About the Pretest
| The Pretest
is intended to help steer you into a course that is right for you.
It does this in two ways:
1. For those that have the formal prerequisite, it can be a warning that essential algebra skills are not current, which may hamper your chances for success in Trigonometry. 2. For those not having the formal prerequisite, it can either (1) indicate that algebra skills seem to be sufficient to stay enrolled, or, on the other hand (2) be the basis for not admitting the student to the course. In either case, the student must successfully complete 75% (12 out of 16) of the problems to pass the test. I suggest that you first work the Prerequisite Study Sheet (included in your packet). Do this TODAY. I will not be collecting this work; it is for practice only. If you are having trouble with 6 or more (> 25%) of those problems, I advise that you switch IMMEDIATELY (today or tomorrow, before our next class meeting) to either: (1) Intermediate Algebra: easy, but is a non-credit course (2) College Algebra: hard, but earns 3 hours of college credit Either of these two courses will effectively bolster the algebra skills needed for Trigonometry . If you choose not to switch immediately, go ahead and do the Pretest, and hand it in on Thursday. I will grade it, and hand it back on Tuesday of next week. Send me e-mail if you wish to know your results as early as Thursday of this week. Warning : The drop/add period is over by Thursday, so at that time, you will not be able to switch to College Algebra. There is, however, a special provision for switching to Intermediate Algebra on a late basis, on or before the date shown on the schedule. Note: If you do not have the prerequisite, and your Pretest shows the need for improvement in skills, you cannot remain enrolled in Trigonometry. Your only alternatives at that point in time (Thursday or later) will be: (1) Switch to Intermediate Algebra (2) Enroll in College Algebra for the 12-week session (Sept 20-December 12) If you have any questions about this process between now and Thursday, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me (powens@austincc.edu). |