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AP AB calculus exam: Things you need to know

Calculus is music to the brain. The AP AB calculus exam by College Board lets one master it for college success and opportunity.

Maybe you are planning to take the AP Calculus AB examination next year. If you have a high score on the exam, it could earn you college credit. Before you sit down for the exam, you should know the test format, and the topics the test covers. The AP AB calculus exam seems to be overwhelming, but it is possible to break it down into easily understandable parts. Let’s dive in!

AP AB calculus exam date

The Exams will be held in schools from May 1 to 5 and from May 8 to 12. The students who cannot take the test on the scheduled dates, can opt for Late-Testing.

The AP exam overview

College Board is a not-for-profit organization. It helps students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, it has expanded access to higher education. The board helps millions of students prepare for a successful college transition. The Advanced Placement® Program helps students who are willing and academically prepared to pursue college-level studies. By cracking the examination, the students earn college credit and get opportunities for advanced placement while still in high school. The Advanced Placement test has gone through many changes. It is a challenging exam.

Taking it, students learn critical thinking and the construction of solid arguments. They also learn to see calculus from different angles. These skills prepare the students for college calculus and beyond. Taking AP examinations demonstrates that a student has opted for the most challenging curriculum. Students scoring 3 or higher achieve greater academic success than students who have not taken AP exams. Most U.S. colleges and universities grant credit and advanced placement opportunities to successful students. If you want to read about the AP Calc AB course in general, you can go here https://horizonworldwide.org/ap-calc-ab/

Yes, AP Calc AB does have an AP exam. AP Calc AB is an AP class where students who get at least a 3 on the AP exam at the end of the year can earn college credit for one semester of calculus. However, some colleges only give credit to students if they score a 4 or 5 on AP exams, so be sure to check on colleges’ websites what score they accept for each AP class they give students credit for. The AP AB calculus exam tests on everything covered in every unit of the AP Calc AB class. The exam also checks the ability of a student to determine proper formulae and procedures for solving problems and the use of correct notations. Students can use a graphing calculator for some parts of the exam. AP Calc AB is a cohesive course and students have to build their arguments using definitions and theorems. The AP Calc exam consists of a mutliple choice and FRQ section. The AP Calculus AB exam consists of four parts. The first two are multiple choice, and the last two are free response.

Here is the format of the AP Calculus AB free-response section:

Six questions total
One hour 30 minutes total
Worth 50% of your total score
Part A
- Two questions
- 30 minutes
- Calculator required
Part B
- Four questions
- 60 minutes
- No calculator allowed

You are required to use a calculator for the middle two parts (one each for multiple choice and free response), but you may not use a calculator for the first and last parts of the exam.

The pass rate for the AP Calc AB exam was 51% in 2021 . The pass rate for this AP exam is lower than other pass rates and you can view the pass rates for other AP classes.

When compared to AP Calc BC, the AB class is easier because the AP Calc BC class covers 2 semesters of college calculus while AP Calc AB covers only one semester. AP Calc BC specifically covers two more units than AP Calc AB does, so BC calc goes faster.

AP AB calculus exam course details

It helps to learn differential and integral calculus exploring explore various concepts, methods, and applications. Taking this course, students work to understand the theoretical basis of calculus. They further learn to apply their knowledge and skill to solve problems.

Students learn the following skills while preparing for the AP AB calculus exam.

Determination of expressions and values with the help of mathematical procedures and rules.
Connecting representations
Justification of reasoning and solutions
Use of correct notation, language, and mathematical conventions for results or solutions

Prerequisites for the course

The course is equivalent to a first-semester college calculus course of differential and integral calculus. Students need to complete the secondary mathematics course for college-bound students. It gives a solid foundation in algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and analytic geometry. They must also know linear functions, polynomials, exponentials, logarithms, etc., to be familiar with the functions. Students should also know the graphical representation of functions and solve equations. Knowledge of algebraic transformations, combinations, inverses for general functions, etc. is also essential.

The course is divided into the following eight units.

Unit 1: Limits and Continuity

It covers the exploration of limits and how limits can help to solve problems and better knowledge and understanding of mathematical reasoning about functions.

Unit 2: Differentiation; definition and fundamental properties

The unit teaches how to define the derivative by applying limits. Students develop skills to determine derivatives and also develop mathematical reasoning.

Unit 3: Differentiation – Composite, Implicit, and Inverse Functions

It helps students to master the chain rule and develop new differentiation techniques. They also get introductions to higher-order derivatives.

Unit 4: Contextual Applications of Differentiation

In this unit, students learn to derivatives to set up and solve practical problems. It covers instantaneous rates of change and the use of mathematical reasoning for determining the limits of certain indeterminate forms.

Unit 5: Analytical Applications of Differentiation

It teaches how to explore relationships between the graph of a function and its derivative. Students also learn the application of calculus to solve optimization problems.

Unit 6: Integration and Accumulation of Change

In this unit, students learn to apply limits to define definite integrals. They further learn how fundamental theorems connect integration and differentiation. Students also apply properties of integrals including practicing useful integration techniques.

Unit 7: Differential Equations

Students learn to solve certain differential equations in this unit. They also learn to apply their knowledge for an in-depth understanding of exponential growth and decay.

Unit 8: Applications of Integration

Students learn to make mathematical connections that will allow them to solve a wide range of problems. It will also involve net change over an interval of time and also learn to find areas of regions or volumes of solids using functions.

Examination format

AP AB calculus exam format is divided into two sections. Each section is further divided into Part A and Part B. Section I contain multiple-choice questions and has a duration of 1 hour and 45 minutes. Section II includes free-response questions with a duration of 1 hour and 30 minutes. Both sections carry 50% of exam scores.

How to join AP classes

The AP teacher gives a student a join code for joining classes online. Students receive a unique code for each AP class. The process remains the same if a student takes the exam without taking the course. In such a case, a student receives the code from the AP coordinator at the school where he or she will take the exam.

Passing words

AP AB calculus exam involves a rigorous course and could be intimidating if one does not know what to expect. However, it is academically and financially worth the time spent and the effort it needs.

Other resources

If you want to find an AP Calculus AB or BC practice exam, I have multiple blogs about past exams:

To find the AP Calc AB FRQ 2017.

To find the AP Calc AB 2021 FRQ.

To find the 2021 AP Calc BC FRQ + Answers.

To find the 2008 AP Calc AB Multiple Choice.

To find the 2003 AP Calculus BC Multiple Choice.

To find the 2012 AP Calc BC exam.

To find the 2008 AP Calculus BC Multiple Choice and FRQ.

To find the AP Calc AB 2022 FRQ answers.

To find the AP Calc BC 2022 FRQ answers.