AP Precalculus
What the AP Precalculus exam covers, how it's scored, the four units it's built on, and how to practice your way to a 5.
AP Precalculus is a college-level course and exam about families of functions — four units spanning polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric and polar functions. The exam runs about 2 hours: a multiple-choice section and a free-response section, each split into calculator and no-calculator parts, scored from 1 to 5. It's taken in May, and a 3 or higher is the common passing line — confirm your target college's credit policy.
Two sections, three tested units
The exam pairs multiple choice with free response, and its questions come from Units 1–3 — Unit 4 is part of the course but not assessed on the exam.
Two parts: no-calculator, then calculator.
Discrete questions on function behavior, equations and graphs. One part bars the calculator; the other expects a graphing calculator. Together the multiple-choice section is worth a major share of your score.
Calculator and no-calculator parts.
Multi-step problems that reward clear setup, function modeling and justification — including work with rates of change, transformations and trigonometric or polar functions.
One 1–5 score.
The two sections combine into a single 1–5. A 3 is "qualified"; a 4 or 5 is strong. Credit and placement policies are set by each college — confirm yours.
Practice it, unit by unit.
Reading about functions isn't the same as answering AP-style questions and learning from every miss. Start free and practice by unit.
What AP Precalculus covers
- Unit 1 — Polynomial and Rational Functions
- Unit 2 — Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
- Unit 3 — Trigonometric and Polar Functions
- Unit 4 — Functions Involving Parameters, Vectors, and Matrices (taught, but not assessed on the exam)
How to study for AP Precalculus
- Focus exam prep on Units 1–3, since Unit 4 isn't tested.
- Master the standard function families and their graphs and transformations.
- Know which problems want the calculator and which don't — practice both ways.
- Drill the free-response: show clear setup and justify your reasoning.
- Sit timed sets to build pace across both sections.
AP Precalculus questions
What's on the AP Precalculus exam?
How is AP Precalculus scored?
What is a good AP Precalculus score?
Is Unit 4 on the AP Precalculus exam?
When is the AP Precalculus exam?
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