Pass the AP Precalculus Exam
…as an Algebra 2 / Trigonometry student
Algebra 2 / Trig is very similar to the AP Pre-Calculus material.
Students
You can pass the AP Pre-Calculus Exam with what you are already learning!
There are just a few concepts missing from the traditional Algebra 2/Trig curriculum.
Learn the missing pieces in Ustaz Sami’s accelerated course!
Parents
Why an Algebra 2/Trig student can pass the AP Pre-calculus exam?
AP Pre-calculus is essentially Algebra 2 with a few missing concepts.
Precalculus was introduced to bridge the gaps in foundational knowledge due to the dilution of Algebra 2/Trig, transitioning students effectively to calculus.
It is worth taking advantage of this now.
For Students
Why is this worth it?
Colleges will potentially look at AP Pre-calculus as a harder SAT Math.
Exposure to AP curriculum and potentially save time in college.
For Parents
Why is this worth it?
Get your student exposed to AP style standardized tests.
A 5 on the AP Pre-Calculus test saves time and money in college.
Colleges equate AP Pre-Calculus to SAT Math 2
Algebra 2 / Trigonometry students should be able to pass the new AP Precalculus exam
Every summer I teach an accelerated Precalculus class, and every year I get the same question from parents: Where is the precalculus part? This is what they covered in algebra 2 / trig. The parents have a point. Most of precalculus is a rehash of algebra 2 / trig covered, presumably, in greater depth.
Many years ago, students moved from algebra 2 / trig to calculus. Then, with the watering down of algebra 2 / trig, students moved from Honors algebra 2 / trig to calculus. Precalculus is a relatively new course designed, it seems, to fill the gaps created by less rigorous algebra / trig preparation. Recently, San Francisco Unified School District created a compromise course called Algebra 2 + Precalculus (also called algebra 2 / precalculus compression class) where students cover algebra, trig, and precalculus in one year. https://www.sfusd.edu/learning/curriculum/high-school/mathematics/algebra-2-precalculus
Some precalculus courses include subjects beyond the algebra 2 material; for example, parametric functions, vector-valued functions, and matrices. These topics are listed in unit 4 of the AP Precalculus, but according to the College Board unit 4 is not assessed on the AP exam! https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-precalculus-course-at-a-glance.pdf
A word of caution. AP Precalculus is a rigorous class that requires consistent, hard work - a serious commitment. There are no short cuts to excellence.
A brief history of math testing. (By: David Bressoud)
In the early 1960s, the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) created a curriculum of 13 courses, Math 1 through Math 13. Math 1 and Math 2 were the first two semesters of single variable calculus. Recognizing that not everyone headed into the sciences or engineering would be prepared to start with calculus, they added a Math 0 with precalculus topics.
Through 1968 there was only one AP Calculus exam, covering the entire year of single variable calculus. Knowing that there were many students who might be able to complete only one semester of college calculus while in high school, the AB and BC exams were created. The original vision was that one exam would cover the material from Math 0 and Math 1, while the other would cover Math 1 and Math 2. Given that 0, 1, and 2 look like low AP exam scores, 0, 1, and 2 became A, B, and C. The original understanding of Calculus AB was that it would include a component of purely precalculus topics with Calculus BC covering the first two semesters of Calculus, i.e., Math 1 and Math 2.
While knowledge of and facility with the mathematics of precalculus is presumed for Calculus AB, it has been a very long time since there were any questions on the exam that specifically tested knowledge of precalculus.
In some sense, an AP Precalculus is simply a return to earlier understandings of what the Advanced Placement program might test.
https://www.mathvalues.org/masterblog/thoughts-on-advanced-placement-precalculus
The vision of testing precalculus and calculus together is maintained in the British Advanced Level Mathematics and the IB (International Baccalaureate) Higher Level Mathematics.
AP Precalculus is a rigorous class that requires consistent, hard work, i.e., a serious commitment.
There are no short cuts to excellence.