Students who have a 4 or 5 on an AP Calculus Exam, or a high score on an appropriate A-Level or IB exam, are awarded course credit at Rice if their scores are transmitted to the Registrar. Credit is awarded for MATH 105 and possibly MATH 106, which are equivalent to MATH 101 and MATH 102, respectively, for purposes of all major requirements. Visit this Registrar page for more details.
Students who took calculus at a college or community college might be able to receive transfer credit for MATH 101 and higher courses. See the Registrar's Transfer credit page for more details.
First-year students who have learned calculus prior to matriculating at Rice, but who have not taken one of those exams, and are not receiving transfer credit, may earn course credit for MATH 105 by taking an exam at Rice during their Orientation Week. In Fall 2023, the exam is tentatively scheduled for 1pm-3pm on August 14, the Monday of Orientation Week. Students must sign up for the exam in advance by filling out this form.
For more information about calculus courses at Rice, see this page. For information about math courses beyond calculus, see this page.
Frequently asked questions:
- I have taken an AP Calculus Exam and received a score of 4 or 5. Should I sign up for this exam?
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No. Have your score sent to the Office of the Registrar. This also holds for students with a sufficiently high score on an appropriate A-Level or IB exam.
- I have taken an AP Calculus Exam but received a score of 3 or less. Should I sign up for this exam?
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In general the answer is No, you should take calculus at Rice. This exam is not intended as a second chance for students who were able to take the AP Calculus exam (or similar) but received a low score. However, if you have done significant additional study of calculus since you took your AP exam (e.g., by taking another calculus course), you may sign up.
- I don't know calculus, or don't know enough calculus to pass this exam. Do I still need to sign up for the exam?
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No. If you want to learn calculus, you should just enroll in MATH 101 at Rice. MATH 101 does not assume any previous knowledge of calculus. Alternatively, you may enroll in MATH 111/112, which is a two-semester version of MATH 101 for students who have a weaker background in pre-calculus topics.
- I took calculus at a college or community college and will be able to receive transfer credit for MATH 101. Should I sign up for this exam?
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No. Use your transfer credit instead. See the Registrar's Transfer credit page for more details, or speak with a Transfer credit advisor.
- I am a transfer student, but will not have transfer credit for MATH 101. Can I sign up for the exam if I know calculus?
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Yes, you may, if this is your first semester at Rice and you will not be receiving any transfer credit for calculus otherwise.
- Can I take this exam after O-Week?
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No. Students may only attempt this exam at the beginning of the semester in which they first matriculate at Rice.
- What topics are covered on the exam?
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Single-variable limits, derivatives, and integrals, and their applications. For more detailed information, see Sections 2.1 through 6.3 of the OpenStax Calculus Volume 1 textbook, not including 2.5 or 4.9. Practicing problems from those sections would be one good way to prepare for the exam. A different sample of problems can be found here. The exam will have some computational problems but also many conceptual questions.
- Should I bring a calculator to the exam?
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No calculators are allowed.
- What grade do I need to pass?
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A grade of 70% is the minimum for passing.
- When will I know whether I passed?
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We hope to have the exam fully graded within 12 hours and the results sent via email.
- Can I take another exam to get credit for MATH 102/106, or a higher course?
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No, this is the only exam offered at this time.
- How can I sign up for the exam?
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Fill out this form.
Additional questions?
Any further questions about transfer credit or AP/IB/A-Level exams should be sent to registrar@rice.edu. Questions about the placement exam taken during Orientation Week should be sent to math@rice.edu.
