Advanced Placement (AP) Precalculus (also known as AP Precalc) is an Advanced Placement precalculus course and examination, offered by the College Board, in development since 2021 and announced in May 2022. The course debuted in the fall of 2023, with the first exam session taking place in May 2024. The course and examination are designed to teach and assess precalculus concepts, as a foundation for a wide variety of STEM fields and careers, and are not solely designed as preparation for future mathematics courses such as AP Calculus AB/BC. AP Precalculus is currently one of the exams that have fastest growth in number of test takers.
Purpose According to the College Board,
Topic outline
Unit 1: Polynomial and Rational Functions (6–6.5 weeks) +#Topic TitleRecommended Instructional Periods1.1Change in Tandem21.2Rates of Change21.3Rates of Change in Linear and Quadratic Functions21.4Polynomial Functions and Rates of Change21.5Polynomial Functions and Complex Zeros21.6Polynomial Functions and End Behavior11.7Rational Functions and End Behavior21.8Rational Functions and Zeros11.9Rational Functions and Vertical Asymptotes11.10Rational Functions and Holes11.11Equivalent Representations of Polynomial and Rational Expressions21.12Transformations of Functions21.13Function Model Selection and Assumption Articulation21.14Function Model Construction and Application2
Unit 2: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions (6–6.5 weeks) +#Topic TitleRecommended Instructional Periods2.1Change in Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences22.2Change in Linear and Exponential Functions22.3Exponential Functions12.4Exponential Function Manipulation22.5Exponential Function Context and Data Modeling22.6Competing Function Model Validation22.7Composition of Functions22.8Inverse Functions22.9Logarithmic Expressions12.10Inverses of Exponential Functions22.11Logarithmic Functions12.12Logarithmic Function Manipulation22.13Exponential and Logarithmic Equations and Inequalities32.14Logarithmic Function Context and Data Modeling22.15Semi-log Plots2
Unit 3: Trigonometric and Polar Functions (7–7.5 weeks) +#Topic TitleRecommended Instructional Periods3.1Periodic Phenomena23.2Sine, Cosine, and Tangent23.3Sine and Cosine Function Values23.4Sine and Cosine Function Graphs23.5Sinusoidal Functions23.6Sinusoidal Function Transformations23.7Sinusoidal Function Context and Data Modeling23.8The Tangent Function23.9Inverse Trigonometric Functions23.10Trigonometric Equations and Inequalities33.11The Secant, Cosecant, and Cotangent Functions23.12Equivalent Representations of Trigonometric Functions23.13Trigonometry and Polar Coordinates23.14Polar Function Graphs23.15Rates of Change in Polar Functions2
Unit 4: Functions Involving Parameters, Vectors, and Matrices (7–7.5 weeks) +#Topic TitleRecommended Instructional Periods4.1Parametric Functions24.2Parametric Functions Modeling Planar Motion24.3Parametric Functions and Rates of Change24.4Parametrically Defined Circles and Lines24.5Implicitly Defined Functions24.6Conic Sections34.7Parametrization of Implicitly Defined Functions24.8Vectors34.9Vector-Valued Functions14.10Matrices24.11The Inverse and Determinant of a Matrix24.12Linear Transformations and Matrices14.13Matrices as Functions34.14Matrices Modeling Contexts3 Note that Unit 4 will not be tested on the AP Precalculus exam.
Exam The exam is composed of 2 sections, each with 2 different types of questions.
Section I consists of 42 multiple choice (MCQ) questions. 29 do not allow the use of a calculator, while the last 13 do allow a calculator. The non-calculator section is worth 43.75% of the exam score, while the calculator section is worth 18.75%.
Section II of the Exam includes 4 free response (FRQ) questions, with 2 not allowing a calculator and 2 allowing use of a calculator. Section II is worth 37.5% of the exam score, with the non-calculator and calculator sections weighed equally.
AP Precalculus exams will be scored on the standard 1–5 AP scale, with 5 signifying that the student is "extremely well qualified" for equivalent college credit and 1 signifying "no recommendation."
AP Precalculus students will be tested on Unit 1, Unit 2, and Unit 3, excluding Unit 4.
As of 2026, the exam format of AP Precalculus has formatting changes in timing and number of questions and will take effective on the May 2027 exam and beyond. The MCQ section increases from 40 to 42 questions, while the FRQ section remains unchanged.
Exam Format + Multiple-Choice Section,Part A Multiple-Choice Section,Part B 10-minute break Free-Response Section,Part A Free-Response Section,Part B Exam Weighting 62.5% of exam score 37.5% of exam score # of questions 29 13 2 2 Timing 65 minutes 40 minutes 35 minutes 35 minutes Graphing Calculator Not Permitted Allowed Allowed Not Permitted
Score distribution All information comes from the official College Board website. Score202420252026525.9%28.1%29%423.9%25.8%29%325.9%26.8%24%214.6%11.2%11%19.8%8%7%% of scores 3 or higher75.6%80.8%82%Mean3.423.55Standard deviation1.28Number of students184,394253,596300,000
See also
Mathematics education in the United States AP Calculus
References