College Algebra Pretest: Fill & Download for Free

ENG 101,MAT 115, Western CIV,CIS 110,REL 108 are all good classes. You will be pretested in Math placement and lf your score is low you will be required to take MAT 105 (College algebra) - not good...

Introductory physics classes in college are really on two different tracks. There is an algebra-based physics sequence and a calculus-based physics sequence. I seldom taught the algebra-based sequence, but the assumption in that course is that all the students have successfully completed both intro and intermediate algebra courses (i.e., Algebra I and II, in a common designation). There simply is not enough time in teaching the physics to also teach the algebraic methods used to both develop the material and solve the problems that will be a part of that course. The few times I did teach that introductory course, nearly half the students had also had at least an introduction to calculus.In my calculus-based courses, I would have the students complete a background checklist which included asking if they had successfully completed the first course in calculus. I would also give a (non-counting) diagnostic pretest which covered some things I would expect the students to be able to do upon entry into the course - including a number of algebra problems (of the type they would be expected to be able do during the course) and a few basic calculus problems. Any student who had not taken the prerequisite math would be dropped from the class (usually that just meant they voluntarily dropped); any student who did poorly on the diagnostic would get a “see me” when I handed the diagnostic back - and we’d talk about it.It doesn’t mean that being shaky on any of those topics means you won’t succeed, because during the course (either one) the math skills will be used and talked about a lot - so you will get better at them as the term unfolds. But walking into a course without the prerequisite math skills as part of your background is just postponing the disaster.

Here’s my various high school mindsets so far, broken down by year:Freshman yearYay, high school! I was sick of middle school!… You can get detention for being late to school?Oh. Cornell notes are actually useful now.I’m pretty sure I’m not learning anything in geometry right now…Wait, why am I sad all of a sudden?For a STEM school, you would think that the quiz bowl team would have shirts that fit my tiny self. Huh.Yay, I won a fancy nerd contest!This is manageable. I can get used to this.WHAT DO YOU MEAN, NINTH GRADERS AREN’T REAL HIGH-SCHOOLERS? FIGHT ME.Meh. Could improve on my grades. *gets nothing lower than a 95 (wow, kid)*Sophomore yearThis algebra teacher’s lecture style is kinda weird. I’ve taken algebra I, so I’ll catch up eventually, but it’s weird.Wait, I got another 82 in AP Gov? How come?*Starts creative writing club* This should be easy.I’m pretty sure I’m studying well enough… I think…OH GOD, I’M TOTALLY LOST IN ALGEBRA; THIS TEACHER SUCKS!Or maybe I suck…I’m a failure now.How am I so dumb? Everyone must hate me for being dumb.I should go kill myself…Oh my god, why can’t I get my brain to shut the hell up and let me work?At least I’m good in my scientific research class.Whoooaaa, this liberal arts college is so nice! Oooh, so is this one!I need to look at more colleges? Awww :(Junior yearOkay, I now have a better handle on myself than I did last year. I’ll do well.How. Did. I. Get. A. 60. Percent. On the AP Chem pretest?!I need an actual plan for this literary journal this year.There was summer work for AP Art History????Oh my god my mom might fucking die…Shit I nearly failed another chem test 0_0At least AP Calc AB is better than Algebra II.Wait - why am I worrying about school so much again?Yeah okay, I missed a history assignment. Big deal. I can get an 85 without pulling weight and my GPA is still rock solid.FUCK THIS HOMEWORK, I’m going to bed…Ooh, the new Fall Out Boy album is here! Now I’m happy again :DWhy the fuck am I so jealous of my best friend? (It’s because her AP Chem grades are better than mine but whatever)I need to apologize to that boy I turned down super rudely in freshman year…Okay, I’ve got a shortlist of colleges now. Let’s try and set up some visits.HOLY FUCK I WON A CONTEST AND I’M GETTING A SHORT STORY PUBLISHED! ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!Oh shit, I have a crush on that adorable nerd I met two months ago…Lemme ask the kid out.Aaaah I’m going on a date!Aaaaaaahhh my first kiss!Oh shit what if the school gets shot up?Scholarship applications and college essays are a thing now. HELP.So that’s about where I am. We’re getting close to the end of junior year and I have no idea what senior year is going to look like. But that’s fine, because I have a pretty good idea of who I am and what I value in life.EDIT: Holy crap, over 160 upvotes?! Thanks guys!