AP Precalculus

Course Description & Syllabus

This AP Precalculus Exam preparation course is designed to help students:

  • Consolidate their knowledge of Precalculus
  • Enhance their problem-solving skills
  • Sharpen their test-taking skills
  • Strengthen their knowledge with an in-depth review covering all units on the AP Precalculus Exam
  • Reinforce their learning with multiple-choice questions and free-response questions

 

AP Precalculus Exam Date: Monday, 5/13/2024

The exam is 3 hours long and includes 40 multiple-choice questions and 4 six-point free-response questions.

AP Precalculus Course Content

Unit 1: Polynomial and Rational Functions

You’ll expand your understanding of polynomial and rational functions through the lenses of modeling and various rates of change.

Topics may include:

  • Describing how quantities change with respect to each other
  • Describing end behavior of polynomial and rational functions
  • Identifying asymptotes of and holes in the graphs of rational functions
  • Modeling aspects of scenarios using polynomial and rational functions
  • Identifying assumptions and limitations of function models

On The Exam

30%–40% of multiple-choice section score

 

Unit 2: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

You’ll deepen your understanding of inverses by exploring the relationship between exponential and logarithmic functions.

Topics may include:

  • Relating geometric sequences and exponential functions
  • Modeling data sets with exponential functions
  • Composing functions and finding inverses
  • Modeling scenarios with logarithmic functions
  • Validating a function model using a residual plot

On The Exam

27%–40% of multiple-choice section score

 

Unit 3: Trigonometric and Polar Functions

You’ll model and explore periodic phenomena using transformations of trigonometric functions.

Topics may include:

  • Relating right triangle trigonometry to the sine, cosine, and tangent functions
  • Modeling data and scenarios with sinusoidal functions
  • Using inverse trigonometric functions to solve trigonometric equations
  • Graphing functions using polar coordinates
  • Describing how angles and radii change with respect to each other in a polar graph

On The Exam

30%–35% of multiple-choice section score

 

Unit 4: Functions Involving Parameters, Vectors, and Matrices

You’ll expand your understanding of the function concept by exploring a variety of new function types.

Topics may include:

  • Describing how quantities change with respect to each other in a parametric function
  • Graphing conic sections using implicitly defined functions and parametric functions
  • Using vectors to describe motion of an object
  • Describing the impact of a transformation matrix on a graphical object
  • Modeling change in a context using matrices

 

AP Precalculus – AP Students

AP Precalculus Exam Tips – AP Students