The Mathematics Department offers proficiency examinations in many of its courses, subject to the following policies:

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Purposes

• Satisfying prerequisites



A student who earns a grade of C or better (for most courses this means an exam score of at least 70% ) on a proficiency exam is regarded by the Mathematics Department as having passed that course for the purpose of satisfying prerequisites for other Department courses. This status will be implemented by adjusting placement or providing prerequisite overrides, as appropriate.


026/111/112: There is one exception to this policy: a grade of C on a proficiency exam in Intermediate Algebra (640:026) satisfies the prerequisite for admission to Precalculus I (640:111), while a grade of B or better satisfies the prerequisite for admission to Precalculus (640:115).



• Course credit



A student who earns a grade of B or better (for most courses this means an exam score of at least 80% ) on a proficiency exam in a course which carries college credit may receive Rutgers credit for the course "by examination," with the approval of their dean, if a testing fee is paid before taking the exam. This fee is not refundable in the event of failure to meet the proficiency standard
As of Fall 2008 this fee is $40.

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Restrictions

• A student must have the required prerequisites for the course in which the proficiency exam is to be taken.
• A proficiency exam may not be taken in a course in which a student has previously enrolled and received a grade.
• A proficiency exam may not be taken in a course for which a student is currently registered (at Rutgers New Brunswick) and for which classes have started.
• A student may take a proficiency exam in a given course only once.
• If graduation credit is desired, a nonrefundable fee must be paid in advance.

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Courses in which exams are offered

Whether or not a proficiency exam will be given in a particular course is at the discretion of the department.
In particular:

• No proficiency exams are given in Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning (640:300), Advanced Calculus I (640:311), and Introduction to Abstract Algebra I (640:351). These courses are intended to develop expository skills as well as specific knowledge, and the grade depends more heavily than most on work done during the semester.
• No proficiency exams are given in 100 level liberal arts courses, or in topics courses, independent study courses, research courses, or seminar courses.
• No proficiency exam will be given in a course which has not been offered recently, even if it is in the catalog.

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Procedure

A student wishing to take a proficiency exam should look at syllabi and other supporting materials for the course in question. These materials can usually be found by links from the web page Course Materials; if not, it is the responsibility of the student to find out from the Mathematics Department office whether a proficiency exam is offered for the course and, if so, on what syllabus it is based.

Students who wish to earn graduation credit should pay the proficiency testing fee before scheduling the examination.

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Dates

Proficiency exams are given a certain fixed times during the week and, as a rule, are not given near the beginning or end of classes each semester. To arrange a time to take a proficiency examination, a student should contact the Mathematics Department office, at 732-445-2390, at least one week before he or she wishes to take the exam. The office staff will schedule the exam during one of the available times.

In Summer, the last proficiency examination is normally scheduled during the first half of August. Late arriving transfer students or foreign students with special circumstances should contact the Undergraduate Office.