Mathematics Level 2 Subject Test

• The Mathematics Level 2 Subject Test covers the same material as the Mathematics Level 1 test — with the addition of trigonometry and elementary functions (precalculus).
• If you performed well in these courses, taking this test gives you the opportunity to highlight your abilities and showcase your interest in higher-level mathematics.

Test Basics

Scoring, Timing, Number of Questions

• Points - 200-800
• Minutes - 60
• Questions - 50 (Multiple Choice)

Important Notes

• Offered in August, October, November, December, May, and June.
• Calculator use permitted. See calculator policy, including what calculators are acceptable.

Format

• The test has 50 multiple choice questions that are to be answered in one hour.
• All questions have five answer choices. Students receive 1 point for every correct answer, lose ¼ of a point for each incorrect answer, and receive 0 points for questions left blank.

Recommended Preparation

• More than 3 years of college-preparatory mathematics, including 2 years of algebra, 1 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.

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 can’t be solved without a scientific or a graphing calculator.
• 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 test and you don’t have a backup calculator, you can cancel scores on just the Mathematics Test. You must tell the proctor when the malfunction occurs in order to cancel scores on these tests only.

Using the Calculator

• You don’t 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’s no advantage, perhaps even a disadvantage, to using a calculator
• Don’t 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.

Scoring

• For each of the 50 multiple choice questions, students receive 1 point for every correct answer, lose ¼ of a point for each incorrect answer, and receive 0 points for questions left blank. This creates a raw score, which is then converted into a scaled score. The conversion between these numbers varies depending on the difficulty of a particular test administration.
• The scaled score is the only score reported to either students or colleges, and ranges from 200 to 800, with 800 being the best possible score. The standard deviation of the test scores in 2006 was 105.
• 15 percent of the 2012 college-bound seniors taking the test received a perfect score of 800.