Welcome to the Dalhousie University Diagnostic Test
This multiple choice diagnostic test will help you decide whether you have the necessary mathematical background to succeed in a typical university calculus course such as Math 1000 at Dalhousie University. You can start the test immediately. However to make sense of your test results, you should read the following background information
Curriculum Topics of Importance for Calculus
The test consists of 32 multiple choice questions. The topics covered are divided into six categories:
- Arithmetic
- Algebraic Equations
- Exponents and Logarithms
- Functions Geometry and Analytic
- Geometry
- Trigonometry
You may wonder why you should take this test, if you have already a 65% or more in mathematics and are accepted into a science program at Dalhousie University?
Past experience has shown that students need more than the above to succeed in a calculus course. Your prerequisite, although of a satisfactory level, does not actually tell you, or us, what your actual present working skills are. For instance you may have forgotten some of the less recent topics.When you start a calculus course at a university, it is assumed that you have a satisfactory working knowledge of the foundations of mathematics. Once the course starts there will be precious little time to catch up on background knowledge. It is therefore important for you to check if your actual mathematical skills are sufficient enough to hit the ground running, so to speak. By taking this test, you can identify which topics are important and which topics need reviewing
The test is of a multiple choice format and can be taken numerous times. The test is not to be regarded as a comprehensive final exam or a guarantee for success in a calculus course. It is merely a feedback tool for individual students to obtain information that may help them on the road towards a successful university career.
The purpose of this test is to help students assess their readiness for a first year calculus course and to identify pre-calculus curriculum areas that need a student's further attention. One way for you to prepare for university is to ensure competence on all the topics covered. (We recommend that you consult with your high school teacher if you experience difficulties with any particular topic)
To make sure that you obtain a fair assessment of your own readiness for Calculus 1000, you must NOT use a calculator for this diagnostic test.
NOTE: The diagnostic test should be run in Internet Explorer on a Windows PC, and you must have the shockwave player plug-in installed (if you are not prompted to install it, then either it is already installed, or you may have to manually install it from here). The diagnostic test will not run without the shockwave player installed into your browser (and hence may not run on tablets and phones). You may have some success running the diagnostic test under the Chrome browser on a Mac, but again the shockwave player must be installed. Also, you may encounter some minor problems with the display of fonts in this scenario.
If you are a visitor you can proceed directly to the Start Button in the window below, but first read the rest of this section. For Dalhousie students to begin the test, fill out your name (netID), banner ID number and DALHOUSIE email address and click on the "Start" button below.
After you start the test you can click on any one of the numbers (from 1 to 32 inclusive) in the box at the left side to go to the relevant question. Select you answer by clicking on it (it will be highlighted in purple). Proceed and answer all questions (those that have been answered are colored purple in the numbered list at left). When you are done, click on the "Grade" button. The test will not be terminated until you click on the "Grade" button. You will see your score, as well as a list of items you need to review in order to improve your score (correctly answered questions appear as green, incorrect ones as red, in the box at left). When you are finished looking at the list, click on it to dismiss it. You can view the correct answers by visiting each question (the correct response is indicated by a green check mark).To run the test again, you'll need to click the "Restart" button. The test is randomized, so that new questions are generated each time you try it.
In the space for "Name" make sure you enter your NetID user name. and in the space for e-mail make sure you use your Webmail e-mail address.
Good Luck!