Overview
In this unit, you will study fundamental mathematical concepts, processes, and techniques necessary to support subsequent studies in applied calculus. Throughout the term, you will record handwritten worked examples of all problems attempted in a workbook to create a comprehensive resource for solving mathematical problems, which you can apply in the exam and throughout your course and career. You will investigate the properties and applications of linear, quadratic, logarithmic, and exponential functions. You will use trigonometry to solve triangles and determine solutions to problems involving algebraic techniques. Complex numbers, vectors, and matrix algebra will be used to develop solutions to problems. Other important elements of this unit are communicating results, concepts, and ideas using mathematics as a language. This unit will develop your software skills in WolframAlpha to visualise, analyse, validate and solve problems.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Anti-requisite: MATH12223 or MATH12224.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a pass/fail (non-graded) unit. To pass the unit, you must pass all of the individual assessment tasks shown in the table above.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student evaluation
Some students commented that workload requirements for this unit were difficult and excessive, while others said that there was no new content for them.
Unit content should be reviewed.
Feedback from Student evaluation
Students were happy with the unit organisation and delivery.
The unit organisation and delivery structure should be continued.
- Determine solutions to problems involving algebraic techniques and vectors
- Solve problems by applying the properties of linear, quadratic, logarithmic, and exponential functions
- Model periodic phenomena using trigonometric functions
- Solve geometric and engineering problems using complex numbers
- Represent and solve problems using matrices and matrix operators
- Communicate results, concepts, and ideas in context using mathematics as a language
- Apply mathematical software to visualise, analyse, validate and solve problems.
The Learning Outcomes for this unit are linked with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standards for Professional Engineers in the areas of 1. Knowledge and Skill Base, 2. Engineering Application Ability and 3. Professional and Personal Attributes at the following levels:
Introductory
1.2 Conceptual understanding of the mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics, and computer and information sciences which underpin the engineering discipline. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5N 6N 7N)
2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem-solving. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5N 7N)
2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools, and resources. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5N 7N)
3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains. (LO: 6N)
3.3 Creative, innovative, and proactive demeanor. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N 5N)
3.4 Professional use and management of information. (LO: 6N)
Note: LO refers to the Learning Outcome number(s) which link to the competency and the levels: N – Introductory, I – Intermediate, and A - Advanced.
Refer to the Engineering Undergraduate Course Moodle site for further information on Engineers Australia's Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers and course-level mapping information https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=1511
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 0% | |||||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 0% | |||||||
| 3 - Examination - 0% | |||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||||
Textbooks
Engineering Mathematics
5th edition (2017)
Authors: Croft, Davison, Flint & Hargeaves
Pearson
Harlow Harlow , Essex , UK
ISBN: 9781292146652
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Access to a document scanner and/or pdf converter (all assessment submitted electronically as pdf file)
- Access to a printer (for printing assessment and tutorial materials)
- Access to a webcam, speaker and microphone or a headset (for participating in Zoom lectures and tutorials)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
k.nepal@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Textbook Sections 1.1, 1.2,1.4 to 1.5
Chapter
Chapter 1: Review of algebraic techniques
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 1 Tutorial Exercises
Textbook Exercises 1.2, 1.4 to 1.5
Module/Topic
Textbook Sections 1.6 to 1.8
Chapter
Chapter 1: Review of algebraic techniques
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2 Tutorial Exercises
Textbook Exercises 1.6 to 1.8
Module/Topic
Textbook Sections 4.1 to 4.4, 7.1 to 7.7
Chapter
Chapter 4: Coordinate systems
Chapter 7: Vectors
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3 Tutorial Exercises
Textbook Exercises 4.2 to 4.4, 7.2, 7.3, 7.5 to 7.7
Assessment 2a: Competency Test 1 due
Assessment 1: Handwritten Workbook preparation I
Module/Topic
Textbook Sections 2.1 to 2.3, 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 2.4.6 to 2.4.9
Chapter
Chapter 2: Engineering functions
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4 Tutorial Exercises
Textbook Exercises 2.3, 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 2.4.6, 2.4.8, 2.4.9
Module/Topic
Textbook Sections 2.4.3 to 2.4.5
Chapter
Chapter 2: Engineering functions
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5 Tutorial Exercises
Textbook Exercises 2.4.3, 2.4.4, 2.4.5
Module/Topic
Textbook Sections 3.1 to 3.6
Chapter
Chapter 3: The trigonometric functions
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6 Tutorial Exercises
Textbook Exercises 3.3, 3.4, 3.6
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Textbook Sections 3.7 to 3.8
Chapter
Chapter 3: The trigonometric functions
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7 Tutorial Exercises
Textbook Exercises 3.7 to 3.8
Assessment 2b: Competency Test 2 due
Assessment 1: Handwritten Workbook preparation II
Module/Topic
Textbook Sections 9.1 to 9.8
Chapter
Chapter 9: Complex numbers
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8 Tutorial Exercises
Textbook Exercises 9.2 to 9.5, 9.7
Module/Topic
Textbook Sections 9.9 to 9.10
Chapter
Chapter 9: Complex numbers
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9 Tutorial Exercises
Textbook Exercises 9.9 to 9.10
Module/Topic
Textbook Sections 8.1 to 8.8
Chapter
Chapter 8: Matrix algebra
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10 Tutorial Exercises
Textbook Exercises 8.3, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8
Module/Topic
Textbook Sections 8.9 to 8.13
Chapter
Chapter 8: Matrix algebra
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11 Tutorial Exercises
Textbook Exercises 8.9 to 8.11, 8.13
Assessment 2c: Competency Test 3 due
Assessment 1: Handwritten Workbook preparation III
Module/Topic
Revision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial: Sample exam and past exam problems
Handwritten Workbook Due: Week 12 Wednesday (3 June 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Standard examination
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
In this individual assessment item, student prepares a workbook. The workbook must only be fully handwritten, and scanned copy must be uploaded for marking after completing, revising and updating three competency tests submitted in Week 3, Week 7 and Week 11. Due date for this assessment item is Week 12.
Student needs to (i) handwrite the solutions of three competency tests, (ii) revise and update after receiving the solutions, (iii) sequentially organise and (iv) submit the revised solutions of both originally correct and revised solutions of thirty (30) extended response mathematical questions in a single scanned PDF file.
Students are only permitted to bring this one physical fully handwritten workbook into the exam.
Students are reminded that all aspects of work submitted are to be the efforts of their own personal studies.
Please see the unit Moodle site for the questions in this assessment, together with complete instructions for online submission of your solutions.
AI ASSESSMENT SCALE - NO AI
You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
Week 12 Wednesday (3 June 2026) 11:59 pm AEST
Exam Week Monday (8 June 2026)
The assessment mark is based on Pass/Fail system. The following assessment criteria will be used to assess:
- "Excellent revisions" & "Pass" if the solutions are revised and corrected fully and completely with no errors,
- "Good revisions" & "Pass" if the solutions are revised and corrected mostly but contain minor errors,
- "Satisfactory revision" & "Pass" if the solutions are revised but some of them are incomplete and still contain some errors,
- "Poor revisions" & "Fail" if not revised or insufficient/inadequate working or contain so many errors as to render the revision to be without value
Answers to all questions should be neatly and clearly presented and full working is required.
The Unit Coordinator may offer students a reattempt for this assessment.
- Determine solutions to problems involving algebraic techniques and vectors
- Solve problems by applying the properties of linear, quadratic, logarithmic, and exponential functions
- Model periodic phenomena using trigonometric functions
- Solve geometric and engineering problems using complex numbers
- Represent and solve problems using matrices and matrix operators
- Communicate results, concepts, and ideas in context using mathematics as a language
- Apply mathematical software to visualise, analyse, validate and solve problems.
2 Online Quiz(zes)
Student needs to complete three (3) competency tests at the end of Week 3, Week 7 and Week 11 respectively. All solutions must be fully handwritten and scanned copies of the sequentially organised solutions are submitted in a single PDF file together with online answers in Moodle.
Students are reminded that all aspects of work submitted are to be the efforts of their own personal studies.
Student receives questions for the competency tests from Moodle site. Test questions will be available under the "Assessment" tile on the unit Moodle website, together with complete instructions for submission of your solutions to the test questions.
Test questions will be automatically closed and submitted by the specified date and time. Students cannot apply for extension after the test questions are closed.
AI ASSESSMENT SCALE - NO AI
You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
This assessment is exempted from the 72-hour submission grace period and must be completed by the stated submission date/time.
3
Other
Due date for each competency test is in Week 3, Week 7 and Week 11 respectively. Due dates are set in unit Moodle site.
Within two weeks of the due date of each competency test.
The competency test solutions are assessed based on Pass/Fail system. Student is required to achieve a minimum of 25% overall in three competency tests in order to PASS this assessment item.
For each designated question, the solution is awarded:
- 100% marks if both the working procedure and answer/s (online and handwritten solutions) are error free,
- 75% marks if there is a minor error in the working procedure or in answer/s (online or handwritten solutions),
- 50% marks if there is a computation error that resulted in incorrect answer/s but working procedure is correct (in handwritten solutions),
- 0% marks if not attempted, insufficient/inadequate working or contains so many errors as to render the attempt to be without value (in handwritten solutions).
Answers to all questions should be neatly and clearly presented and full working is required to obtain maximum credit for solutions.
The Unit Coordinator may offer students a reattempt for this assessment.
- Determine solutions to problems involving algebraic techniques and vectors
- Solve problems by applying the properties of linear, quadratic, logarithmic, and exponential functions
- Model periodic phenomena using trigonometric functions
- Solve geometric and engineering problems using complex numbers
Examination
Calculator - all non-communicable calculators, including scientific, programmable and graphics calculators are authorised
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
