Math Placement Exam and will never use other courses or test grades. If you are not sure if you fit into that category, please contact your college to find out.
Moral of the story: Take your Math Placement Exam!
What questions do you have about Math at Maryland?!
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Hi, My name is Amanda and I'm a Freshman Government and Politics Major, my college is the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. I'm an Orientation Advisor for the Summer of 2010! I cannot stress enough how important the Math Placement Exam is! When I was in high school and applied to UMD, I didn't take the exam, even though it was required before I went to Orientation! I ended up having to take the placement exam AT Orientation, and it took away from valuable time I could have had asking questions about the campus or other important things! As a transfer, you've probably taken one at your old school, but the UMD test is crucial! Like Dian said, it's more of an aptitude test to see where you are in your studies, it really helps you find out what more you need to work on in the field of math! Hope this helps!
ReplyDelete- Amanda
Hi, Terps! My name is Sarah Woolsey and I'm a freshman Spanish and Environmental Science double major here at Maryland. I'll be working with the Orientation Office this summer!
ReplyDeleteLike Amanda emphasized, the Math Placement Exam is important!
Once you get to Maryland, there are also tons of resources available to help you succeed in your math courses, even if you're not really a math person! You can always go to your TA's or Professor's office hours to ask for help. Furthermore, the math department offers tutoring for some courses.
Keep in mind as well that your fellow students can be a great resource! If you're having trouble with a concept, maybe someone else can give you a hand with that problem, and you can help them to figure out a different problem.
There's also a great program, Math Success, which is free Undergraduate Math Tutoring. [You can find more information about it here: http://www.resnet.umd.edu/programs/math_success/]
Hello! My name is Catherine Gomeringer. I am a sophomore Government & Politics and Criminology double major. I will be working as an Orientation Advisor this summer as well! All incoming freshman must take the Math Placement Exam. Transfer students are not required to take it, but they are strongly advised to. All students at the University of Maryland must take 3 credits to fulfill the Math requirements. Students can be exempted from the math requirements if they receive above a 600 on your math SAT scores. Students who do poorly on the Math Placement Exam may be placed into MATH003, which is a self-taught course on the computer. However, students can test out of this and enroll into classes such as MATH111 or MATH113, depending on their college/major. The Math Placement Test is meant to help incoming students gage which math classes they should take. The test is designed to test incoming students understanding and level of math. Students should take this test seriously in order to be placed into the appropriate level. As Amanda said, it is crucial that incoming students take the test BEFORE they go to their Orientation in order to make the most of their time during their Orientation. Take the Math Placement Exam! It is not that difficult and will help you see which classes(es) you should take as a freshman.
ReplyDeleteAre graphing (or any) calculators are allowed on the math placement exam?
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