Calculus Placement & Enrollment

Detailed information about the test can be found on the Calculus and placement exam FAQ; the test is typically open in July. All incoming students wishing to take calculus during their first two years at Yale should take the test in the summer, so that they can have the results available and take advantage of August advising. This includes students who have taken AP Calculus—your scores will be taken into account, but you will still have to complete the exam.

Sun Rise

Checklist for enrolling in calculus

  • Take the placement exam on Canvas. (You must do this even if you have AP scores.)
  • If you have questions about the calculus courses or placement exam, check the calculus and placement exam FAQ.
  • If you have questions about your placement, attend our calculus advising session in August. Schedule of the sessions will be posted on the event schedule page by the middle of July. 
  • If you need help with your placement and missed the advising session, write to the faculty member listed on the contact information page as a contact for the course into which you were placed. 
  • Sign up for a section of calculus once registration opens. 

Please note that you must have placement in the course for which you are signing up, or you will not be able to keep your spot; so it is important that any questions about placement and any possible adjustments are settled before you register. See the “For questions about your placement” entry in the “additional notes” below for more information. 

  • Read the page relevant to your potential major(s) from the undergraduate math major menu above, for advice about where to get started. If you have questions about anything, you can stop by the Academic Fair at the end of August, visit our August DUS office hours, or write to math.dus@yale.edu . 
  • If you choose to start in a course level 2000+ (such as Math 2250), you do NOT need to take the calculus placement exam. If you want to take Math 2250, you can simply sign up once registration opens. For Math 2550, please see the notes in the introductory course sequences, to learn more about the placement procedure. 
  • If you have already completed multivariable calculus, linear algebra, or other advanced math courses, the notes on the relevant pages from the undergraduate menu above will help guide you through the options. (This is especially important if your potential major(s) require math, as you will need to make arrangements about the requirements with the major’s DUS right away.) 

Additional notes about the calculus placement exam

The exam is required for students wishing to take introductory calculus (Math 1100, 1120, 1150, 1160, 1200, 1210). 

The exam is not required for students starting in Math 2000 or higher.

For guidance on where to start, please see the page relevant to your potential major(s) from the undergraduate math major menu above. It has recommendations for what courses may be good to start with, as well as detailed notes about procedures to follow if you have already completed some of them. 

The exam is available on Canvas, under the site: “Math Placement Exam [current year]” 

Enrollment:

  • Incoming first-years are automatically added to the Canvas site in late June.
  • Sophomores, juniors, and seniors should email math.dus@yale.edu to be added manually.

Placement results are available within five minutes after submitting the exam.

To view results, click the “Placement Results” tab on the Canvas site.

Troubleshooting:

You must take the exam before requesting a change.

You can attend our placement advising sessions in mid-August. 

  • Advisers will be available to discuss your placement, and make adjustments if appropriate.
  • The list of advising sessions will be posted on our event schedule page by the beginning of August.

The advisers can answer your questions and / or help you consider a change of placement. If the adviser agrees that another course is a better one for you to start with, they can change your placement to it. 

Generally speaking, we allow students to register one level below their exam placement. If you wish to take a class that is higher level, or 2+ levels lower, than you must receive an official change of placement. For example: If you receive Math 1150 from the exam, then you can use it to register for Math 1120, but not for Math 1200 or Math 1100. 

If you have missed all the advising sessions, you will need to speak with the course director of the class you wish to take. You can find a list of our course directors under “contact information” in the undergraduate menu above. 

Please note that the course directors have a lot to manage, particularly at the beginning of the year, and it’s unlikely that they will instantly be able to schedule an appointment with everyone who reaches out to them for individual advice about placement - we have over a thousand students in calculus every year! We encourage you to take the placement exam early in the summer, and attend the main August advising session, if at all possible, so that you’re sure to get the advice you need in a timely manner.

Once you have received your placement, you can sign up for  a section of your course when registration opens. 

Your placement result is valid for two years.

You may not retake the placement exam during that period.

If you would like to discuss a change in placement, please attend a calculus advising session.

If you have already taken the exam, you will not be able to take it again for two years. Your placement result will remain valid during this time. 

 You may also not take the exam if you have previously enrolled in a Yale calculus course (whether or not you completed the course). If you’re in this situation and want to explore placement options, contact math.dus@yale.edu .