Calculus Placement Instructions:
- Get your andrew user-id and password.
- Log into Blackboard.
- Read the information about the test.
- Take the test.
The Fall 2008 calculus placement test will be administered through Blackboard, an on-line system for managing University course information.
When you paid your deposit to secure your place at Carnegie Mellon, you were assigned an andrew user-id and password. For most of you, this was done during the month of May. You will need this user-id and password to log into Blackboard as well as to access information about your schedule, AP and transfer credit later in the summer.
- Section 1: Algebra
- Section 2: Elementary Functions
- Section 3: Differentiation
- Section 4: Integration
- Section 5: Differential Equations
- Section 6: Sequences and Series
1. Get your andrew user-id and password.
To set your password to something personal and secure, visit the Now That I'm Enrolling web page at:
https://acis.as.cmu.edu/application/now_enrolling.html
and follow the on-screen instructions. To access the site, you'll need to know your Admission ID that you used through the enrollment process.
2. Log into Blackboard.
To get to Blackboard, go to:
This will take you to Carnegie Mellon's Blackboard home page. In the upper left corner of the screen, you will see a box that says Login to Blackboard.
Click on Carnegie Mellon Users and you will be prompted to log in with your andrew user-id and password.
Once you are logged in, you will see a screen that says Welcome, <Your Name> and lists any courses with Blackboard sites that you are registered for listed under My Courses. At this point the only thing you will probably see listed is Calculus Placement Exam.
3. Read the Information about the Test.
Click on the link for Calculus Placement Exam under My Courses. You will see an announcement displayed.
PLEASE READ the announcement very carefully. Specifically, it is very important that you complete the six sections of the exam in one sitting. This is because we will periodically download scores from Blackboard and merge them with other information we have for you. If you complete additional sections after our initial download of your scores, it will delay processing and make it difficult to schedule you for a course.
4. Take the Test.
When you are ready to take the test, click on Placement Test in the list of links on the left side of the screen. You will see seven links displayed on the right side of the screen:
Background Questions: This is simply a list of questions that we would like you to answer about your background in mathematics. Your score for this section will not affect your score on the test. There are six sections of the test that are scored to determine your placement and they are as follows:
Sections 1-6: You may take the sections of the test in any order, but make sure you take them all in one sitting. If there is a section that you do not wish to take - for example, if you have not had any experience with differential equations and wish to leave that section blank - that is fine. To skip a section, scroll down to the last question and check the yes box under the question that asks "Do you want to skip this section?" and click Submit at the very bottom of the page.
To begin taking a section of the test, simply click on its link. You will see a series of questions with multiple-choice answers. Each question has one correct answer. Click on the radio button next to the answer you wish to select. When you have completed the section and are satisfied with your answers, click on submit at the very bottom of the page. You can only take each section once, so once you have clicked on submit, your score is final.
Once you begin a section, you will be forced to complete it. Don't click on the link for a section unless you are prepared to finish it. When you have completed the section, click on the Submit button at the bottom of the page. You will get a message letting you know your score. Continue to complete the remaining sections of the test.
Thank you for your time and good luck with the placement test!