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Calculus Readiness Exam (CRE)

What is the Calculus Readiness Exam (CRE)?

Who should take the CRE?

How do I take the CRE?

Calculus Placement

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Applied Mathematics Minor

What is the Calculus Readiness Exam (CRE)?

The Calculus Readiness Exam (CRE) is an online diagnostic test of topics from Algebra, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus required for success in Calculus for Business and Economics (MATH 140), Calculus (MATH 150), or General Chemistry I (CHEM 120). The questions on the test cover the following topics: elementary perimeter and area formulas, surface area and volume of simple solids; exponents; factoring; solving equations; parabolas and lines; exponential and logarithmic functions and equations; trigonometric functions, values at special angles, symmetry and basic identities. If it has been a long time since you took courses over this material, you may want to refresh your memory before taking the exam. The Calculus Readiness Exam will assess whether or not you are prepared to take your initial Calculus course at Pepperdine. The Calculus Readiness Exam only applies to placement into MATH 140, MATH 150, and CHEM 120 and is not used by other programs at Pepperdine.(The Calculus Readiness Exam is also used for placement into MATH 220: Formal Methods which has the same prerequisites as MATH 150.)

Who should take the CRE?

The Calculus Readiness Exam is required for all students that enroll in MATH 140: Calculus for Business and Economics or MATH 150: Calculus, or CHEM 120: General Chemistry I at Pepperdine. The following courses of study require a Calculus course:

Majors in the Business Administration Division

  • Accounting
  • Business Administration
  • Finance
  • International Business

Majors in the Humanities and Teacher Education Division

  • Liberal Arts with a Concentration in Mathematics

Majors in the Natural Science Division

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Science
  • Mathematics
  • Natural Science (3/2 Engineering)
  • Nutritional Science
  • Physics
  • Sports Medicine (Bachelor of Science only)

Majors in the Social Science Division

  • Economics

Pre-Health Program

  • Any major within or outside the Natural Science Division

If you have not yet declared a major and are considering any of the above majors or the pre-health program, you should take the Calculus Readiness Exam. If you are transferring credit for Business Calculus or Calculus I from another institution or via AP credit, you do not need to take the Calculus Readiness Exam. Please refer to our AP policy regarding placement into courses beyond MATH 140 and MATH 150.

https://seaver.pepperdine.edu/academics/academic-support/advising

If you have declared a major that does not require Calculus or Chemistry, you do not need to take the Calculus Readiness Exam. You may take MATH 120: The Nature of Mathematics which has no prerequisite to satisfy the mathematics general education requirement. There are also statistics courses for Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Communication that satisfy the mathematics general education requirement and do not have a prerequisite.

If you are unsure of whether or not you need to take the CRE, complete the "Should I Take the CRE?" survey. The survey will ask you a few questions and provide you with a personal recommendation.

How do I take the CRE?

Please READ the following instructions THOROUGHLY. If you do not adhere to these guidelines, you may receive an inflated score and enroll in a course in which you will likely not be successful.

Instructions for the Calculus Readiness Exam:

  1. The Calculus Readiness Exam is administered online through a testing system called WeBWork. Consider using Chrome or Firefox to access the CRE. Some test problems for some users do not properly render in Safari. Click on the link at the end of these instructions to access the test.
  2. Your username is your WaveNet ID (using all lowercase letters) and your password is your Campus-Wide ID number (CWID). You may change your password once you have logged into WeBWork.
  3. Click on the link "Take Calculus Readiness Test" to start the exam.
  4. ONCE YOU START THE EXAM, you have 75 minutes to complete the test. If you close your browser or navigate away from your test, you can log in again, but time will continue to run during your absence. If you experience any computer or browser issues, just log back into the exam.
  5. Calculators are NOT permitted on the exam.
  6. There are five multiple choice problems on each page. Click on the page number to move to the next page. You may revisit a previous page at any point during the exam. Do not click the "Grade Test" button until you are done with the entire exam.
  7. While there are no penalties for guessing, guessing may inflate your score and over-estimate your actual understanding of the exam content. For this reason, you are encouraged to only answer questions you understand.
  8. Once you have completed the exam, you must click on the "Grade Test" button to submit your answers. Failure to do so before the 75 minute time limit will result in your test not being graded. If you click on the "Grade Test" button before you have completed the exam, your exam will be graded prematurely.
  9. After clicking on the "Grade Test" button, you will receive your placement score.
  10. It is important to follow the instructions and take the exam honestly so that your score represents your understanding of the material. A student with an inflated Calculus Readiness Exam score will be placed in a Calculus course for which they are not prepared and will likely have to drop the course or receive a low or failing grade.
Proceed to the Calculus Readiness Exam

 

Calculus and General Chemistry Placement

Calculus and Chemistry placement depend solely on your Calculus Readiness Exam (CRE) Score. If your CRE score is 22 or greater, you may enroll in Calculus (MATH 140 or MATH 150) or General Chemistry I (CHEM 120).

Review Options for Students that do not place into Calculus or General Chemistry:

All students have several options to satisfy the prerequisites for Calculus.

  1. Review algebra, pre-calculus, and trigonometry independently and retake the CRE.
  2. Use free online review materials from Khan Academy which include videos and practice problems. 
    1. The Algebra 2 topics https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra2 are helpful for both Business Calculus and Calculus. 
    2. The trigonometry topics https://www.khanacademy.org/math/trigonometry are helpful for Calculus.
  3. Take a recommended online review course through www.aleks.com. The cost is approximately $32 for a six week review course. On the ALEKS website you will need to create a new user account, use the code KAU3E-X3KXM  to sign up for the course and purchase a six week access code. A student that completes the online course must still retake the CRE.
  4. Take an equivalent course to MATH 103: College Algebra at a local community college. Students who need to take MATH 150 for their major will still need to take MATH 104: Trigonometry in the fall. Some five unit Pre-Calculus courses cover the content of both MATH 103 and MATH 104.  Please seek approval before enrolling in a course.
  5. Take MATH 103: College Algebra at Pepperdine in the fall. A minimum CRE score of 8 is required to enroll in MATH 103. Students who need to take MATH 150 for their major will also need to take MATH 104: Trigonometry in the fall.

An opportunity to retake the CRE later in the summer will be communicated to all students.

Options for Students that do not place into MATH 103:

We require that students with a CRE score below 8 take a course in Intermediate Algebra. There are two options for satisfying a course in Intermediate Algebra.

  1. Take a recommended online review course through www.aleks.com. The cost is approximately $32 or a six week review course. On the ALEKS website you will need to create a new user account, use the code 9RRPL-UXP6U to sign up for the course and purchase a six week access code.
  2. Take an intermediate algebra course at a local community college.

After completing one of these two options, you may enroll in MATH 103: College Algebra.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 Please read the following questions before contacting Pepperdine regarding placement.

  • I am in doubt as to whether I need to take the CRE. What should I do?

Go ahead and take the CRE because there is no harm if it turns out you do not need to take the exam.

  • I received an exceptionally high score on the CRE. Are there any opportunities to supplement my current major with mathematics? 

Yes. You may want to consider the applied mathematics minor that is advertised below.

  • I am having trouble logging into the Calculus Readiness Exam, what should I do?

Please double check that you are using all lowercase letters for your WaveNet ID and your password is your Campus-Wide ID number (CWID) for the password.

  • I experienced a computer or web browser error during the Calculus Readiness Exam, what should I do?

Log back into the exam. Your progress has been saved, but the time continues to run.

  • I am not sure I will choose a major that requires Calculus or General Chemistry. Should I take the CRE?

Yes. You may choose to switch to a major that requires Calculus or General Chemistry.

  • I have already received a 3 or higher on the AP Calculus AB or BC exam. Should I take the CRE?

If you have chosen a science major that requires General Chemistry, then yes. If have chosen a major outside of the sciences, then no. Please make sure to report your scores to Pepperdine through CollegeBoard, https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores/score-reporting . You will receive credit for MATH 150 and can enroll in the next appropriate mathematics course. You may want to consider the applied mathematics minor that is advertised below.

  • I recently took the AP Calculus exam and have not received my test scores. Should I take the CRE?

Yes, you still need to take the CRE. If you receive a 3 or higher on the AP Calculus test at a later date, Pepperdine will award credit for MATH 150 and you will be eligible to enroll in the next appropriate mathematics course. You may want to consider the applied mathematics minor that is advertised below.

  • Where can I get information about Pepperdine's AP and IB policies?

Go to https://seaver.pepperdine.edu//academics/academic-support/advising/ap .

  • I have credit for College Algebra from another institution. Should I take the CRE?

Yes. Although your transfer credit will be used for placement, we still require a CRE score on file in order to enroll in a Calculus or Chemistry course. If Pepperdine has awarded you transfer credit for MATH 103, then you have satisfied the prerequisite for MATH 140 and CHEM 120. If Pepperdine has awarded you transfer credit for MATH 103 and MATH 104, you have satisfied the prerequisites for MATH 150.

  • I have credit for Calculus from another institution. Should I take the CRE?

No. If Pepperdine has awarded you transfer credit for MATH 140 or MATH 150, then you do not need to take the CRE. This credit will also satisfy the prerequisite for CHEM 120.

  • Are there accommodations for documented disabilities?

If you have a documented disability, please register through the Office of Student Accessibility at least five days before you plan to take the exam. Please inform the Office of Student Accessibility that you are planning to take the Calculus Readiness Exam when registering.

  • I missed the deadline for taking the CRE. Can I still take the exam?

Yes, you can still log in and take the CRE. If you take the exam late in the summer, we may not get you appropriately placed before you arrive on campus, but we can adjust your schedule after you arrive on campus.

  • I took the CRE, but did not place into Calculus. What should I do?

Follow the recommendations under "Options for Students that do not place into Calculus". Later in the summer you will receive an email about an opportunity to retake the CRE.

  • I am still in doubt as to whether I need to take the CRE. What should I do?

Go ahead and take the CRE because there is no harm if it turns out you do not need to take the exam.

Applied Mathematics Minor

If you generally excel at mathematics or have a high score on either AP Calculus exam, you should consider pursuing the Applied Mathematics Minor. The Applied Mathematics Minor complements all of the majors that require calculus and is just one way you can distinguish yourself while at Pepperdine. Graduate schools and many employers are impressed by those have a good understanding of mathematics. Many of the classes listed for this minor substitute for the mathematics classes that are required for the majors in the Business Division or are required for majors in the Natural Science Division. (See one of the two advertisements below.) Please email stephanie.adler@pepperdine.edu if you are interested in the applied mathematics minor so we can get you placed in the appropriate class this fall.

Applied Math Advertisement for Natural Science Majors
Applied Math Advertisement for Business and Economics Majors