Math Readiness Assessment (MRA)

First Semester Calculus Courses: MTH 121, MTH 131, MTH 141

Page updated May 23, 2023

The University at Buffalo requires a Math Readiness Assessment (MRA) to determine readiness for students wishing to enroll in first semester calculus courses, MTH 121, MTH 131, and MTH 141. The MRA is available, free-of-charge.

The MRA is Free

The Math Readiness Assessment is free to all UB students.

Who needs the MRA, and Why

Who needs to take the Math Readiness Assessment?To determine whether a student will need to take an introductory calculus course (MTH 121, MTH 131, or MTH 141), please see the list of majors requiring one of these courses here.

Why must students take the Math Readiness Assessment?The Math Readiness Assessment is used to determine readiness for college-level calculus at the University at Buffalo. The exam does not require extensive preparation since it is a measure of a student's current knowledge. At the same time, there are resources available on Brightspace for students that wish to practice before their exam.

MRA registration and scheduling

How do students register for the Math Readiness Assessment? Registration for the Math Readiness Assessment is handled through the Navigate app. Students can search through Navigate for a list of available dates. When scheduling an appointment, students should select "Student Support" for the appointment type and "Math Readiness Assessment" for the service.

A video demonstrating the free, MRA registration process is here.

Alternatively, students can make their appointment, here.

Can a student register for more than one Math Readiness Assessment date at a time? No. If a student already has an appointment to take the Math Readiness Assessment, they will not be able to register for another Math Readiness Assessment until after the date of their existing appointment has passed.

Can a student change their exam date? Yes. The student will first need to cancel their existing Math Readiness Assessment appointment before they are able to register for a new date.

Do students receive a reminder about their upcoming Math Readiness Assessment? Yes, students will receive an email reminder 4-hours before your exam date and a text message reminder 1 hour before the exam (if they have a cell phone listed in HUB/Navigate).

Can students with disabilities receive accommodations for the Math Readiness Assessment?Yes, to receive the accommodations, eligible students should contact the  Accessibility Resources office.  Students will need to schedule their appointment with the Accessibility Resources office, then share the scheduled date with the Math Department at mth-placement@buffalo.edu

When is the Math Readiness Assessment offered? The Math Readiness Assessment is offered toward the end of the Fall and Spring semesters and over the summer and Winter breaks.Please check the Navigate App to find a current list of available dates.

Can advisors see when the Math Readiness Assessment is offered? Yes, advisors can look up the Department of Mathematics user through Navigate to find the list of availabilities.

Topics covered in the MRA

What topics are covered on the Math Readiness Assessment? The Math Readiness Assessment tests students' knowledge of three main components: Math Fundamentals, Advanced Algebra, and Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry. A breakdown of the topics for each component is given below:

Are there practice materials for the Math Readiness Assessment? Yes. Practice exams can be found on the Math Readiness Assessment Brightspace course page. Students will be added to the Brightspace page after making their appointment through the Navigate App. It may take up to one week to be added.

MRA format, length, and administration

What is the format of the questions on the Math Readiness Assessment The Math Readiness Assessment is a multiple choice exam. There are 10 questions for each of the three main components, with 30 questions in total. Scrap paper will be provided to students to work out all answers for in-person exams.

How long is the Math Readiness Assessment? Students have up to 90-minutes to complete the Math Readiness Assessment.

May students use a calculator while taking the Math Readiness Assessment? No, the use of a calculator is not permitted during the Math Readiness Assessment.

May students use any other resources during the Math Readiness Assessment? Students may only use a pen or pencil, paper, and the resources provided within the exam itself. Students are not allowed to receive assistance from friends, family, notes, websites, textbooks, or any other resource not provided by the exam. Using outside resources will lead to improper placement and potentially course failure. It is a violation of UB's academic integrity policy.

Can students take the Math Readiness Assessment online?Yes, the Math Readiness Assessment is offered online. Students will need to make an appointment through the Navigate App in order to take the exam.

What do students need in order to take the online Math Readiness Assessment ?The online Math Readiness Assessment requires the use of two devices: a desktop or laptop computer to access the exam, and a smartphone or tablet with functioning camera to access the Zoom meeting room for proctoring. Students will also need a photo ID, writing utencils, and blank paper.

Access and complete the MRA on Brightspace via Zoom

How will students access the online Math Readiness Assessment?The online Math Readiness Assessment is accessed through Brightspace.There will be a delay (up to one week) from the time that you first make your appointment to the time that you can access the Brightspace course page.

How is Zoom used to administer the online Math Readiness Assessment?Students will join a Zoom meeting room through a smart phone or tablet with functioning camera that shows their face, computer screen, and work space. The proctor will then share the exam code which will allow access to the MRA exam on Brightspace.

Students must remain in the Zoom meeting room until they are finished with the exam. Failure to do so will result in a score of zero on the MRA exam.

A video showing how to set-up the two devices for taking the MRA exam is here.

How is proctoring set-up in the Zoom meeting room?Students will need to have the Zoom app installed on their smartphone or tablet. A link for the Zoom meeting room is available through the student's appointment on the Navigate App. In order to join the meeting, students will need to be signed into Zoom with their UB account with SSO. See more information on signing-in with SSO, here.

Placement: What happens after completing the MRA

What is the placement result? A student's placement result is comprised of three scores between 0 and 100, one for each of the three main components (Math Fundamentals, Advanced Algebra, Trigonometry/Geometry).

The required scores for MTH 121 or 131 are 70 on Math Fundamentals, and 70 on Advanced Algebra.

The required scores for MTH 141 are 70 on Math Fundamentals, 70 on Advanced Algebra, and 70 on Trigonometry/Geometry.

Where can students see their scores? Students will receive an email with their scores as soon as they become available. The scores will be also viewable in the student's Academic Advising Report (AAR) on the HUB.

How long is the MRA placement result valid? The placement result is valid for 1 year.

If a student does not receive high enough scores for the course they want to take, can they register for the course anyway? Unfortunately not. All students must achieve the applicable minimum component scores to be allowed in each course. If a student has not reached the required thresholds, they will be removed from the course before the start of the semester.

Can students retake the Math Readiness Assessment?Yes. Students can take the online Math Readiness Assessment twice and the in-person Math Readiness Assessment once per semester. The best score from each component will be kept.

What should students do if they take the Math Readiness Assessment but do not receive the scores required for their calculus course? Students can retake the Math Readiness Assessment to try to improve their scores. If a student is not able to satisfy the prerequities for their desired calculus course, they can consider enrolling in MTH 108, MTH 112, MTH 113, or MTH 114 and should contact their academic advisor. The chart below (click to enlarge) outlines which courses are appropriate based on a student's MRA scores:

About UB Math courses and the MRA

Can students that are currently taking MTH 113 or MTH 114 enroll in MTH 121, MTH 131, or MTH 141?Yes, if a student is currently taking MTH 113 then they can enroll in MTH 121 or MTH 131.

If a student is currently taking MTH 114 then they can enroll in MTH 121, MTH 131, or MTH 141.

If the student completes MTH 113/114 with a grade of C or better, no further action will be necessary.

If the student does not complete MTH 113/114 with a grade of C or better, they will still need to satisfy the prerequisites for their calculus course in order to remain enrolled (e.g. sufficient scores on the Math Readiness Assessment).

If a student is already enrolled in MTH 121, MTH 131, or MTH 141, do they still need to take the Math Readiness Assessment?If the student has not otherwise satisfied the prerequisites for their calculus course, they will still need to take the Math Readiness Assessment in order to remain enrolled. 

Students that have not satisfied the prerequisites for MTH 121, MTH 131, or MTH 141 will be dropped from those courses.

Will students be notified if they are enrolled in MTH 121, MTH 131, or MTH 141 but have not yet satisfied the prerequisites?Yes, students will receive email notifications if they are enrolled in MTH 121, MTH 131, or MTH 141 and have not satisfied the prerequisites.

If a student believes this to be a mistake, they should email to the Math Readiness Assessment email address, mth-placement@buffalo.edu, as soon as possible.

When are students dropped from MTH 121, MTH 131, or MTH 141 for missing prerequisites?For the Fall 2023 semester, students will be dropped from MTH 121, MTH 131, and MTH 141 on Monday, July 31st if they have not satisfied the course prerequisites by that time. 

UB Math MRA Contact

For questions or issues, please contact the Math Readiness Assessment Administrative email address, mth-placement@buffalo.edu

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AI drone swarm shows military might but also questions of who holds the power

The new drone swarm test conducted by the U.S. and its allies last week shows some of the wider applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in military settings while also raising some potential issues about how multiple militaries will be able to cooperate.

"Just like coordination is needed to conduct classic, joint and coalition maneuvers and military operations, similar clear definitions of boundaries, tasks, responsibility and authority are needed to control and de-conflict drone swarms," retired Brig. Gen. Uri Engelhard, AI and cyber expert, member of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, told Fox News Digital.

"If planned and conducted properly, the deployment of drone swarms should not be more challenging than other military activities."

The joint AUKUS – Australia, United Kingdom and U.S. – military drill last week included the deployment of an AI-controlled swarm of drones that detected and tracked military targets "in a real-time representative environment," according to a British government press release.

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The AUKUS alliance handed control of a drone swarm to an AI program to test its observational capabilities. (UK Ministry of Defense handout)

The test, conducted in southwest England, included a Challenger 2 tank, Warrior armored vehicle and Viking unmanned ground vehicle. The U.K. Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) said the test helped the three allies reduce duplication efforts and ensure interoperability.

"Accelerating technological advances will deliver the operational advantages necessary to defeat current and future threats across the battlespace," U.K. Deputy Chief of Defense Staff Lt. Gen. Rob Magowan said in a press release about the trial. 

"We are committed to collaborating with partners to ensure that we achieve this while also promoting the responsible development and deployment of AI," he added.

The swarm displayed impressive capabilities, and it raised significant questions about control – both the main AI that operates the swarm and the data that the swarm absorbs and disseminates.

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"Obviously, he who controls the AI holds an advantage over other participants," Engelhard said. "But similar to other complex systems, like the Iron Dome, only if all components operate in harmony can the system succeed."

"No system is void of errors," he noted. "Using AI will decrease errors. The task of remote controlling a swarm of drones is complex, and in order to minimize errors, a combination of AI and remote control should be employed."

An Israel Defense Forces officer analyzes visual information generated with the help of artificial intelligence. (IDF Spokesperson unit)

"The clearest advantage of AI-controlled drone swarms is that if programmed well in advance, the swarm can execute its tasks exceedingly well without the need for remote controlling," Engelhard said.

The new trial shows the U.S. making great strides in areas that some countries have already explored, including Israel, but also rivals such as China, according to Matt McInnis, a senior fellow for the Institute for the Study of War's China Program, told Fox News Digital.

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"This is one of the areas that … with all the things that I saw that drone swarms could potentially bring to warfare, this type of very fast response to a changing situation during a conflict and being able to process many, many targets quickly is something that I think all major militaries are trying to get a handle on," McInnis said.

"I think using drones for this intelligence surveillance reconnaissance mission that the August test is looking at is, in many ways, trying to ensure that we are keeping up with where China and Israel and others are going and, frankly, to maintain and hopefully to establish and maintain a leading edge in this capability."

A military vehicle carrying a supersonic reconnaissance drone takes part a military parade in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

The focus for AI and drone technology thus far remains purely strategic, with little plans evident to give AI control of weapons or combat vehicles otherwise. The public’s reaction to such a choice became clear with the response to a report last week that the Air Force had run a simulation in which the AI drone allegedly tried to kill its operator and a communications tower because it deemed them as obstacles to fulfilling its goals.

The Air Force had to clarify they did not actually hand over control of a weapon to an AI and no one actually died or was harmed during the test. Instead, the Air Force insisted that the comments had been taken out of context and "were meant to be anecdotal."

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Iran showed video of a Shahed drone in flight on Feb. 24, 2023. (IRINN via AP)

McInnis said the Chinese are aiming to do something along similar lines – in effect speeding up the "targeting cycle," from observation, targeting, firing and then repeating the cycle. 

"Process in a war can become very quick, and it is something that I think most states are going to try to find ways to do because this is the key to maintaining a decision superiority in warfare," he said. "It's certainly where the Chinese are trying to go, what they believe they can achieve [with] this type of decision superiority by bringing in artificial intelligence and machine learning into its entire intelligence and targeting process."

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On the issue of who controls the AI and incoming data remains a chief concern that McInnis worries has escaped serious consideration so far, adding that there will remain "enormous pressure" to find a common operating platform, especially in organizations like NATO.

"My expectation is that, at least for our core allies certainly to press on all of NATO but maybe certain key players like France or Japan … those are all things that I expect we're going to try to make as interoperable as possible," he said.

Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news.