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Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences

 

 

Distinguished Speakers Series

The Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences brings prominent leaders from various fields to campus through the Distinguished Speakers Series. Special supporting events often occur in conjunction with these visits.

Performing and Visual Arts

The Division of Humanities in the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences presents theatre, dance, music, and other artistic productions to complement academic majors and courses.

Student Newsletter

The Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Student Newsletter informs students of important semester dates, college services, scholarship opportunities, and noteworthy events.

Office of Academic Services

Mathematics Challenge Exam

The Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences uses ACCUPLACER multiple choice tests for its mathematics challenge exams. ACCUPLACER tests are untimed and calculators are not allowed. The average time required to complete the ACCUPLACER test is 30 minutes.

Test Contents

Elementary Algebra

A total of 12 questions, divided into three types, are administered in this test.

The first type involves operations with integers and rational numbers, and includes computation with integers and negative rationals, the use of absolute values, and ordering. These questions test minimal skill levels.

A second type, which involves operations with algebraic expressions, tests minimal skill levels using evaluation of simple formulas and expressions, as well as adding and subtracting monomials and polynomials. At all skill levels, questions are provided involving multiplying and dividing monomials and polynomials, the evaluation of positive rational roots and exponents, simplifying algebraic fractions, and factoring.

The third type of questions involves the solution of equations, inequalities, and word problems. Few questions from this category are presented to the student unless he or she shows skills in this area. When a high degree of competence is indicated, questions from this category include solving linear equations and inequalities, factoring quadratic equations, and working solutions for verbal problems presented in an algebraic context, including geometric reasoning and graphing and translation of written phrases into algebraic expressions.

College-Level Mathematics

A total of 20 questions are administered. The test assesses proficiency in intermediate algebra through pre-calculus in order to enable institutions to place students into intermediate algebra, college algebra, pre-calculus, and introductory calculus courses.

Questions administered in the test represent six general categories:

  • Algebraic Operations: includes simplifying rational algebraic expressions, factoring and expanding polynomials, and manipulating roots and exponents.
  • Solutions of Equations and Inequalities: includes the solution of linear and quadratic equations and inequalities, systems of equations, and other algebraic equations.
  • Coordinate Geometry: includes questions involving plane geometry, the coordinate plane, straight lines, conics, sets of points in the plane, and graphs of algebraic functions.
  • Applications and other Algebra Topics: includes complex numbers, series and sequences, determinants, permutations and combinations, factorials, and word problems.
  • Functions: includes questions involving polynomial, algebraic, exponential, and logarithmic functions.
  • Trigonometry: includes trigonometric functions.