The purpose of the RU Ready Tests is to help students succeed in the Rutgers mathematics sequence. The test is designed to ensure that as many students as possible start the sequence in the right place and complete it at the right pace.
We find that students arrive to Rutgers with vastly different levels of preparation for our mathematics sequence. College-level courses can be extremely fast paced, covering material in a semester that would normally be spaced out over an entire year in high school. Exams push students beyond correctly solving familiar problems, requiring them to apply a deep understanding to new situations. Further, arriving students will be getting used to a very different academic environment. Thus, students that are placed into courses they are not prepared for will typically not do well, to the detriment of their undergraduate experience.
The RU Ready tests are designed to help you form a realistic expectation of your chances of doing well in the course in which you were initially placed based on the online placement assessment. The RU Ready tests measure whether you currently bring to the classroom the mathematical background that is absolutely necessary for passing the course. The RU Ready process gives you the opportunity to change your registration to the appropriate level math class for you during the first three weeks of the semester.
We understand that students are eager to complete their required math courses as quickly as possible since they often serve as pre-requisites to other courses in their chosen field of study. The quickest way to complete your math pre-requisites is to start in the right course! Taking a course that the RU Ready tests indicate you are not prepared for is nearly guaranteed to slow you down as well as permanently damage your GPA with a D or F. It is much better (and more economical) to take the course that the RU Ready test indicates and earn an A or B, than to struggle through the higher-level course to end up withdrawing or finishing the semester with a D or F.
For further details, please see the FAQ sheet here.
