Taking probability course to prepare for exam P

[alekhine4149]

Hi mcafej, yes it sounds like these will give you the background you need. I would say get the highest possible grade in each of these classes, then just go straight to practice exams for exam P to get used to the style of questions they ask. There are many manuals with practice exams such as ASM. Good luck.

[mcafej]

I was wondering if taking the college probability courses at my university would prepare me for exam P? I currently go to the University of Washington, and I am pursuing a BS in math, with a minor in statistics. Next year I am taking the 3 probability course series, and am wondering if that will prepare me for the exam. Each course is only 3 credits (so about 30 hours per quarter, for a total of 90 hours in class), but if I studied really hard and got a 3.5 or higher in the classes, do you think I would be prepared to take the exam next summer? I am hoping to do that, and then begin preparing for the next exam during the next school year, so that I can get an internship during the summer after my senior year. To get an idea of what is taught in the classes, the course descriptions are below:

MATH 394 Probability I (3) NW
Sample spaces; basic axioms of probability; combinatorial probability; conditional probability and independence; binomial, Poisson, and normal distributions. Prerequisite: either 2.0 in MATH 126 or 2.0 in MATH 136; recommended: MATH 324 or MATH 327. Offered: jointly with STAT 394; AWS.

MATH 395 Probability II (3) NW
Random variables; expectation and variance; laws of large numbers; normal approximation and other limit theorems; multidimensional distributions and transformations. Prerequisite: 2.0 in STAT/MATH 394. Offered: jointly with STAT 395; WSpS.

MATH 396 Probability III (3) NW
Characteristic functions and generating functions; recurrent events and renewal theory; random walk. Prerequisite: 2.0 in MATH 395 or 2.0 in STAT 511. Offered: jointly with STAT 396; Sp.

I have already taken calculus and am taking advanced multivariable calculus next year (I have done ok in those with an average of about a 3.0). Anyways, any recommendations on studying and passing the exam would help. Also, if you have any recommended reading for studying for the exam itself, please let me know, thanks.