Placement Information for Calculus and Statistics
Looking for information about Statistics?
Calculus Placement Exam
A proctored Calculus Placement Exam will be administered during new student orientation. Students should take this exam if they intend to take a Calculus class at any point during their time at Occidental.
(Read the Should I take the Calculus Placement Exam below for more details and some important exceptions.)
The Calculus Placement exam has three possible placement outcomes:
- MATH 107: Data, Functions, and Graphs. This course prepares students to take MATH 110 or MATH 114.
- MATH 110: Calculus 1. This is our standard Calculus 1 course.
- MATH 114: Calculus 1 (Advanced). This is a slightly accelerated version of Calculus 1.
Proctored Exam for New Students
The next proctored Calculus Placement Exam will be held on Thursday, August 22, 2026 at 9am in the Mosher 1 lecture hall. Orientation team members will be available to help new student find the location of the exam.
Additional details:
- If you plan on taking the proctored Calculus Placement Exam during Orientation, please register in advance using the link below. You will need to sign in using your Occidental username and password in order to access the form.
- The exam will be administered using the ALEKS online placement platform. Students will need to bring a laptop in order to take the exam. (Loaner laptops are available from the library.)
- The exam will consist of up to 25 questions; because ALEKS is an adaptive platform, each student will receive a different series of questions based on their responses.
- Students will have up to 90 minutes to complete the exam.
Should I take the Calculus Placement Exam?
Calculus 1 is a requirement for many majors and pre-professional paths. In most cases, students interested in any of the following majors/programs should take the Calculus Placement Exam during Orientation.
- Biology (major only)
- Biochemistry
- Chemistry (major only)
- Computer Science (Computational Mathematics Focus only)
- Economics (major and minor)
- Mathematics (major and minor)
- Physics (major and minor)
- 3/2 Engineering Program
- Some Pre-Health pathways (see here for more details)
For more information about requirements for a given major, visit the relevant department web page.
Are there any exceptions?
Yes. You do NOT need to take the placement exam if:
- You received a qualifying score on an AP or IB exam (see section below)
- You have already taken a Calculus 1 or Calculus 2 course at another college or university (including dual enrollment courses).
Calculus AP and IB Scores
Students who have taken the Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams in calculus should refer to the charts below for placement. If you've taken more one exam, use the highest level exam to determine your placement.
|
Calculus AP Exam Score |
Placement |
|---|---|
|
AP Calc AB: 4 or 5 |
MATH 120 or MATH 128 |
|
AP Calc AB: 3 or below |
Take the ALEKS Placement Assessment |
|
AP Calc BC: 4 or 5 |
MATH 150, MATH 210, MATH 212, or MATH 214 |
|
AP Calc BC: 3 or below |
AB Subscore of 4 or 5: MATH 120 or MATH 128 AB subscore of 3 or less: Take the ALEKS Placement Assessment |
|
Calculus IB Exam Score |
Placement |
|---|---|
|
IB HL: 6 or 7 |
MATH 150, MATH 210, MATH 212, or MATH 214 |
|
IB HL: 5 |
MATH 114, MATH, 120, or MATH 128 (Contact the Math Department for guidance if you are unsure of whether to take a Calculus I or Calculus II course) |
|
IB HL: 4 |
MATH 110 or MATH 114 |
|
IB HL: 3 or below |
Take the ALEKS Placement Assessment |
|
IB SL: any score |
Take the ALEKS Placement Assessment |
Calculus Courses
The following are brief descriptions of Occidental's calculus courses.
MATH 107: Data, Functions, and Graphs
Offered starting in 2026-27
This course presents concepts from four points of view: geometric (graphs), numeric (tables), symbolic (formulas), and written (verbal descriptions). The emphasis is on the mathematical modeling of real-life problems using linear, polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions. Students that complete this course will be fully prepared for Math 110 or Math 114.
MATH 108-109: Unified Precalculus and Calculus
Discontinued after 2025-26
MATH 108-109 is a two-semester sequence that covers the material in Calculus 1 with additional study of elementary functions, algebra, trigonometry, graphing, and mathematical expression. Typically MATH 108 is offered only during the fall semester, with MATH 109 being taken in the spring. (Students must take MATH 108 in order to take MATH 109.) This two course sequence is designed for students who have studied only three years of high school mathematics or who are unready for the pace of calculus.
Successful completion of both MATH 108 and 109 will fulfill the Calculus 1 requirement for any major or minor; it will also allow students to register for any course that has Calculus 1 as a prerequisite.
MATH 110: Calculus 1
This course is intended for students with no prior experience in calculus, but who have studied algebra 1 and 2, geometry, and a fourth year of high school mathematics (such as Mathematical Analysis, Elementary Functions, or pre-calculus).
Successful completion of MATH 110 will fulfill the Calculus 1 requirement for any major or minor; it will also allow students to register for any course that has Calculus 1 as a prerequisite.
MATH 114: Calculus 1 (Advanced)
This Calculus 1 course is similar to MATH 110, but is Intended for students interested in more mathematical rigor. It is recommended for students who expect to take mathematics courses beyond calculus.
Successful completion of MATH 114 will fulfill the Calculus 1 requirement for any major or minor; it will also allow students to register for any course that has Calculus 1 as a prerequisite.
MATH 120: Calculus 2
This Calculus 2 course is commonly taken by students who have completed MATH 109, 110, or 114. It is also open to students who received an AP Calc AB score of 4 or 5, or an IB Calc HL score of 5, though students with qualifying AP or IB scores may wish to take MATH 128 instead.
Successful completion of MATH 120 will fulfill the Calculus 2 requirement for any major or minor; it will also allow students to register for any course that has Calculus 2 as a prerequisite.
MATH 128: Calculus 2 (Advanced Placement)
This course is similar to Math 120, but is intended primarily for students who have Advanced Placement calculus in high school and received a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calc AB exam. MATH 128 assumes mastery of the basic skills, including integration techniques and differentiation rules.
Successful completion of MATH 128 will fulfill the Calculus 2 requirement for any major or minor; it will also allow students to register for any course that has Calculus 2 as a prerequisite.
Statistics Placement Information
Occidental does not offer a placement exam for statistics. In most cases students interested in a statistics course can enroll in either COMP 146 or MATH 150. That said, if you received a score of 4 or 5 in AP Statistics, we will treat that as equivalent to having completed COMP 146 for the purpose of major and minor requirements, as well as prerequisites.
What's the difference between COMP 146 and MATH 150? While these courses are similar, we advise students who are interested in taking an introductory statistics course and who have a Calculus I background (either coursework or AP placement) to enroll in Math 150: Data Analysis rather than COMP 146: Statistics.
- COMP 146: Statistics. Comprehensive study of measures of central tendency, variation, probability, the normal distribution, sampling, estimation, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing. Introduction to use of technology in statistics. Real-life problems are used to illustrate methods. Weekly lab. Not open to students who have completed or are currently enrolled in Psychology 201, Biology 368, Mathematics 150, or any Mathematics course above 200.
- MATH 150: Statistical Data Analysis. An introductory course in statistics emphasizing modern techniques of data analysis. Exploratory data analysis and graphical methods; random variables, statistical distributions, and linear models; classical, robust, and nonparametric methods for estimation and hypothesis testing; introduction to modern multivariate methods. Students will make significant use of a computer application specifically designed for data exploration. The course is strongly recommended for students who are going to use graphical techniques and statistics for research in their fields. Weekly lab. Prerequisite: a Calculus 1 course or permission of instructor.