Lial's Intro. Algebra Chapter 6 Test - Questions! (m)

[Michelle in MO]

My middle daughter is doing Lial's Introductory Algebra now, and seems to be doing pretty well. However, the tests are rather long. I was just working on lesson plans for February and noticed that the test for Chapter 6 (this is the 8th Edition we're working out of) is 30 questions. When she did the test for Chapter 5, which was 25 problems, it took her about two hours. Is this reasonable for a test of this length? Would it be wrong for me to reduce the number of questions for the Chapter 6 test? If so, which problems could I eliminate?

Thanks for any and all help and advice!

[periwinkle]

We usually spread them out over 2 days.

[Jann in TX]

I do not suggest comparing tests based on the number of problems...

Most of these problems should be very easy to work out...and they are a nice sampling of the many differenty cases that come up when you factor. If your dd is slow at factoring then I can e-mail you a few help sheets that I have developed...

I might cut out number 1 and 21 and make 30 a bonus problem...but other than that I think it is a good test...and should be completed by most students in about an hour...if factoring is taking longer than that she may need a bit more practice as factoring will not 'go away'.

Feel free to e-mail me if you ever have questions from this text...I've taught from it several times...

[Michelle in MO]

I just know from previous experience with my oldest daughter that these tests took a while. You are right, Jann---the factoring doesn't go away! After doing well with Intro. Algebra, my oldest daughter struggled so much with the factoring in Intermediate Algebra. The tests took her forever, and I finally had to drop the text. Based upon her age and maturity, I should have sandwiched geometry in between the two algebras for her. I don't want to make the same mistake with my middle daughter. I'll print out your message and look at the test again----it just seemed rather long to me, and when she took two hours with the Chapter 5 test, I thought, "Oh no---not again!"

Thanks for your advice!