Get Started with AP Calculus

The AP Calculus exams are some of the hardest AP classes offered by Collegeboard. The AB and BC courses are differentiated only by the fact that the BC course covers 2 more heavily weighted units of content. Although the 5 rates of these exams are high (20% and 40%, respectively), they are extremely content-heavy and not to be taken lightly. If you haven't taken calculus before, much of this will not be common knowledge and new information, so you should find the best resources possible to help you learn and watch out for subtle tricks on the exam. If you are enrolled in the AP Classroom for your class, make the most of the practice resources and videos provided for you there. Here is an in-depth overview of AP Calculus plus the resources, notes, and videos I used to get a 5.

Units and Weighting

As you can see from the table, Unit 6: Integration and Accumulation of Change is the unit with the most weight (most amount of questions) on both the AB and BC exams. However, on the AB exam, this is closely followed by Units 5 and 8, meaning that these are the units that you should focus on most when studying for the exam. On the BC exam, it is very important to focus on units 9 and 10, as they both hold much weight as compared to the other units. Almost all the units require a basic foundation knowledge of both integration and derivation, so make sure to learn that first and build upon your knowledge to be prepared for the AP exam in May.

AP Calculus Unit Notes

AP Calc Notes PDF

Here are the notes that I personally made while studying for the AP Calculus exam. Keep in mind that I studied for the BC exam, so my notes cover all the topics. However, for AB students, the notes from the first 8 units are sufficient. I have listed down basic formulas as well as practice problems for each topic type. Finally, I have practice FRQs and FRQ predictions listed at the end because knowing what the FRQs are asking always gave me a lot of trouble. The FRQ predictions aren't 100% accurate, however, it is safe to say that there will almost always be a rates question and a graph question on all exams, and ALWAYS a Taylor Series question on the BC exam.

Lecture Videos & Other Resources

If you're self-studying AP Calculus or just need that extra help in concepts or units you don't quite understand, video lectures can be the fix for you. There are always the AP Classroom videos, but if you don't find those to your taste, here are the ones I used to help clarify and review for the exam. Remember, in mathematics classes, lectures, notes, and videos can only go so far: practice is key. For practice questions, use AP Classroom, Khan Academy, Albert.io, and any worksheet or practice exam you can find.

Khan Academy

Personally, I have always LOVED Khan Academy for learning and understanding mathematics, and that hasn't changed with the AP Calculus courses. While the practice questions aren't always AP-caliber, they help one gain a basic understanding and help with active recall for difficult topics. And the videos are excellent for grasping concepts.

Turksvids

Turksvids review videos are expansive and excellent for grasping the main concepts of AP Calculus, as well as having helpful FRQ solving videos. While he does not go in order of units, his videos are simple, clean, and easy to understand.

SS Calculus

These Simple Studies Review PDFs contain to-the-point, comprehensive bullet points perfect for quick review and recall.

Ult Review Pack

Although the AP Calculus Ultimate Review Packet is an investment of $25, I belive that it is definitely worth it. The review videos are clear and very comprehensive, going unit-by-unit according to collegeboard guidelines and contains many worksheets and practice questions to bolster understanding.

Exam Format

Section I: Multiple Choice

45 Questions | 1 Hour 45 minutes | 50% of Exam Score

Part A: 30 questions; 60 minutes (calculator not permitted).
Part B: 15 questions; 45 minutes (graphing calculator required).
Questions include algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, and general types of functions.
Questions include analytical, graphical, tabular, and verbal types of representations.

Section II: Free Response
6 Questions | 1 Hour 30 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

Part A: 2 questions; 30 minutes (graphing calculator required).
Part B: 4 questions; 60 minutes (calculator not permitted).
Questions include various types of functions and function representations and a roughly equal mix of procedural and conceptual tasks.
Questions include at least two questions that incorporate a real-world context or scenario into the question.