50 multiple-choice questions in MathII
Questions cover topics emphasized in most high school courses. Because of course differences, most students will find that there are some questions on topics with which they are not familiar. Students are not expected to have studied every topic on either test. You may not be able to complete all the questions in the time given, but it is not necessary to get every question correct to get a high score or even the highest score on the test.
Recommended Preparation
- More than three years of college-preparatory mathematics, including two years of algebra, one year of geometry, and elementary functions (precalculus) and/or trigonometry.
- If you have had preparation in trigonometry and elementary functions and have attained grades of B or better in these courses, select Level 2. If you are sufficiently prepared to take Level 2 but take Level 1 in hopes of receiving a higher score, you may not do as well as you expect.
Scores
Because the content measured by the two tests differs considerably, you cannot use your score on one test to predict your score on the other or to compare scores.
Calculators Be sure to bring a calculator to use on the Mathematics tests.
If you take these tests without a calculator, you will be at a disadvantage. In fact, some questions cannot be solved without a scientific or a graphing calculator. Check page 68 for Acceptable and Unacceptable Calculators and a list of graphing models that are permitted.
Verify that your calculator is in good working condition before you take the test.
If possible, bring batteries and a backup calculator to the test center. No substitute calculators or batteries will be available. Students may not share calculators. If your calculator malfunctions during the Level 1 or Level 2 test and you do not have a backup calculator, you can cancel scores on just the Mathematics test. You must tell your test supervisor when the malfunction occurs in order to cancel scores on these tests only.
Using the Calculator
You do not need to use a calculator to solve every question, and it’s important to know when and how to use one. First decide how you will solve a problem; then determine whether the calculator is needed.
You’ll need a calculator for 40 to 50 percent of the questions on Level 1 and for 55 to 65 percent of the questions on Level 2. For the rest of the questions, there is no advantage, perhaps even a disadvantage, to using a calculator. Do not round any intermediate calculations. When you get a result from the calculator for the first step of a solution, keep the result in the calculator and use it for the second step. If you round the result from the first step, your answer may not be one of the choices.
Number and operations: 10%–14%
Operations, ratio and proportion, complex numbers, counting, elementary number theory, matrices, sequences, series, vectors
|
Algebra and functions: 48%–52%
- Expressions, equations, inequalities, representation and modeling, properties of functions (linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, periodic, piecewise, recursive, parametric)
|
Geometry and measurement: 28%—32% |
- Coordinate Lines, parabolas, circles, ellipses, hyperbolas, symmetry, transformations, polar coordinates
|
- Three-dimensional Solids, surface area and volume (cylinders, cones, pyramids, spheres, prisms), coordinates in three dimensions
|
- Trigonometry Right triangles, identities, radian measure, law of cosines, law of sines, equations, double angle formulas
|
Data analysis, statistics and probability: 8%—12%
- Mean, median, mode, range, interquartile range, standard deviation, graphs and plots, least squares regression (linear, quadratic, exponential), probability
|