One of the best ways we can prepare our students for the AP Precalculus Exam is by letting them know what to expect on test day. Familiarity with the structure and breakdown of the exam can help students allocate their time efficiently, employ test-taking strategies to maximize their score, and reduce test anxiety.
Download the handout for students to complete while watching the video.
This video is part of the official Calc Medic AP Precalculus Review Course. To receive access to more videos, practice problems, and full length practice exams, get a quote.
Students should be prepared to complete multiple choice and free response questions with and without a calculator. The breakdown is as follows:
Multiple Choice
Non-calculator – 28 question – 80 minutes
Calculator – 12 questions – 40 minutes
Free Response
Calculator – 2 questions – 30 minutes
Non-calculator – 2 questions – 30 minutes
Important Take-aways:
The AP Precalc Exam covers content from CED Units 1, 2, and 3 only.
Students will be able to keep working on their two calculator free response questions during the non-calculator FRQ section, but without a calculator! So if they are running short on time and need to finish up a few things, they can. Just make sure to do the parts that require a calculator in the first half hour!
Not all calculator questions require the use of a calculator.
The four free response questions are all based on task models, meaning they will have a predictable structure to them with some slight variations from year to year. In upcoming videos we will take a deep dive into each of the four free response task models. Stay tuned!