January 2018 Mathematics Placement Exam
- 5:40pm, Monday, January 22, 2018 (first day of classes), Room 526
- 12:40pm, Tuesday, January 23, 2018, Room 526
There is no need to sign up for the exam. You will just need to show up 10 minutes ahead of the exam starting time with your NYU ID to the test. The Place-into-Calculus exam will take 1 hour. The Place-out-of Calculus exam will take 1 hour and 45 minutes.
You are encouraged to review the sample placement tests to see if it makes sense for you to sign up for the test. Pen, pencil and paper are permitted on this exam for making notes; however, calculators and notes are not permitted. You may only use paper that the proctors hand out. You will be given a supplementary document that lists mathematical terms in English and Chinese. The exam is computer-based.
Here is the placement process for first-semester Mathematics at NYU Shanghai. For more information on the courses, please see the last section “Mathematics Course Descriptions and Syllabi.”
During the summer prior to your first semester at NYU Shanghai, you will be initially placed into a Mathematics course based on high school Mathematics performance. Students who wish to be initially placed in MATH-SHU 121 (Calculus) must meet one of the following prerequisites:
- Pre-March 2016 SAT Math (primary or subject level I or II) score of at least 650 OR new SAT Math score of at least 670
- ACT/E Math score of 30 or higher
- AP Calculus AB score of 4 or higher
- AP Calculus BC score of 4 or higher
- IB Mathematics SL score of 7 or higher
- IB Mathematics HL score of 6 or higher
- AS-level Mathematics grade of A or better
- A-level Mathematics grade of B or better
- Faculty review of students’ Gaokao math scores
- Grade of C or better in MATH-SHU 009 (Precalculus)
- Passing the NYU Shanghai Place-Into-Calculus Examination
Students who did not meet any of the criteria above will be placed in MATH-SHU 009 (Precalculus). Students placed in Precalculus who do not wish to continue to enroll in Calculus also have the option to take MATH-SHU 10 (Quantitative Reasoning: Great Ideas in Math). Students should work with their advisor on this course selection.
Students who wish to be initially placed in MATH-SHU 201 (Honors Calculus) must meet one of the following prerequisites:
- AP Calculus BC score of 5
- Faculty review of students’ Gaokao math scores
- Passing the NYU Shanghai Place-Out-of-Calculus Examination
Students who wish to enroll in MATH-SHU 123 (Multivariable Calculus) must meet one of the following prerequisites:
- AP Calculus BC score of 5
- Grade of C or better in MATH-SHU 121 (Calculus)
- Passing the NYU Shanghai Place-Out-of-Calculus Examination
Additionally, students with an AP Calculus BC score of 5 are considered as having satisfied the core Mathematics requirement at NYU Shanghai.
NYU Shanghai Mathematics Placement Examinations
Taking a Mathematics placement examination is optional at NYU Shanghai. NYU Shanghai offers two Mathematics placement examinations:
Exam I: Placement into Calculus
Exam II: Placement out of Calculus
Your initial placement will determine which placement examination(s) you are eligible to take. Those with a passing score on Exam I are permitted to take Exam II. Please note that NYU Shanghai abides by the following policies for Mathematics placement.
If you were placed in Precalculus and want to place into Calculus, you should take the “Place into Calculus” exam.
If you were placed in Calculus and want to place into Honors Calculus OR Multivariable Calculus, you should take the “Place out of Calculus” exam.
1. No student may move to a higher level of Mathematics except by placement examination.
2. Only students passing the NYU Shanghai examination for placement into Calculus (Exam I) or initially placed into Calculus or above are eligible to take the placement examination for placement out of Calculus (Exam II).
3. A student may attempt the same placement exam only twice, with at least three months between each attempt.
4. Within the NYU Shanghai add/drop period, a student is allowed to move to a lower level of Mathematics at his/her own discretion (provided that student has not already taken the lower-level course at NYU Shanghai). The student must inform his/her advisor of this change. Instructor approval is not required for such a change. No such movement may occur after the add/drop period has ended.
Sample Placement Exam I: Placement into Calculus Examination | Solutions
Sample Placement Exam II: Placement out of Calculus Examination | Solutions
Mathematics Course Descriptions and Syllabi
Please note that the course syllabi are example ones for your reference only. You will receive the most updated syllabi in class.
MATH-SHU 9 Precalculus
This course is designed as a preparation for calculus, including study of basic properties of polynomials, rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, and trigonometric functions. Systems of linear equations and matrix operations are also covered.
Click here to view course syllabus.
MATH-SHU 10 Quantitative Reasoning: Great Ideas in Mathematics
This one-semester course serves as an introduction to great ideas in mathematics. During the course we will examine a variety of topics chosen from the following broad categories. 1) A survey of pure mathematics: What do mathematicians do and what questions inspire them? 2) Great works: What are some of the historically big ideas in the field? Who were the mathematicians that came up with them? 3) Mathematics as a reflection of the world we live in: How does our understanding of the natural world affect mathematics (and vice versa). 4) Computations, proof, and mathematical reasoning: Quantitative skills are crucial for dealing with the sheer amount of information available in modern society. 5) Mathematics as a liberal art: Historically, some of the greatest mathematicians have also been poets, artists, and philosophers. How is mathematics a natural result of humanity’s interest in the nature of truth, beauty, and understanding? Why is math a liberal art?
Click here to view course syllabus.
MATH-SHU 121 Calculus
This course presents the foundations of calculus for functions of a single variable. Topics addressed include limits, continuity, rules of differentiation, approximation, antiderivatives, indefinite and definite integrals, the fundamental theorem of calculus, integration techniques, and improper integrals. (Prerequisite: Initial math placement or via NYU Shanghai math placement exam.)
Click here to view course syllabus.
MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus
This is a rigorous course in single-variable calculus for mathematics majors, providing preparation for advanced courses in analysis. Topics covered include number systems, functions, graphs, vectors, conic sections, polar coordinates, limits, continuity, least upper bounds, the derivative, convexity and concavity, inverse functions, parametric curves, Riemann sums, integrals, and the fundamental theorem of calculus. (Prerequisite: Initial math placement or via NYU Shanghai math placement exam.)
Click here to view course syllabus.
MATH-SHU 141 Honors Linear Algebra I
This is the first semester of a 2-semester sequence in linear algebra for advanced mathematics majors. Topics covered include fields, vector spaces, linear independence, dimension, linear transformations, rank, matrices, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, determinants, characteristic polynomials, and the Cayley-Hamilton theorem. Examples from applications are also covered, including interpolation problems, traffic flows, genetics, the fundamental theorem of algebra, electric circuits, static mechanics, and consumption matrices in economics. (Prerequisite: Initial math placement or via NYU Shanghai math placement exam.)
Usually taken concurrently with MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus. Click here to view course syllabus.
MATH-SHU 123 Multivariable Calculus
This course explores calculus of functions of several variables. Topics covered include power series, differentiation and integration of functions of several variables, including directional derivatives, the gradient, line and multiple integrals, and the theorems of Green, divergence, and Stokes. (Prerequisite: Initial math placement or via NYU Shanghai math placement exam or Calculus).
Click here to view course syllabus.