Bilkent MATH 101 Midterm 1
Calculus I · We broke the last 5 midterms down problem by problem. Related rates came up as a full problem on all 5. A limit without L'Hôpital was the first problem on 4 of the 5; in 2025 it came inside the continuity problem.
Exam facts
From Sertöz's (Section 02) 2026 syllabus, Fall 2026-27. Check the Moodle announcement for whether the exam is common to all sections and for the exact rules.
| Date | Saturday, 7 November 202610:00–11:40, so 100 minutes. |
| Scope | Stewart 1.4–3.5Limits, continuity, derivatives and their rules, implicit differentiation, related rates, linear approximation, extrema, the Mean Value Theorem, curve sketching. |
| Format | Usually 4 written problems, 100 pointsPoints are printed on the paper: 25 per problem (in 2021, 5 problems of 20). Some boxes take only the final answer. |
| Weight | 28% of your gradeMT1 28%, MT2 28%, final 28%, WebAssign homework 16%. |
| Rules | Exam rules are on MoodleSo is the calculator rule; it isn't on the public pages. The pack's problems are written to be solved without a calculator. The syllabus warns explicitly: your grade depends on your conduct during the exam, not just on your paper. |
What came up in the last 5 midterms
Each box is one exam. Filled red box: the topic was a main problem on that exam. Half box: it came up as a part of another problem. Share of points: the topic's percentage of all the points on the 5 exams (parts included).
- Related ratesshare of points: 24%
- Limits (without L'Hôpital)share of points: 17%
- Tangent lineshare of points: 7%
- Implicit differentiation, d²y/dx² at a pointshare of points: 14%
- Derivative rules, chain rule, higher derivativesshare of points: 11%
- Existence proofs with the Mean Value Theorem / Rolle / Fermatshare of points: 7%
- Curve sketching (graph from conditions + find the parameters)share of points: 9%
- Continuity / Intermediate Value Theoremshare of points: 7%
- Absolute extrema on a closed intervalshare of points: 3%
- Linear approximation / differentialsshare of points: 1%
related rates: 5 out of 5. skip it and you leave 25 points.
Source: the Fall 2025-26, Fall 2024-25, Fall 2023-24 and Fall 2022-23 MT1s and the single Fall 2021-22 midterm, classified problem by problem by us. This is a study aid, not a guarantee of what will be on the exam.
What to expect this term
- Related rates, as a full problem. Write every length as a variable and differentiate last. “Don't assume anything that isn't given is constant” is the trap in this one.
- Limits without L'Hôpital. The first problem in 2021–2024. Factoring, conjugates, sin x / x and the squeeze theorem. In 2025 it was embedded in the continuity problem.
- Curve sketching (3.5). This year the scope runs to 3.5. Sketching a graph from conditions and finding the constants in the formula has come up on MT1 before.
- Existence proofs. Show “there is a c such that…” with the IVT, Rolle or the Mean Value Theorem; sometimes true/false with a counterexample.
- Tangent lines and implicit differentiation. A tangent line is a part on nearly every exam. d²y/dx² at a point came up on 3 of the 5: short and mechanical.
MT1 in 3 days
If you have 3 days left, start with the topic worth the most points.
- Day 1: Limits + continuity (1.4–1.8). List the techniques that don't need L'Hôpital. Do the past limit problems at 20 minutes each, then the IVT and piecewise functions.
- Day 2: Derivatives, implicit differentiation, related rates (2.1–2.9). All 5 related rates problems: drawing first, then the variables, then the relation, the derivative last.
- Day 3: Mean Value Theorem + curve sketching (3.1–3.5). Existence proofs and graphs from conditions. Last 100 minutes: one MT1 start to finish, like a mock exam.
the 7-day plan, with past problems tied to each day, is in the pack.
Official past exams with solutions
These are free and public. We don't sell them; we just take you to the right file.
All terms: www.fen.bilkent.edu.tr/~otekman/math101/ · Syllabus (Section 02): MATH 101 syllabus ↗
How to study for it
- Use the instructor's page. Lecture videos, board screenshots and solved exams are public. Get used to the way things are explained there first.
- Study without L'Hôpital. Every 2021–2024 limit problem said [Do not use L'Hôpital's Rule!]. If you can't do it with conjugates, factoring and the squeeze theorem, that problem is gone.
- Practice for the box format. Some boxes take only the result. Do the work cleanly on the paper and write a single expression in the box.
- Read the exam rules. They're a long list on Moodle. Per the syllabus, your conduct affects your grade too.
Finish one pattern free, then decide.
Related rates: an 8:38 video in English, the recipe step by step, and exam-level problems with graded solutions. No sign-up.free
Watch the free related rates patternWant the whole topic? The free unit covers implicit differentiation, related rates and linear approximation: a formula sheet, 8 traps, 6 worked examples and 24 exam-style problems. Open the free unit. Lesson text is in Turkish; problems and videos are in English. Full MATH 101 MT1 pack: 999 TL, one payment, no subscription · refund policy (Turkish)
FAQ
When is the MATH 101 Midterm 1?
Saturday, 7 November 2026, 10:00–11:40. It's 100 minutes long.
What topics are on MATH 101 MT1?
Stewart 1.4–1.6, 1.8, 2.1–2.9 and 3.1–3.5: limits, continuity, derivatives, implicit differentiation, related rates, linear approximation, extrema, the Mean Value Theorem and curve sketching.
Can I use L'Hôpital's Rule on MT1?
It's not a general rule but a per-question instruction: the limit problems on the 2021–2024 midterms said [Do not use L'Hôpital's Rule!]. So study until you can do limits with factoring, conjugates and the squeeze theorem.
How much is MT1 worth, and how do I avoid an FZ?
MT1 is 28% of the letter grade (MT2 28%, final 28%, WebAssign 16%). MT1 + MT2 together must be at least 40 out of 200; below that you can't take the final.
Where are the past exams?
Past years' MT1s and their solutions are public on Sertöz's course pages. The links on this page go straight to those files.
Is a calculator allowed?
The exam rules, the calculator rule included, are on Moodle; the public pages don't state it. The pack's problems are written to be solved without a calculator.
Is this an official Bilkent resource?
No. Vizekit is an independent study resource. The analysis and lessons are ours; for the official exams we only link.
Other exams: Bilkent PHYS 101 Midterm 1 · Bilkent PHYS 102 Midterm 1 · METU MATH 119 Midterm 1 · Türkçe sürüm