Math 265 · 4 credits · NCCRS
Calculus 2
Self-paced and online: advanced integration, differential equations, series and Taylor series, parametric and polar curves.
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Math 2654 creditsNCCRS recommended
Calculus 2 online for college credit: where to take it, every route compared
You can take Calculus 2 online for credit as a college's own online class or as a self-paced course with a credit recommendation, such as UPI Study's Calculus 2 (Math 265), which NCCRS recommends for 4 semester hours. By exam, only AP Calculus BC reaches Calculus 2, and it is a high school course with one exam each May; CLEP Calculus covers one semester, and DSST has no calculus exam.
The one Calculus 2 exam
AP Calculus BC
College Board's equivalent of a first-semester college calculus course and the single-variable course after it. Exam each May; $99 in the US.
From College Board
Set terms, tuition per credit
A college's own Calculus II
NOVA's MTH 264 Calculus II, for example: 4 credits at $232.05 a credit for Virginia residents, $480.40 out of state.
From nvcc.edu
- An exam for Calculus 2?
- Only AP Calculus BC
- Not on CLEP or DSST
- Series, polar curves
- Credit
- 4 semester hours (NCCRS)
What you learn
Math 265's 10 chapters, from its syllabus, and the BC units beyond first-semester calculus, from College Board.
Math 265's chapters
- Advanced integration
- Improper integrals and L'Hôpital's Rule
- Hyperbolic functions
- Differential equations
- Series and convergence tests
- Power and Taylor series
- Parametric and polar curves
AP Calculus BC's Calculus 2 units
- Differential equations
- Parametric, polar and vector-valued functions
- Infinite sequences and series
Side by side
| Covers Calculus 2? | Official fee | Who sets the credit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus BC | Yes, with Calculus 1 | $99 an exam in the US | Each college, by score |
| AP Calculus AB | No: first semester only | $99 an exam in the US | Each college, by score |
| CLEP Calculus | No: one semester | $97 + center fee, or $30 remote | Each college; ACE: 4 semester hours at 50 |
| DSST | No calculus exam at all | ||
| Sophia Learning | No: its course list stops at Calculus I | Its own monthly plans | Each college |
| NOVA MTH 264 Calculus II | Yes: 4 credits | $232.05 a credit (Virginia residents) | NOVA's own transcript |
| UPI Study Math 265 | Yes: self-paced, online | No exam or proctoring fees | NCCRS: 4 semester hours |
Math 265 has 10 chapters and 62 instructional hours, a final of 100 multiple-choice questions, and calculators are allowed in it. A transcript is $20; UPI Study sends it to your college. At NOVA, a 3 on AP Calculus BC earns MTH 263 and MTH 264, 8 credits.
Which route fits you?
AP Calculus BC if
- You are in high school and your school offers BC
- You can wait for the May exam
- Your college's AP policy gives Calculus II for your score
A college's Calculus II if
- Your program says it must be taken at your college
- You want live classes on set dates
- Your college does not take outside credit recommendations
Math 265 if
- You have finished Calculus 1
- You want to start any day, online, at your own pace
- Your college works with NCCRS recommendations
Questions, answered
Is there a CLEP exam for Calculus 2?
No. CLEP has one Calculus exam, covering what is “usually taught in a one-semester college course in calculus”: limits, differential calculus and integral calculus. Its topic list has no series and no polar curves, which are the heart of Calculus 2. DSST has no calculus exam at all.
What is the AB subscore on the AP Calculus BC exam?
If you take BC, you also get a Calculus AB subscore (1 to 5) for the part of the exam on AB topics, about 60% of it. College Board recommends that colleges “treat the Calculus AB subscore on the Calculus BC Exam the same way they would treat an AP Calculus AB Exam score”, but each college sets its own policy.
Do I need Calculus 1 before Math 265?
Math 265's syllabus lists no formal prerequisite, but the course continues from Calculus 1: it opens with a review and advanced integration techniques. If calculus is new to you, start with Calculus 1 (Math 165), or watch free Calculus 2 lessons to check where you stand.
How many credits is Calculus 2?
NCCRS recommends 4 semester hours, lower or upper division, in Calculus among other subjects.
Does Calculus 2 count as Calculus credit?
Its NCCRS recommendation lists Calculus, Mathematics or Computer Science. Your college decides which requirement it fills.
How long is Calculus 2?
Its syllabus has 10 chapters and 62 instructional hours. It is self-paced, so you finish as fast or as slow as you want.
How is the Calculus 2 final exam set up?
100 multiple-choice questions, counting for 25% of the grade.
Which textbook does Calculus 2 use?
The syllabus lists Hoffman, Dale. Contemporary Calculus. Bellevue College, Washington State Colleges, with other references.
Does Calculus 2 have an ACE recommendation?
No: it is not on the ACE list. It has an NCCRS recommendation for 4 semester hours in Calculus. Not being on the ACE list never means not recommended for credit.
What should I take after Calculus 2?
Calculus 3. In the “The calculus sequence” order on the Math courses page, it follows Calculus 2. Your program may set its own order.
When can I request my Calculus 2 transcript?
Once Calculus 2 shows 100% complete in your dashboard. Assignments take about 48 hours to be checked, so allow about two days after your last submission; then request the transcript and UPI Study emails it to your college.
Can I see the Calculus 2 syllabus before I enroll?
Yes: the Calculus 2 syllabus opens after a free sign-in. It lists all 10 chapters, the grading and the credit recommendation, so you can send it to your registrar.
Do colleges give credit for Calculus 2?
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Search your school in Find My College and ask your registrar whether Math 265 can count as your Calculus II. NCCRS lists it in the lower or upper division category, in Calculus, Mathematics or Computer Science. It helps to name the subject: NCCRS recommends Calculus 2 in Calculus.
Where these credits can go
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Plus many more partner colleges and ACE and NCCRS cooperating colleges.
Find My College →Keep exploring
- Calculus 2 course pageLessons and syllabus
- Free Calculus 2 lessonsWatch before you enroll
Calculus 1 for creditAP, CLEP or a course
Calculus 2 vs Calculus 3The course after- Calculus 3 for creditEvery route
- Calculus 1 vs Calculus 2Compare
Check your college first
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Sources (16)
- College Board: AP Calculus BC https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-calculus-bc
- College Board: AP Calculus BC (course units) https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-calculus-bc
- College Board: Special score structure, Calculus BC https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/about-ap-scores/special-score-structure-calculus-bc
- College Board: AP exam dates https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/exam-dates
- College Board: AP exam fees https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/exam-policies-guidelines/exam-fees
- College Board: CLEP Calculus exam https://clep.collegeboard.org/clep-exams/calculus
- College Board: CLEP Calculus exam https://clep.collegeboard.org/clep-exams/calculus
- College Board: Register for a CLEP exam https://clep.collegeboard.org/register-for-an-exam
- College Board: Registering for a CLEP exam with remote proctoring https://clep.collegeboard.org/register-for-an-exam/registering-remote-proctoring
- DSST: the math exams https://getcollegecredit.com/exam-category/math/
- Sophia Learning: all courses https://www.sophia.org/online-courses/
- Northern Virginia Community College: Mathematics (MTH) courses https://catalog.nvcc.edu/courses/mth/
- Northern Virginia Community College: Tuition and fees https://www.nvcc.edu/tuition/index.html
- Northern Virginia Community College: Credit by AP exam https://catalog.nvcc.edu/cpl-manual/credit-ap-exam/
- NCCRS: UPI Study, Inc. (every course and its credit recommendation) https://www.nationalccrs.org/organizations/upi-study-inc
- UPI Study: Calculus 2 syllabus (PDF) https://www.upistudy.com/syllabus/calculus2.pdf
- NCCRS: UPI Study's credit recommendations https://www.nationalccrs.org/organizations/upi-study-inc
UPI Study facts are from our course catalog, syllabi and course rules. CLEP and AP are registered trademarks of College Board, which is not connected with UPI Study. DSST is a trademark of Prometric, which is not connected with UPI Study; DSST facts are as getcollegecredit.com stated them. Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is named only as one college's published policy; it is not connected with UPI Study. Sophia Learning is named only to compare; it is a trademark of its owner and is not connected with UPI Study.