At a glance
- Usually taken
- Grade 11 (grade 10 if accelerated)
- Versions
- School Pre-calculus or AP Precalculus
- AP exam 2027
- Tuesday, May 11, 2027 (Session 1)
- AP exam format
- 42 MCQ (62.5%) + 4 free response (37.5%)
- AP score scale
- 1 to 5
What Pre-calculus covers
Common Core sets standards up to Algebra 2 and marks some extra standards with a (+) for students going further. Pre-calculus is where schools teach those: deeper work on functions, trigonometric identities and inverse trig, polar coordinates, vectors and matrices, sequences and series, and limits as a bridge to calculus. Because there is no single national Pre-calculus standard, school courses differ, and the course outline from your child's teacher is the best guide.
AP Precalculus, launched by the College Board, gives the course a fixed framework and an exam. Its content is organized around functions as models of real data: polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric and polar functions, and a fourth unit on functions involving parameters, vectors and matrices that schools may teach but that is not on the AP Exam.
AP Precalculus units and exam weighting
| Unit | On the AP Exam? | Share of multiple-choice score |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Polynomial and Rational Functions | Yes | 30 to 40% |
| 2. Exponential and Logarithmic Functions | Yes | 25 to 40% |
| 3. Trigonometric and Polar Functions | Yes | 30 to 35% |
| 4. Functions Involving Parameters, Vectors, and Matrices | No (optional to teach) | Not assessed |
From AP Central, checked October 6, 2026.
AP Precalculus exam format from May 2027
The College Board has changed the number of questions and the timing starting with the May 2027 exam. This is the updated format.
| Section | Questions | Time | Weighting | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section I, Part A: multiple choice | 29 | 65 minutes | 43.75% | Not permitted |
| Section I, Part B: multiple choice | 13 | 40 minutes | 18.75% | Graphing calculator required |
| Section II, Part A: free response (function concepts; modeling a non-periodic context) | 2 | 35 minutes | 18.75% | Graphing calculator required |
| Section II, Part B: free response (modeling a periodic context; symbolic manipulations) | 2 | 35 minutes | 18.75% | Not permitted |
Hybrid digital exam: multiple choice in the Bluebook app, free responses handwritten in a paper booklet. Source: AP Central, checked October 6, 2026.
Where Pre-calculus students lose points
Trigonometry is the biggest source of lost points: solving equations like 2sin(x) = 1 over a full interval (x = pi/6 and 5pi/6 in [0, 2pi)), forgetting the second solution, or switching between degrees and radians mid-problem. Polar coordinates and inverse trig functions add new ways to make the same mistakes.
On AP Precalculus, the free-response questions ask students to justify and explain, for example why a model is appropriate or what a rate of change means in context. Students who only compute lose these points. And 65 minutes of non-calculator multiple choice in Part A rewards fluency with exact values, logs and factoring that many students lack after relying on the calculator in Algebra 2.
How one-to-one Pre-calculus lessons work
Lessons are 60 minutes, one to one, in LiveTutor's online classroom with video and a shared whiteboard, which suits graph sketching and the unit circle. For school Pre-calculus, the tutor follows the teacher's units and test style. For AP Precalculus, the tutor follows the College Board units, uses released free-response questions and scoring guidelines, and practices non-calculator multiple choice under time.
From March, AP students move to timed sections and full practice exams. For students heading to AP Calculus the next year, the tutor also previews limits and rates of change. The best time to start is the first trig unit, or by January for AP students who want time for full practice before May 11.
Common questions
Should my child take school Pre-calculus or AP Precalculus?
AP Precalculus gives an external score and a fixed syllabus, and some colleges award credit or placement for it. School Pre-calculus may cover more calculus-preparation topics such as limits. Either prepares students for AP Calculus; check what your school offers and how it is weighted in GPA.
When is the AP Precalculus exam in 2027?
Tuesday, May 11, 2027, in Session 1, according to AP Central. Check the College Board's exam schedule for the local start time arrangements at your school.
Is Unit 4 on the AP Precalculus exam?
No. Unit 4, functions involving parameters, vectors and matrices, is part of the course framework but is not assessed on the AP Exam.
Does my child need a graphing calculator?
For AP Precalculus, yes: Part B of the multiple choice and the first two free-response questions require one. Many school Pre-calculus courses also use one.
How much do Pre-calculus lessons cost?
$15 a lesson, the same for every subject and level, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons billed monthly. The first lesson is a free trial.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.