Introduction The AP Calculus AB/BC exam is one of the most notoriously difficult AP exams for high school students across the years, and 2024 is no different.

That is why today, regardless of your math abilities, we will be guiding you through exactly what you should do in order to score a perfect 5 on the exam.

What is AP Calculus AB/BC?

Should I Even Take the Exam?

So first of all, what is AP Calculus AB?

What is AP Calculus BC?

And what are the differences?

In terms of format of the exam, they are the same.

Both exams consist of a multiple choice section with: Part A: 30 questions (60 minutes, no calculator allowed) Part B: 15 questions (45 minutes, graphing calculator required).

The exams also both comprise a free response section with: Part A: 2 questions (30 minutes, graphing calculator required).

Part B: 4 questions (60 minutes, no calculator allowed).

However, the specific material on each exam is slightly different.

AP Calculus BC as a class covers additional topics such as parametric functions, polar functions, vectors, and series, which are typically grouped together into 2 extra units on top of the AP Calculus AB curriculum.

This difference is evident on the AP exam as well.

But why should you even take the exam(s)?

Well, especially if you are pursuing a STEM major but regardless of what you choose in university, Calculus is almost always a graduation requirement for student.

Many colleges accept credits from either AP Calculus BC or AP Calculus AB if you pass the exam, but not from both (if your high school works that way).

Therefore, taking at least one of the two exams is a good idea.

These credits can then be used to bypass a semester of Calculus in college, enabling you to take more rigorous classes earlier on and save both time, money, and resources to learn the material.

On top of college credit, scoring well (a 4 or a 5) on the AP Calculus AB/BC exam can help you in your college admissions process, especially if you are applying to a STEM major where the score displays your knowledge of the subject.

Although it isn't a principal factor to your admissions process and other scores like your SAT or ACT take precedence, it can still help to do well and would look better than if you didn't take the exam at all.

Finally, you should take the exam if you enjoy the subject of math, because it cradles your passion for the art and can serve as a satisfying flex if you can do well to friends and family.

After all, this is one of the most difficult high school math exams that standard students in the U.

S.

A. take.

AP Calculus AB/BC

- What is On the Exam?

Although we already mentioned format and extra material on the AP Calculus BC exam compared to the AP Calculus AB exam, it is critical to show EVERYTHING that is covered.

This is because many students learn extra material in their Calculus class that isn't on the exam and that they should therefore not worry about.

The exact list of topics covered on the exam is as follows: Derivatives and Properties of Functions: Understanding derivatives, including rules for differentiation Properties of functions and their graphs Applications of Derivatives: Using the first derivative test, second derivative test, and candidates test Sketching graphs of functions and their derivatives Solving optimization problems Integrals and Fundamental Theorem of Calculus: Techniques for finding integrals Fundamental Theorem of Calculus Advanced Techniques for Derivatives and Integrals: Techniques beyond basic differentiation and integration Exclusive to AP Calculus BC Parametric Equations, Polar Functions, and Vectors: Understanding parametric equations and their applications Polar functions and their properties Vector functions Exclusive to AP Calculus BC Sequences and Series: Analyzing sequences and series, including convergence and divergence Exclusive to AP Calculus BC How to Study for the AP Calculus AB/BC Exam Now that you know what is on the exam, how should go about studying for it?

Well, the answer is simple: practice, practice, practice.

But not just any practice

- you must employ a specific practice routine that ensures success.

First thing's first, you MUST ensure that you understand ALL the material at hand.

If you don't understand a specific topic or subtopic, ask your math teacher for help or watch videos through Khan Academy or YouTube that help clarify the topic.

Then, for all of these specific topics, do not broaden your scope and just prioritize completing problems on the exact issue you are facing.

For example, if you are having trouble with integrating using a partial Riemann Sum because you forgot what definite integral notation was, don't just practice a hundred Riemann Sum problems; instead, practice expressing integrals in definite integral notation until you have the foundation solidified, and then broaden your scope to other problems that interlace the concept amongst others.

This way, you've managed to pinpoint and tackle a very specific issue, and won't find yourself struggling to juggle multiple issues all at once.

Next, once you've done this for all of the topics that were not lucid to you, take as many practice tests as you can.

Once again, if past college board practice tests aren't doing the trick for you, seek out practice exams in Khan Academy or ask your math teacher for some.

You could even make your own or generate some with AI (although I will warn you, it is not always the most accurate so this should be a last resort).

Only after you feel confident with what you've practiced and are so incredibly mind-numbed that you could perform derivatives in your sleep should you take a break.

It will be hard, it will be painful, but trust me it will be worth it.

As they say

- better now than later!

Overall, your strategy should be to make sure you know everything, and then to make sure you know it all well.

As esteemed Hungarian born mathematician Paul Halmos once elegantly put it, The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics.

Final Thoughts: What to Do on Exam Day You made it to exam day.

You're ready, and now is not the time to second guess your abilities.

You have done everything in your power until this day to ensure success, and even if you haven't, it is not the time to start and give yourself a miniature heart attack.

Instead, the morning of the exam, focus your attention on ensuring that all of your materials are ready.

This includes MULTIPLE pencils, MULTIPLE erasers, and a graphing calculator that you are comfortable using and that is approved by college board.

Ensure that your calculator has a working battery and make sure to check if it is allowed IN ADVANCE, or you better hope that your math teacher has an extra.

On top of that, try packing a snack for before the test to supply you with that last minute energy boost.

Now, as a student myself, I know that you may be groaning at that piece of advice.

I personally have a knot formed in my stomach every time before a critical exam, one that even the most fibrous of granola bars doesn't make it through.

However, if you are ALSO like me, food that doesn't necessarily have to be healthy, when consumed at periodic moments throughout the day, delivers massive rushes of dopamine to the brain.

That dopamine, coupled with a few deep breaths and moments of closing one's eyes and resting one's mind before the exam, is what pumps people up and gets them hyper-focused for an exam.

Capitalize on that.

Additionally, if at any point before the exam, you realize that you forgot how to evaluate Riemann sums or graph a polar function on your calculator to take the derivative of, don't freak out.

You caught yourself before the test, and should be relieved!

Just calmly find a YouTube video online and watch a tutorial on how to do that specific concept.

In most cases, it would be something that you already knew how to do that nerves drained out of you, and recognition of how to do it will come almost instantly.

Finally, if you still have waves of anxiety flowing through your body, try to put things into perspective.

If you don't get the score that you want, you don't have to send it to colleges.

It's not the end of the world, and will not significantly affect your admissions chances anyways!

Besides, everybody knows that AP tests aren't the best measure of your intelligence anyways, as they are often skewed by College Board and are ultimately just a ploy to make money.

So relax

- you've got this!

Go get that

5. Go show yourself what you've got left inside of you.

Let's do some math.

Resource: How to Get Better at Math Congratulations!

You survived AP Calculus AB/BC, or at least you will now that you've made it through this article.

But don't count your chickens before they hatch, for this is not the end of the road.

If you are really passionate about math and want to pursue it in any way, shape, or form in the upcoming years, or are looking to succeed in competition math and set yourself apart from other students, check out this FREE guide below from an International Math Olympiad winner himself: https://www. rishabacademy. com/math-preparation.

Good luck on the AP test!.