About AP® Calculus AB Exam

1. Prepare for College

   AP Calculus AB provides you with challenging, fast-paced units. It covers more advanced subject material than your regular high school lessons and encourages you to engage in high level analysis. Getting exposure to college-level introductory courses while still in high school will ease your transition from high school to the first year of college. While having the opportunity to tap into your creativity and intellect, the exam will also prepare you for next-stage career goals and challenges.

2. Boost Your College Applications

   A course like the AP Calculus AB reflects your overall college readiness. Admission officers tend to view college applications reflecting challenging AP courses more favorably compared to those transcripts with standard high school courses. 85% of institutions report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions. Taking this course indicates that you worked hard, cultivated advanced skills, plus demonstrated the intellectual propensity to take advanced college courses in math, which boosts your chances of selection exponentially.

3. Earn College Credits!

   While different colleges have their requirements, the general rule is that AP Calculus AB is equivalent to first-semester college calculus. With a score of 3 or higher, many colleges recognize you as eligible to take higher-level courses. Because of this, most colleges across the United States would offer course credits to you. This is the most significant advantage of taking AP Calculus AB.

4. Strengthen Your Transcript

   In many high schools,AP courses are weighted more heavily when calculating your GPA. That means taking an AP class and getting an “okay” grade is often considered better than getting an A in a typical high school course.

5. Save Time and Money!

   Taking the AP Calculus AB exam can ease you into the second year of college. You can save up time and tuition fees by skipping the introductory math course and jump into advanced courses like Calculus II. As a result, you can potentially cut through a semester of college and reduce a portion of your entire college fees. Additionally, research shows that students who receive a score of 2 or higher on AP exams typically experience greater academic success in college and have higher graduation rates than their non-AP peers.

6. Introduce Yourself to Calculus

   Taking the AP Calculus AB course will cultivate your understanding of calculus at the college level. It could also open up other areas of study like Physics, Statistics, and many different specializations. Apart from boosting your self-confidence and grip over the subject, you will learn essential time management and study skills needed for college and career success. With early access to college-level courses, you have the opportunity to tap into your creativity and intellect, which will prepare you for next-stage career goals and challenges.

   Although these benefits make AP Calculus AB an obvious choice for high schoolers, you still need to ask yourself if AP Calc AB is the subject you need. Let’s go through a few pointers to help you decide!

Should You Take AP Calculus AB?

To help you decide if AP Calculus AB is a good fit for your strengths, you could start with a few questions. Ask yourself:

• If you have studied precalculus in high school.

  Studying precalculus at the high school level is recommended before opting for AP Calculus AB. Precalculus, algebra, and trigonometry combined can give you a taste of what the AP Calculus AB course would be like.

• If you love studying precalculus and math.

  Given that AP Calc AB is similar to a college-level course, it can be very challenging and, for some, overwhelming. You need to ask yourself if you’re ready to give it 100%.

• Is math a part of your future goals?

  Even though many students consider AP Calculus AB a means to get that pesky core math class out of the way, this subject is rigorous. Given that this is one of the core courses for math majors, it is recommended to take it if you want to continue in the field of math or related subjects.

• Is math one of your academic strengths in high school?

  While being passionate about a subject is essential, it’s also necessary to have an aptitude for it and excel. If Math and Precalculus are something you excel at, then AP Calculus AB could be for you!

Additionally, ask your teachers and seniors for past year course curriculum to help you decide whether Calc AB would be aligned to your abilities.

Is AP Calculus AB Hard?

If there’s one question about this subject that pops up now and then, it is, “How hard is AP Calculus AB?” AP Calculus AB can be tricky to pass, with only 54.9% of test-takers scoring a 3 or higher in the last three years. That’s because it requires intensive knowledge and practice of integral and differential calculus, which students often find challenging. Because of the difficulty level, students who supplement their AP classes with self-study and supplemental online courses, increase their chances of succeeding exponentially.

Let’s look at a few other things to help you get a sense of how easy or difficult AP Calc AB might be:

• As we’ve mentioned before, if you performed well in math and precalculus in high school, you will be more likely to succeed in AP Calculus AB.
• Calculus AB is a subject that requires both memorization and analytical skills. To succeed in this subject, students must possess the aptitude for memorizing lengthy formulas, theorems, and concepts, which can be applied analytically to solve problems. This course will be a good call if you are comfortable memorizing concepts in addition to analytical thinking.
• It’s always a good idea to go through the course modules and content in advance to gauge the difficulty of Calculus AB. Talking to your seniors and teachers might help you gauge what to expect.
• Preparing for any AP course requires dedication and a systematic study schedule. Strong time management skills will help you succeed in AP Calculus AB while balancing the rest of your course load. Remember, planning and preparation reduces test-related anxiety!

The advantages of taking a core course like AP Calculus AB are multifold, but as we’ve seen, this subject comes with its challenges. That said, if you’re determined, you can excel in the course and crush the AP exam. If you're looking for a more rigorous course to take, you could opt for the AP Calculus BC exam. This course is a close cousin to AP Calc AB and covers two additional units in its curriculum.

Should I Take AP Calculus AB or BC?

Arguably, this is the most frequently asked question among prospective AP Calc students, who often wonder whether to opt for Calculus AB or BC. While there are subtle differences between the two courses, the reasons for choosing one over the other vary drastically.

Calculus BC includes everything in Calculus AB, plus a couple of extra units, namely units 9 and 10. As AP Calculus BC has more units to cover in a limited time, the pace is faster than the AB. Additionally, if you are taking the AP Calculus BC exam, you’ll also get a Calculus AB subscore for your AP.

Although you will get more college credit for taking Calculus BC, it might not be the best option for you. If you are not planning for a major focused on Math or related subjects like Engineering and Astronomy, then it is recommended to take Calculus AB. You’ll still learn calculus basics and earn credits and placement for your first college semester. If you think you possess the aptitude to take up a heavy-duty course like Calculus BC, you can bypass both Calculus I and II during the freshman year. You can read more about the difference between AP Calculus AB and BC to help you choose your subject based on your career plan and interests.

Is AP Calculus AB or BC harder?

Since AP Calculus BC comes with two more units and additional topics in Units 6-8, it is more detailed and rigorous than AP Calculus AB. Therefore, BC is a harder course than AB. As mentioned earlier in this guide, you can check out our detailed blog on the differences between AB and BC to decide which would be the more appropriate option for you. If you’re still unsure whether to opt for Calculus AB or BC, asking yourself a few questions might give you clarity.

Although there is no explicit information on whether AP Calculus AB is a prerequisite for calculus BC, the College Board® states that:

“Because both courses and exams cover many of the same topics, the prerequisites needed for both courses and exams are comparable. Recommended mathematics courses to take before either AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC include those in which you study algebra, geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry, and elementary functions.”

As both the exams have always been administered during the same time slot, students can't take both the tests in the same academic year. Since students also earn an AP Calc AB subscore based on their Calc BC scores, it is unlikely that AP Calculus AB is a prerequisite for taking Calculus BC.

Precalculus vs. AP Calculus AB?

The precalculus you learn in high school is a diverse conglomeration of mathematical concepts to prepare you with tools to succeed in a calculus course. Some ideas directly translate, like limits and series, while others are just algebraic techniques that will help you be more proficient in solving calculus problems. Precalculus also tends to focus heavily on trigonometry and the unit circle.

On the other hand, calculus is the study of how things change. It's broken down into two pieces. Differential calculus takes the idea of something changing and boils it down to what's happening at one exact instant. Integral calculus does the opposite. It aggregates what happens as something changes over an extended period.

Overall, precalculus is a broader subject that lays down the foundation for calculus. Some of the techniques and concepts you learn in precalculus are carried forward to the concepts you learn in calculus.

Can I take AP Calculus AB without precalculus?

Since precalculus prepares the groundwork for you to jump to AP Calc AB, it is essential to have a precalculus course in high school to make things easier for you during your AP Calculus AB course. Students can be successful in AP Calculus AB by taking a regular precalculus class, especially if they've taken other AP level classes and understand the level of rigor involved. Most precalculus courses will cover similar topics. The ones that may have been missed will likely be reviewed at the beginning of an AP Calculus course or whenever they're relevant.

What are the most important topics in precalculus you must know to move to AP Calculus AB?

Some precalculus courses introduce the concept of limits, which is covered in Unit 1 of AP Calculus AB, so that is a concept that will help you hit the ground running in Calculus AB. Besides that, being proficient in manipulating functions, especially trigonometric, exponential, plus logarithmic rules and identities, all of which you learn in precalculus, will be extremely important in calculus.

Calculator Policy for AP Calculus AB

You’ll be allowed to use a calculator during the AP Calc AB Exam. However, specific regulations have been put in place by the College Board regarding what make and model of calculators are allowed to be used. Your proctor will check your calculator make and model number to verify whether you’re using a calculator approved by the College Board. So, it is crucial to know the College Board’s list of approved calculators before you set out for your AP Exams. You can find a detailed list of approved calculators on our AP Exam Policies & Accommodations page.

Will we be required to clear our calculators before taking the AP Calculus AB exam?

The College Board doesn’t require you to clear your calculator memory before or after the exam. However, you cannot use calculator memories to carry test materials from the exam room.

Which calculator is suitable for the AP Calculus AB exam?

There are many graphic calculators from Casio, Sharp, Texas Instruments, and other brands approved by the College Board that students can use for the AP Calc AB exam.

AP Calculus AB Review Tips

Preparing for AP Calculus AB can be challenging but rewarding at the same time. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

• Prepare a detailed study schedule well ahead of time.

  Since this exam tests your understanding of critical mathematical concepts, preparing for it requires extensive planning, thorough knowledge of those concepts, and their application to solve problems. Students who are less successful on this AP exam often fail to plan for a detailed study schedule ahead of time, which prevents them from engaging with the subject systematically.

• Make study notes on the side while preparing for your high school course.

  These notes will come in handy and give you the baseline for making your AP prep notes.

• Familiarize yourself with the question format through AP Calculus AB practice exams.

  As you practice more, you get familiar with what the questions are asking of you and various ways to approach a question and deduce the answer.

While self-studying for your AP Exams from reference books is beneficial, taking AP classes, either online or offline, is recommended so you can clarify your questions instantly and journey through the subject efficiently.

At UWorld, we believe that preparing for your AP Calc AB exam requires a structured study schedule to guide you through the step-by-step learning process so you can easily apply complex concepts and formulas to solve problems.

Use our AP Calculus AB practice test to track your performance and understand your strengths and areas of improvement. The best part? You can try it for free! Hurry over to our guide today for tips and guidance on how to study for and ace the Calc AB Exam!