Basic Skills Exam - MA 1021 A '02

As a requirement to obtain credit in MA 1021 in term A '02, a student must demonstrate an acceptable level of competence in the basic manipulative/computational skills of one-variable differential calculus. This requirement will be satisfied by achieving a grade of S (Satisfactory) on a Basic Skills exam in Differential Calculus (BS-D). The minimum score required on BS-D to obtain a grade of S and satisfy the requirement will be about 70%. A score below this minimum level will result in a grade of U (Unsatisfactory). Students earning a grade of U on the BS-D exam will have up to two further opportunities to re-take the BS-D exam. A grade of S on one of the re-takes will satisfy the requirement.

The BS-D exam will initially be administered to all the MA 1021 students on Wednesday, October 9, 2002 as part of the final for MA 1021 in A term. For students who do not achieve a grade of S on the BS-D exam, re-takes of the exam will be given early in B term on dates to be announced.

BS-D will be part of the two hour final exam and will consist of about 10 questions. A Sample Final Exam, which will include sample questions for both parts of the exam, will be made available on the web. Note that for the BS-D part of the exam, there is no partial credit. Answers are either correct and receive full credit or incorrect and receive no credit. Note also that the use of calculators and notes is not allowed on either part of the final exam.

A student who achieves a grade of S on the initial BS-D exam will have their course grade assigned by their instructor, based on other work in the course. Numerical scores on the BS-D part of the final exam will not be used in determining your course grade, except as described in the next paragraph.

Students who do not achieve a grade of S on the initial BS-D exam in A '02 will receive a grade of I (incomplete) for MA 1021 if their grade based on other work in the course is passing. Students in this situation will have two more chances to pass the BS-D exam. If they pass the BS-D exam, their grade will be changed from I to the grade corresponding to their other work in the course. Students who do not pass either of the scheduled re-takes of the BS-D exam will have their grades of I changed to NR and will have to repeat MA 1021.

Students whose other work in MA 1021 in A term '02 is not up to a passing grade will receive a grade of NR in MA 1021 in A term '02, regardless of their score on the BS-D exam.

Topics to be covered on BS-D

William W. Farr
2002-09-24