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Math Placement Exam

Why do students have to take the Mathematics Placement Exam?

  • ALL incoming Trinity students are REQUIRED to take the Mathematics Placement Exam.
  • All students must take this exam even if they do not plan to take math courses or major in math or science.
  • The exam is designed to be taken online before incoming students arrive on campus.
  • The exam must be completed by ALL incoming students before the first day of classes.

What is the exam used for?​

  • Placement in appropriate math courses.
  • Determination of quantitative literacy, one of Trinity’s foundational requirements that all students must fulfill.

What is on the exam?

  • Students will be evaluated on the necessary mathematical skills used in numerical relationships, algebraic relationships, and logical relationships.

What happens to the results of the exam?

  • Results are carefully analyzed on a question-by-question basis.
  • Results are used by the registrar to place students in mathematics courses at the appropriate level.
  • While scores are not reported to students, the advice is attached to each student’s advising transcript.

Requesting Additional Testing Time Accommodations

  • ​Students will need to submit the accommodation application and supporting materials to the Student Accessibility Resource Center.
  • Students who are in the process of requesting academic accommodations should NOT begin the exam until they have heard from the Student Accessibility Resource Center.
  • For questions relating to accommodations, please contact [email protected].

What are the Math Requirements for Trinity College?

  • ​Quantitative Literacy Requirement
    • Foundational requirement all students must fulfill.
    • A skill and knowledge requirement.
    • Can be satisfied by successfully completing the Mathematics Placement Exam.
    • Some students will be required to take QLIT 101 to satisfy the requirement.
      • Must be completed at Trinity before any Numerical and Symbolic Reasoning courses.
      • Must be completed during the first year at Trinity.
      • Must be completed before studying abroad. Some students will be required to take QLIT 101 to satisfy the requirement.
  • Numerical and Symbolic Reasoning Requirement
    • A course requirement.
    • Can be satisfied by successfully completing a course from an approved list of courses, mostly Math.
    • Can be satisfied by transfer credit.
    • Cannot be satisfied by AP credit.

Optional Calculus Placement Exam:

Trinity College awards college credit for calculus if a student has sufficiently high AP, IB (International Baccalaureate), or Oxford A-level exam scores in calculus. For AP Calculus, scores of 4 or 5 are sufficiently high to receive credit. (For IB or Oxford A-levels, please consult the registrar for more details.)

For students who have a strong background in calculus but who do not have sufficient scores on the above exams, the Mathematics Department offers an optional Calculus Placement Exam. Successful completion of this exam DOES NOT result in college credit, but will allow a student to place out of one or both (depending on exam scores) of Calculus I or II.

The Calculus Placement Exam will be administered on campus by prior arrangement with the chair of the Mathematics Department.

To arrange to take the Calculus Placement Exam, contact Ryan Pellico ([email protected]).