FAQ – Calculus I Placement Exam

The Calculus I placement exam is an online assessment used to determine if a student is prepared to take Calculus I (MATH-1300) at Benedictine College.

The exam is required for any student who needs to take Calculus I at Benedictine for their degree plan but has not earned a grade of ‘C’ or better in a Pre-Calculus (MATH-1250) or transferred equivalent.

We accept a score of 3 or higher on the AP Pre-Calculus exam for credit in Pre-Calculus, so you are qualified to take Calculus I without need for the placement exam.

We award Calculus I credit for a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam, AP Calculus BC exam, or AB subscore of the AP Calculus BC exam. You will not take Calculus I at Benedictine College, so you do not need to take the placement exam. Note: for a score of 4 or 5 on the overall score of an AP Calculus BC exam, we also award Calculus II (MATH-1350) credit.

Astronomy, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, Mathematics with Secondary School Teaching Certification (Math Ed), and Physics require Calculus I.

You are encouraged to take the exam as soon as it is available, so that, if you do not pass, you may consider finding a Pre-Calculus class over the summer to transfer to Benedictine in order to enroll in Calculus I in the fall semester. Taking Calculus I in your first semester will help you avoid unnecessary delays in graduation

Yes, high school level Pre-Calculus does not fulfill the pre-requisite curriculum to take Calculus I. High school Pre-Calculus curriculum is unregulated and varies drastically from school to school. Unfortunately, many students who earn a grade of ‘A’ in high school Pre-Calculus are under prepared for Calculus at the college level.

You do not need to take the exam if you earned a grade of ‘C’ or better in an equivalent Pre-Calculus course at another college or university. The successful completion of an equivalent Pre-Calculus through dual credit, PSEO, or similar programs is also sufficient.

The exam is available online June 1 – July 25. In addition, we have reserved time at each SOAR Weekend (May 31-June 1 and June 7-8) to take the placement exam. You will receive instructions on the time and location when you arrive for SOAR.

You will receive a detailed email on June 1 with instructions on how to access and take the exam.

No. The exam is offered at no charge to the student.

The deadline to take the exam and still be placed in Calculus I in the fall semester is July 25. We strongly encourage you take the exam as early as possible.

The 70-minute exam is timed; you cannot pause it. Calculators are not allowed.

It is designed to test students without preparation, so there is no need to study for it.

Upon completion of the exam, your screen will indicate whether you passed or failed. This is the only notification you will receive. The Director of Calculus Placement will also receive a record of your result.

No. The results of the placement exam are final.

Pending course availability, you will be placed in Pre-Calculus.

Contact Dr. Nickolas Hein, Director of Calculus Placement, at nhein@benedictine.edu or contact your Admission Counselor.