Placement Test Topics

The placement test covers important material from the previous course. Here is a list of topics that a student must show competency in to place into a given course.

To place into Math 094 PreAlgebra:

• Add, subtract, multiply, divide whole numbers, fractions, and decimals

To place into Math 098 Elementary Algebra:

• Use order of operations to perform basic arithmetic operations on signed number expressions containing absolute values and exponents.
• Solve simple linear equations
• Evaluate mathematical expressions containing exponents using the order of operations
• Set up ratios and solve proportions
• Change among fraction, decimal, and percent form of a number
• Solve percent problems
• Find the mean, median and mode of a group of numbers
• Do conversions of length volume, area, time and temperature using American and metric units
• Find the area, volume or perimeter of common geometric shapes
• Simplify an algebraic expression by combining like terms and/or using distributive property

To place into Math 099 Intermediate Algebra

• Use the laws of exponents to simplify integer exponential expressions
• Perform arithmetic operations on polynomials, including long division
• Solve linear and literal equations and linear inequalities
• Solve variation problems
• Set up and solve linear story problems
• Find the slope of a line and graph
• Factor polynomials and equations, factor sum and difference of cubes, find the vertex of a quadratic function and graph
• Perform basic arithmetic operations on rational polynomial expressions
• Simplify complex fractions containing terms
• Evaluate a function
• Solve right triangles using sine, cosine, and tangent functions

To place in MATH 107, MATH 120, MATH 146, or MATH 147

• Perform basic arithmetic operations on functions. Simplify composite functions
• Solve a system of linear equations in 2 & 3 variables
• Solve a word problem using a system of equations
• Perform basic arithmetic operations on expressions containing radicals or imaginary numbers
• Solve quadratic equations, equations containing radicals and rational equations and equations with rational exponents
• Solve word problems with quadratic equations
• Simplify exponential and logarithmic expressions and solve elementary equations
• Graph quadratic functions
• Compute compound and continuous interest.