Placement Advice: The Placement Process

The Placement Test in Mathematics measures readiness for mathematics courses offered by the Rutgers-NB Mathematics Department at various levels: algebra, pre-calculus, and calculus. Students entering Rutgers-NB are required to take the Rutgers Placement Test in Mathematics, with the following exceptions.

• Entering students with scores of 4 or 5 on AP Calculus exams are eligible for credit for the corresponding courses at Rutgers (with some limitations, notably in Pharmacy).
• Students scoring 4 or 5 on the AB AP Calculus exam may receive credit for first semester calculus and may begin with second semester calculus.
• Students scoring 4 or 5 on the BC AP Calculus exam may receive credit for the first two semesters of calculus and may begin with third semester calculus and/or linear algebra.
The pharmacy program limits the use of AP tests for credit.
• Transfer students who have passed suitable courses with a grade of C or better receive corresponding placement and are exempted from taking the math placement test.
Suitable courses are
• A Rutgers-NB math course equivalent
• A course at the level of first semester calculus at another post-secondary institution approved by the Mathematics Department
Such approval can be given by the Head Mathematics Advisor

Students may not enroll in any mathematics course unless they meet the prerequisites by suitable placement: that is, by the placement test, an appropriate AP Calculus exam score, or with a grade of C or better in an approved transferred course. There is one exception: students may elect to enroll in a section of Elementary Algebra (025) which is associated with a section of Computational Mathematics (001), by permission of the department, without taking the Placement Exam in Mathematics.
Contact the Office of Basic Skills at 732 445-2288 for further information.

Information regarding special circumstances may be obtained by contacting the Head Mathematics Advisor at advisor-AT-math.rutgers.edu. However most mathematics placement advice needed by students new to Rutgers-NB will be found on our Placement Web Page.

Note

All students should take math courses needed for graduation or required by their anticipated major as soon as possible. While the results of the placement exam will be honored months or even years later, the knowledge they represent may no longer be totally available. Our placement tests represent your readiness to take a certain level of course at the time the test was taken.

The study of mathematics is cumulative, and each level builds on the one before it.