Purpose and Background
You should take the Calculus Readiness Test if you are considering taking one of the two introductory calculus courses, MA 130 Elements of Calculus, or MA 150 Calculus I.
The Calculus Readiness Test will help you decide which math course best meets your needs. Other factors include your prior mathematics experience, your choice of major or career interests, and discussions with your academic advisor. If you have AP credit for calculus or have taken a rigorous calculus course covering both differentiation and integration, please see below.
The Calculus Readiness Test covers some basic pre-calculus questions including functions, graphs, limits, continuity, and beginning differentiation. Your test results will help you determine not only which calculus course to take, but also whether you might benefit from reviewing some pre-calculus topics, either on your own or by taking one of the Concepts for Calculus courses.
The Calculus Readiness Test will not be used to place you in a course; it is intended simply to help you get off to a good start. It allows the Mathematics Department to offer advice about your preparation for introductory calculus.
You should take the Calculus Readiness Test before you register for any introductory calculus course.
The introductory courses offered are:
A stand-alone one-semester introductory course, MA 130 is designed for students who do not plan mathematically-intensive majors but require some basic knowledge about the concepts and applications of calculus.
The course covers the derivative and integral, along with a variety of applications such as exponential growth, straight-line motion (velocity-acceleration), marginal cost/profit, and optimization. It is appropriate for many students with majors in Biology and Economics as well as students seeking to satisfy the LSC Quantitative requirement.
This course does not lead into the Calculus sequence, so it should not be taken by students who plan to take higher-level mathematics courses.
Students should generally have completed a pre-calculus course or have the equivalent mathematical experience.
The first course of the “scientific” calculus sequence, MA 150 covers theory and applications of the derivative and the integral, including the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, area and volume problems.
It is appropriate for students majoring in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Engineering; mathematically inclined students majoring in Biology or Economics; students who may wish to pursue a minor in mathematics, and other students seeking to satisfy the LSC Quantitative Requirement.
MA 150 assumes a strong preparation in pre-calculus. Specifically, students should be comfortable with the concept of a function, limits, and continuity, as the course begins with derivatives. A basic acquaintance with the derivative is helpful, but not necessary
If you scored high enough on the AP Calculus exam, you will receive credit for introductory calculus and are strongly encouraged to register for a higher level calculus course, generally MA 160 Calculus II; you do not need to take the Readiness Test.
If you have taken a rigorous Calculus course that covered both differentiation and integration but did not earn AP or college credit, you should take the Calculus Readiness Test and may wish to consider registering for MA 160 Calculus II. Discuss this with your advisor prior to registration.
If you feel your preparation for calculus is not as strong as you would like, or if you find yourself dissatisfied with the results of the Calculus Readiness Test, you should discuss the possibility of taking either the full course MA 104 Concepts for Calculus with Pre-calculus or the half course MA 105 Concepts for Calculus with the instructor, Dr. Joanna Ellis-Monaghan (802.654.2660 or jellis-monaghan@smcvt.edu).
These courses provide individually customized reviews of high school mathematics topics needed for calculus. MA 104 is a full course that covers more topics in greater depth than MA 105, which is a half course. You may take one of these courses either concurrently with or prior to a calculus course.
It is also possible to review one or two individual topics (e.g. just trigonometry or just limits) at the beginning of your calculus course without actually enrolling in either MA 104 or MA 105. MA 104 and MA 105 do not satisfy the LSC Quantitative Requirement; they are intended only for students who will enroll or are enrolled in MA 130 or MA 150.
The test will take about an hour or so, and you should complete it in one session. You will be allowed to take the test only once. You should not use (and will not need) any sort of calculator when taking the test. To get the most accurate information for your decision-making, you should take the test independently, with no help from outside resources, such as books, notes, calculators, other people, etc.
When you have completed both parts of the test, you should logout of the system. The Mathematics Department will send recommendations based on your results to your Saint Michael’s e-mail address within a few business days. Your test results will help you determine whether there are areas that you should review before starting to position yourself for success.
http://saintmikes.net/calculusreadiness
If you have any questions about which introductory mathematics course you should take at Saint Michael’s, please contact Professor Joanna Ellis-Monaghan.
If you have any questions about accessing the Readiness Test, please contact Lisa McCormick.