Three Sample Tests
UBC-SFU-UVic-UNBC Calculus Examination
Here are three sample examinations, in Adobe PDF format.
Please Note:
- Exam Format:
Exam 1 has some short-answer questions; the other two do not.
The examiners make no promises regarding the style and format
of the actual paper. Students should prepare to read and follow
instructions carefully.
- Calculators:
Any calculator that is allowed in the
Principles of Mathematics 12 provincial examination may be used,
but will not be necessary.
Answers that are "calculator ready," like
3+ln(7), are fully acceptable.
- Question Style:
Each exam contains several questions that deal with standard topics
in a fresh or indirect way. The examiners are always looking for new
ways to probe student's conceptual understanding and versatility
with the material. All candidates will be expected to recognize
and solve standard problems by standard methods, but only those who
are able to adapt their methods to new situations will receive
outstanding scores.
- Showing Work:
Candidates are expected to show all the work leading to the answers
they present. (The short answer questions of Sample Exam #1 are an
exception.) In some cases it is acceptable just to write down the
answer---for example, when asked to compute something routine like
the derivative of cos(3x2+x).
However, there are no part marks for incorrect answers obtained this
way. A student who just writes down the incorrect
(6x+1)tan(3x2+x) will likely score 0 (out of 3), while
one who goes explicitly through the chain rule and finishes with
the same expression may (perhaps) earn 1 point.
- Answer Format:
On this page we provide answers only, not model solutions.
It was neither useful nor feasible to list all possible acceptable
answers, but in many cases several versions of the answer have been
supplied. It should be clear from these that the
calculator is seldom needed in the sample exams, and that unless
explicitly asked for, "simplifying" is not required.
(Return to Calculus Exam home page.)