

Roughly speaking, the Calculus AB exam covers one semester’s worth of introductory college level math, whereas the Calculus BC exam covers two semesters. The test certainly isn’t easy, but with the right practice and preparation, it’s very possible to do well.Īdditionally, most prestigious schools recommend or even require high-school level calculus, so taking the AP Calculus AB exam could be a great step towards attending your dream school. That being said, it’s likely that the group of test-takers reflects a self-selecting group of students who have been relatively successful in math during high school. These statistics look pretty favorable (by comparison, the most popular AP test, English Language, only saw 10% of test-takers receiving a 5). In 2020, AP Calculus AB was the 7th most popular AP exam to take, with about 19% of the test-takers getting a 5. Is it Hard to Get a 5 on the AP Calculus AB Exam? Remember: The multiple choice has no penalty for incorrect responses, so you should answer every question, even if you’re just guessing. The exact formula for converting your raw score to a traditional AP score between 1 and 5 can vary year to year, but if you’re aiming for a 5, you should try to get at least 70 points. The multiple choice questions are each worth 1.2 points, while the free response questions are each worth 9 points, with the potential to achieve partial credit for sub-parts of a problem. Notice that most of the test (2 hours out of total 3 hours and fifteen minutes) will be without a calculator, so make sure you’re comfortable doing basic calculations by hand! How Is the AP Calculus AB Exam Scored?Įach section (multiple choice and free response) are worth 50% of your overall score, at 54 points for each section. Section II (free response) has a 30-minute calculator-required portion with 2 questions and a 60-minute no-calculator portion with 4 questions. Section I (multiple choice) has a 60-minute no-calculator portion with 30 questions and a 45-minute calculator-required portion with 15 questions. The test is made up of two major sections: multiple choice and free response. How Is the AP Calculus AB Exam Formatted? There are 45 multiple choice and 6 free response questions on the exam, each of which is divided into calculator and no-calculator portions. How Many Questions Are on the AP Calculus AB Exam?

The test is 3 hours and 15 minutes, with one break between the two major sections. Make sure you know where you will be taking the exam. The 2022 AP Calc BC test is on Monday, May 9, at 8 am. We highly recommend reviewing the “Task Verbs Used in Free-Response Questions” page of this guide written by the College Board (page 227). Understanding this language will help you know exactly what kinds of answers the test-makers are looking for. You can find questions from previous AP exams on the College Board website.Īnother very important part of understanding the test itself is understanding the language used in the questions. The best way to make sure you have mastered this content is to do practice problems in each of these areas.

According to College Board, ideas covered on the test can be divided (with overlap) into 8 main units: The most important part of the test is the content itself. This guide will provide you with everything you need to know to go into test day with confidence. Whether or not you are currently taking a calculus class at school, it is important to familiarize yourself with the specifics of the AP test: what content is covered, how it is formatted, and what approaches can help optimize your score. With AP tests coming up this spring, many students are concerned about how best to prepare for exam day.
