Why Placement Exams Matter

Want to get notified about new posts? Join the mailing list and follow on X/Twitter.

A student signs up for calculus.

Their transcript says they passed pre-calc. GPA looks fine.

And then the first quiz has a problem with fractions in it…

And everything falls apart.

Not the calculus, the FRACTIONS.

That’s why math placement exams matter.

You can’t guess math readiness from vibes or an inflated grade from the previous year.

Sooner or later,

somebody has to ask:

Can you actually do the prerequisite work?

Putting a student in the wrong math class doesn’t make them more advanced.

It sets them up to crash and burn, and makes it harder to figure out why.

Further reading: Why Can’t College Students Do Middle School Math? .

Want to get notified about new posts? Join the mailing list and follow on X/Twitter.