The AP
Calculus
AB Exam
How to Survive
and Thrive
Reviewing for
the Exam
• Know the format
• Know your calculator
• Review old questions
• Study what you
don’t know
• Write new questions
• Manage time leading
up to exam day
The format
• Section I-A
– 28 MC, 55 minutes
– No calculator
• Section I-B
– 17 MC, 50 minutes
• Section II-A
– 3 FR, 45 minutes
• Section II-B
– 3 FR, 45 minutes
– No calculator
Your
calculator
• Common tasks:
–
–
–
–
Graph functions in windows
Solve equations
Find values of derivatives
Find values of integrals
• Radian mode
• Answers may be left
unsimplified, e.g. 2
• Programs
Types of MC
• Computation
• Set up but not solve
• Choose the
true/false statement
• I, II, III
Tips for MC
• Choices may give a
hint
• Penalty of -1/4, so
don’t guess
• Time is limited
Types of FR
• Computation
• Show work; indicate
methods
• “Justify your
answer”; “Show the
analysis that leads
to your conclusion”
Tips for FR
• Don’t write essays
– Show the work that you do
– You may use common terms
(e.g. “The First Derivative
Test”) without actually
stating the test conditions.
• Don’t explain how to
do a problem you
can’t do
– Explanations without work
receive no credit
Tips for FR
• Avoid decimal
answers if possible
– Don’t take a chance on
pushing the wrong button
– If you must use a decimal,
don’t round off early
• Use standard
notation, not
calculator notation
Tips for FR
• Answers without
work lose credit
– Don’t do work on a
calculator unless indicating
what you are doing, e.g.
3

1
x 2dx  8.667
• Show the complete
setup even if you’re
using the calculator
– Except the 4 common tasks
Tips for FR
• Put things where
they’re used
– Calculations that were put
unnecessarily in part (a) but
are needed in part (b) must
be put in part (b) in order to
get credit
• Mistakes should be
crossed out
– If not, it may lower score
Tips for FR
• Are the problem
parts independent?
– Independent? Read and try
all the parts. If you can’t do
part (a), you may be able to
do part (b), and perhaps it
will give you a hint for (a)
– Dependent? Work from part
to part even if you’re not
sure where it’s heading. In
fact, make up an answer to
carry to the next part if you
get stuck.
Tips for FR
• Common mistakes
– Missing integration limits
– Not considering endpoints or
considering points outside
an interval
– Giving only one coordinate
when both are required;
giving both when one is
required, e.g. “value of a
function”
– Not answering the question
– Ignoring units of measure
Tips for FR
– Examining a general
equation with specific values
instead
– Fitting a specific equation to
a graph or table; any
questions about it can and
should be answered without
using an equation
– Using a calculator feature
without showing the work or
justification