The prerequisites may be met in a number of ways: by completing the stated prerequisite course(s) with a grade of 2.0 or better; by completing an equivalent course at another university, college, or community college with a grade of 2.0 or better; through a departmental placement test; or in some cases by placement based on a sufficiently high score on the mathematics portion of the ACT.
Grades below 2.0 in prerequisite courses are not acceptable, nor are high school courses. In rare cases, the department may grant permission to enroll in a course without the formal prerequisites; students with unusual circumstances should consult the instructor of the course or a department adviser.
The placement tests cover the algebra and trigonometry that are taught in good high school college-preparatory programs. Students who are deficient in these prerequisite subjects must take the appropriate prerequisite course(s) -- or their equivalent at another university, college, or community college -- before attempting any higher-level courses. Successful performance on a placement test will enable a student to start with a higher-level course without having to take courses that are earlier in the sequence.
The levels of placement are as follows:
Passing one of the placement tests (I, R, or C) qualifies the student for courses at the corresponding level. Placement levels E, I, and R can also be based on the ACT mathematics score. A score of 0 to 17 points corresponds to E placement. A score of 18 to 21 corresponds to I placement, and a score of 22 or above corresponds to R placement. If a student feels that the ACT test result underrepresents his or her true mathematics background and ability (for instance, if it was taken prior to subsequent mathematics study), then he or she may take Placement Test I or R; contact the department for details on when and where to take this test.
In most cases students who have taken a college math course should use that as the basis for placement, rather than ACT scores or the placement test (since college course grades are better indicators of the students' level of knowledge). For example, if a student passed (with at least a C or 2.0) Elementary Algebra at OU (MTH 011) or an equivalent course elsewhere, then that student has placement I, and it would usually not be appropriate to take the placement test in order to bypass MTH 012. Two noteworthy exceptions are as follows:
In order to place directly into calculus (placement level C) without having taken a college precalculus (algebra & trig) course, a student must take and pass Placement Test C; contact the Department for details on when and where to take this test (or see the page of Frequently Asked Questions).
A student who feels that he or she has been placed too high may choose to take a more elementary course in order to brush up on rusty skills. Students who feel they have been placed too low should talk to the instructor of the course they wish to take, or to the departmental adviser, but only rarely are exceptions made to the strict enforcement of prerequisites. (The reason for this policy should be clear: we want students to succeed in our courses, and success is virtually impossible for someone without the necessary prior mathematical skills and knowledge. The class proceeds on the assumption that students already know the background material, and it would not be fair to other students if ill-prepared students spent valuable class time asking about prerequisite material.)
Students who studied calculus in high school without attempting the AP test have done themselves a disservice. Studying calculus in this nonserious manner is a very poor way to prepare for further mathematics study in college, both because it takes time away from the more serious study of the algebra and trigonometry whose thorough knowledge is required for success in calculus (or the study of other important topics such as probability, statistics, or discrete mathematics, which should be introduced in high school), and because it gives the students a false sense that they know some calculus and therefore need not work as hard in MTH 154. We wish high school faculty and administrators would realize this and stop trying to teach calculus to large numbers of students in high school.