AP CALCULUS FORMULA SHEET HOW TO

Once you know the scoring guidelines, use them to make your answers easy to follow.Know what they expect you to include with your answers. The 2021 scoring guidelines go a step further and give all the items readers were instructed to count and not count. For each of the past exams' FRQs, College Board provides scoring guidelines and sample responses. Familiarize yourself with the grading process.Take entire sections of College Board's past exam questions ( AB and BC) and time yourself. Here are some tips to improve your performance on FRQs. You don't lose points for getting it wrong, and you have a 25% chance of getting it right (or higher if you eliminate a choice or two first). On the MCQ sections, take the last couple of minutes to make sure you answer every question. Your proctor will give you a heads-up when you're running out of time.Compare to the test booklet every time you fill in an answer. If you're skipping around (and even if you're not), make absolutely sure you're answering the correct question on your MCQ scantron.It's not worth spending time spinning your wheels when you can be earning points elsewhere.

AP CALCULUS FORMULA SHEET HOW TO

If you don't immediately know how to solve a problem, skip it and come back later if there's time.(BC-only) Find a coefficient of a term in a Taylor polynomial ( example).Calculate volume of a solid with geometric cross sections ( example).Find a particular solution to a differential equation ( example).Differentiate or integrate within PVA context ( example).Find the slope of a tangent line ( example).Remove a removable discontinuity ( example).These are our questions with different numbers, but otherwise are exactly the same as the AP questions In developing our product, we've found a number of different question types that appear frequently on the exam. For example, 1c on both AB and BC 2021 asked for a Riemann sum and required a sum of four products for the first point. Just remember you still need to show your setup on FRQs. Procedural things like Riemann sums and Euler's method (BC only) are great candidates for programs, and you can find a lot of good resources via Google. The difference between −1 2 and (−1) 2 can cost you points. Get in the habit of using parentheses when plugging things in.This will help you quickly find zeros, extrema, intersection points, etc., which can lead to faster solution methods ( example).

Be proficient with the Trace tool on graphs.Always have your calculator set to radians, not degrees.Just set it up correctly and give the answer. On Part A FRQs, you are not required to show any work for these 4 things. Make sure that your calculator can do each of these things and know how to do them efficiently. College Board calls out 4 functionalities that your calculator is expected to do ( source).Make sure your calculator is on College Board's list of approved calculators.Make things easier on yourself and ask around for one.

You can technically get a 5 without earning a single point on calculator sections, but you would have to be nearly perfect on the other sections.

If you don't have a graphing calculator or can't afford one, ask if you can borrow one from a friend or teacher and do so now so you can practice with it.

Here are some things to look at in advance of test day:

(BC-only) Polar to rectangular coordinatesĪ calculator is only useful on a timed exam if you know how to use it efficiently.

(BC-only) Derivatives of vector-valued functions.

(BC-only) Parametric slope, speed, and arc length.

Area between curves ( in terms of x, in terms of y).

Integral rules ( basic, trig, properties of definite, (BC-only) improper).

Fundamental theorem of calculus (FTC) and 2nd FTC.

Mean value theorem (MVT) and Rolle's theorem.

Properties of limits at a point and limits at infinity.

It may be a good idea to put the ones you do want to memorize on flashcards to help you study: Some things like squeeze theorem just require some familiarity rather than outright memorization. Here's a breakdown of formulas and theorems you want to memorize/be familiar with for the exam. We made this post on APStudents but wanted to share it here as well.

Ap calculus formula sheet