AP Precalculus is a joke.. here's why

AP Precalculus. It’s the talk of the century. People are saying its a joke, others are saying its way too easy. The real answer is: AP Precalculus is a joke.

Out of the over 200,000 students taking AP Precalculus, 175,000 took the exam, with 75% of them scoring a 3 or higher. A 75% passing rate on an AP exam is already high, and is actually the second highest pass rate among AP math exams, right behind AP Calculus BC with an 80% passing rate. Now the thing about AP Calculus BC is that the threshold for that class is already high, with most of the people taking that class being geniuses. But the thing about AP Precalculus is that not everybody in that class are geniuses. What does that say about the exam?

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[mathvise]

What do you guys think about AP Precalculus?

[hotpotato]

I think the college board wants another reason to charge students for overpriced exams

[willfur]

I got a 4, but unfortunately our teacher was teaching precalc for the first time, and also absent almost everyday towards the end of the year. But the calculator section really tripped us up since our teacher never taught us how to be efficient with it or calculator questions to practice.

[parmesan]

From what I heard, the AP Precalculus course was taught by the AP Calculus BC teach as well at a school I went to. She prepared each student very well, with a 100% passing rate in her 5 bells she taught it. However, there was extreme rigor in the course. She purposely added calculus concepts into the notes for each unit to prepare the students for Calculus AB and BC. That way, when it came time for the exam, each student already knew how to apply the calculus concepts as well, like finding a secent line.
Along with that, I believe that the course prepares students well for future math classes. Many students know going into the course that they will be taking a Calculus course in the future, which is why they are taking the course. Providing the foundations of difficult concepts and applications, and simplifying them into more comprehensible units allows students to take the fundamental math study skills they have learned, and use it for the future.

[gizmo]

PreCalc was the worst and hardest class I've taken. It tanked my gpa. I don't know if it was my teacher or myself that was the problem but it was horrendous. Calculus on the other hand is easy.

[thepowerofcats]

They should have made AP linear algebra or AP multi variable

[diamondgamer]

Honestly while the exam was easy. The class was a nightmare with my teacher who honestly couldn’t teach it and tbh calculus ab/bc has been soo much easier because everything in precal could just be done easier in Cal ab.

[enderdragonrebel]

Took precalc honors at my school and we covered more topics in that class than what the ap class seems to cover (we did chapters 4-9, then we did chapter 2 and 11 which were:
Ch 4 - trig functions (graphs, inverses, stuff like that)
Ch 5 - analytic trigonometry (equations with trig functions in them)
Ch 6 - vectors (and also representing complex numbers using trig functions)
Ch 7 - partial fraction decomposition (we only spent 2 classes on this though)
Ch 8 - summation, series, sequences, binomial theorem, probability
Ch 9 - polars and parametrics
Ch 2 - going back to rational functions just as a refresher (we spent 2 classes on this maximum)
Ch 11 - limits and continuity
I noticed that on the ap precalc course description, the first 2 units are the same as the latter half of what I did in algebra 2 honors
Basically, Ap precalc is stupid

[mathnerd]

As a math PhD student I thought pre calculus was harder than calculus.

[tempesto]

Im kind of glad I took the class, because I cheated all through algebra 2 and realized I wasnt gonna make it in ap calculus without knowing basic algebra, so I tried in this class and got a 4, and I'm doing well in ap calculus now

[watson]

Where did you get the information about AP Precalc getting split into AB and BC? Do you have a link?

[dimeraps]

Lokey Honors Precalculus might be harder looking at my own school’s curriculum
Unit 1: Trigonometry
1.1 Trigonometric Functions and The Unit Circle
1.2 Graphing Trigonometric Functions
1.3 Inverse Trigonometric Functions
1.4 Verifying Trigonometric Identities
1.5 Solving Trigonometric Equations
1.6 Law of Sines and Cosines
1.7 Complex Numbers & Polar Equations
1.8H Honors Only: Vectors

Unit 2: Extension of Functions
2.1 Polynomial Functions
2.2 Rational and Radical Functions
2.3 Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
2.4H Honors Only: Conics

Unit H: Honors Only - Series
H.1 Binomial Theorem
H.2 Introduction to Sequences
H.3 Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences and Series

Unit 3: Introduction to Calculus
3.1 Limits
3.2 Continuity
3.3 Derivatives
3.4 Applications of Derivatives

Now let’s compare to the college board curriculum

Unit 1: Polynomial and Rational Functions
30%–40%
Unit 2: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
27%–40%
Unit 3: Trigonometric and Polar Functions
30%–35%
Unit 4: Functions Involving Parameters, Vectors, and Matrices (not assessed on the Ap exam)

Not only do I think my schools curriculum looks better (never took precalculus), but it looks like it actually prepared students for Ap Calculus

[topsyvfx]

I took AP precal last year and I got a 5. I took algebra 2 pre AP the year before that and I found that algebra 2 was much harder than AP precal and AP precal was literally everything in alg 2 except trig and easier. I am now in calc bc and getting cooked

[jackh]

Current AP Precalc student here. I’m a junior right now and this is my first AP alongside AP English Lang. While it’s pretty challenging, it’s barely more difficult than Alegbra 2. And if that’s the case, I can’t imagine how easy Precalc is compared to other APs. Splitting it into AB and BC is a terrible idea. Not only is there not enough ground to cover, but I feel the point is to prepare you for AP calc, and AB definitely wouldn’t cut it.

[CalculusIsFun]

Did not even know it existed. I took Calc BC back in high school and got a 5, and never once knew that this existed as a class you could take before that. The only prerequisites you really need for calculus are algebra, geometry and trigonometry. I only ever took an honors precalculus class.

[lonelyshine]

Took AP Precalc last year (was the highest math rigor at my school, algebra I freshman, geometry sophomores, algebra ii juniors, precalc for math wiz seniors, math making decisions otherwise), and I think this course has complete MERIT of being an AP and was a much needed class the College Board should have been had.

Y’all can bite me in the comments, and I’ll reply

[andrebarrett]

College Board should pivot in the opposite direction and make AP Calc CD (AB->BC->CD) which is basically Calc3/Multivariable Calc

[elRhubbard]

ap precalculus at my school is NOT easy. our teacher teaches very similarly to the ap calc teacher and is set on us learning proper mathematical notation in order to adequately prepare us for ap calc. he also splits tests into 1 day frq and 2 day mcq. The mcq questions are often taken directly from practice ap exams (which aren’t that bad tbh) but the frq section always has the most difficult and conceptually challenging material. his goals are to a) prepare us for the exam and for everyone to get a 5 b) properly prepare us for calculus with a deep understanding of pre calculus, concepts of calculus, and proper notation and c) get us to think like a mathematician. so no, at my school quizzes and tests are not easy, but it’s worth it. he has also said that at the end of the year he will test us on calc concepts to make sure we are ready to go into ap calc concepts. while i do think it is definitely an easier ap class, i think if taught properly it is not a joke class, but most of the time it isn’t taught properly. and i agree that ap precalc ab and bc is the dumbest thing i’ve ever heard of

[Nous.Central]

How about an AP linear algebra or AP number theory😅 I like the idea of adding more AP math classes, but they need to expand their scope a little more.

[UnlawfulMailbox]

Im in a ap precal class and im failing lmao