This page contains information for students whose initial Math Placement Exam result was placement into MATH 1151 (PreCalculus II) and would like to retest to qualify for MATH 1271 (Calculus I). In addition to MATH 1271, this exam would also qualify students for MATH 1142, MATH 1241, or MATH 1371. Students must wait a minimum of 24 hours between their initial placement exam and this secondary exam. Students are strongly encouraged to review the study materials linked below before beginning the secondary exam.
See the course descriptions below:
- MATH 1151 - Precalculus II Properties of trigonometric functions and their inverses, including graphs and identities, with applications; polar coordinates, vectors, equations, graphs; complex numbers, complex plane, DeMoivre's Theorem; conic sections; systems of linear equations and inequalities, with applications; arithmetic and geometric sequences and series; Binomial Theorem.
- MATH 1271 - Calculus I Differential calculus of functions of a single variable, including polynomial, rational, exponential, and trig functions. Applications, including optimization and related rates problems. Single variable integral calculus, using anti-derivatives and simple substitution. Applications may include area, volume, work problems.
- MATH 1142 - Short Calculus A streamlined one-semester tour of differential and integral calculus in one variable, and differential calculus in two variables. No trigonometry/does not have the same depth as MATH 1271-1272. Formulas and their interpretation and use in applications.
- MATH 1241 - Calculus and Dynamical Systems in Biology Differential/integral calculus with biological applications. Discrete/continuous dynamical systems. Models from fields such as ecology/evolution, epidemiology, physiology, genetic networks, neuroscience, and biochemistry.
- MATH 1371 - CSE Calculus I Differentiation of single-variable functions, basics of integration of single-variable functions. Applications: max-min, related rates, area, curve-sketching. Use of calculator, cooperative learning.
Study Resources
The MATH 1271 Qualifying Exam covers the material in MATH 1151, which includes right triangle geometry, trigonometry, including graphs of trig functions, applications to solving triangles, the Law of Sines and Law of Cosines, vectors, conic sections, systems of linear equations, sequences and series and the Binomial Theorem.
These topics are covered in chapters 7-11 in the textbook College Algebra and College Trigonometry by Stitz and Zeager, free online versions of which can be found here:
Some of these topics are also covered in chapters 5-8 in the textbook PreCalculus by Lippman and Rasmussen, a free online version of which can be found here:
Lippman/Rasmussen
The University of Minnesota School of Mathematics also has a video textbook related to material in MATH 1151.
The link below will take you to the Math 1271 Qualifying Exam, which is a 16 question exam.
- You will have 50 minutes for this exam.
- Set a timer, as the time will not be displayed on the screen.
- Your answers will be automatically submitted after 50 minutes.
- You may also submit your answers before the 50 minutes has elapsed by clicking the 'SUBMIT' button on the end of the test.
- Once you submit your answers, you cannot go back to the exam.