AP Precalculus Exam Guide and Review 2027
AP Precalculus · May 2027AP Precalculus Exam Guide and Review 2027
- 52-page guide
- 3 tested units
- 2 hours 55 minutes
- 42 MCQ · 4 FRQ
AP Precalculus asks you to select a function family, move among formulas, tables, graphs, and contexts, calculate with the correct domain and units, and justify why the result fits the evidence. The course has four units, but the exam tests only Units 1, 2, and 3; Unit 4 is not on the exam.
- Represent before calculating. Name the family, interval, domain, and important graph features before substituting values or using a calculator.
- Make every calculation auditable. Show endpoint values, factors, repeated-change intervals, exact angles, and the units attached to the final result.
- Check the answer in another form. Use a graph, table, substitution, factor, or key landmark to test the conclusion before moving on.
- Study for both tool settings. Practice graphing-calculator modeling and exact calculator-free algebra as separate timed skills.
Study the tested units in their official order
The ranges below describe each tested unit’s share of the multiple-choice section. They are not shares of the whole exam, fixed question counts, or free-response allocations. Unit 4 receives no range here because it is not tested. The ranges reflect the current official course and exam description as of 2026-08-29.
Two hours and 55 minutes across four timed parts
Multiple choice carries 62.5% of the score and free response carries 37.5%. Students answer multiple-choice questions and view free-response prompts in Bluebook, then handwrite free-response answers in paper exam booklets. Calculator access changes by part, and trigonometric work uses radian mode.
| Section or part | Questions | Time | Score weight | Calculator and response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice | 42 questions | 105 minutes | 62.5% | Answer in Bluebook |
| Part A | 29 | 65 minutes | 43.75% | Calculator not permitted |
| Part B | 13 | 40 minutes | 18.75% | Graphing calculator required |
| Free response | 4 questions | 70 minutes | 37.5% | View in Bluebook; handwrite answers |
| Part A | 2 | 35 minutes | 18.75% | Graphing calculator required |
| Part B | 2 | 35 minutes | 18.75% | Calculator not permitted |
| Complete exam | 46 questions | 2 hours 55 minutes | 100% | Hybrid digital |
Check the official AP Precalculus exam page and the current course and exam description for later changes. These details are stated as of 2026-08-29.
Record exclusions before canceling a common factor
This complete example follows Question → Calculation → Answer and ends with the same four-column rubric check used in the guide.
- Step 1Record the original denominator restrictions first: x = 1 and x = 3 are excluded.
- Step 2Cancel x − 1 only in the rule for allowed inputs, giving (x + 2) ÷ (x − 3).
- Step 3At x = 1, the simpler rule gives 3 ÷ (−2) = −3 ÷ 2, so the missing point is (1, −3 ÷ 2). The remaining numerator zero is −2, and the remaining denominator zero gives vertical asymptote x = 3.
- Step 4Compare leading terms. Equal degree and equal leading coefficients give horizontal asymptote y = 1.
| Rubric point | Model element | Common error | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original domain | Excludes x = 1 and x = 3 before cancellation | Erases x = 1 after simplifying | Both original denominator zeros remain excluded |
| Hole | Substitutes x = 1 into the simpler rule to get −3 ÷ 2 | Labels x = 1 as a vertical asymptote | Canceled factor and missing coordinate are shown |
| Zero and asymptote | Gives zero −2 and vertical asymptote 3 | Calls every critical input a zero | Numerator and uncanceled denominator factors are separated |
| End behavior | Gives horizontal asymptote y = 1 with degree reason | Uses the constant terms instead of leading coefficients | Asymptote and justification agree |
Final check. Write excluded inputs before simplification so the hole cannot silently become a filled point.
Fifteen terms to use precisely
These definitions come from the guide’s appendix. Connect each term to a formula, table, graph, interval, or context so it does mathematical work in a response.
- Covariation
- The linked way two quantities change as inputs and outputs vary.
- Average rate
- Endpoint output change divided by endpoint input change over a named interval.
- Polynomial
- A sum of nonnegative whole-number powers with constant coefficients.
- Multiplicity
- The power attached to a zero-producing factor, which controls crossing or touching.
- Rational function
- A quotient of polynomials whose original denominator cannot equal zero.
- Hole
- A missing graph point created by a canceled factor and retained domain exclusion.
- Vertical asymptote
- A vertical line approached near an uncanceled denominator zero.
- Exponential function
- A function in which equal input changes multiply outputs by a constant positive factor.
- Growth factor
- The multiplier greater than one that represents one repeated increase interval.
- Residual
- Observed output minus model-predicted output at the same input.
- Logarithm
- The inverse operation that returns the exponent needed to produce a positive output.
- Radian measure
- Angle measure defined by arc length divided by circle radius.
- Sinusoidal model
- A transformed sine or cosine rule representing repeating behavior.
- Principal range
- The restricted output interval that makes an inverse trigonometric relation a function.
- Signed radius
- A polar radius whose negative value places a point on the opposite ray.
What to expect and how to use this guide
Which course units appear on the AP Precalculus exam?
The course has four units, but the exam assesses Units 1, 2, and 3. Unit 4 is not tested.
How is calculator access divided?
A graphing calculator is required in multiple-choice Part B and free-response Part A. It is not permitted in multiple-choice Part A or free-response Part B, and trigonometric work uses radian mode.
Does the exam provide a formula sheet?
No subject formula sheet is supplied. Students should memorize the function forms, transformation rules, unit-circle values, and identities they need.
Are the practice problems copied from AP exams?
No. Every practice context, function, constant, table, calculation, and graph was newly written for this guide.
What is the current AP Precalculus exam format?
The exam lasts 2 hours and 55 minutes. Multiple choice has 42 questions in 105 minutes for 62.5% of the score, and free response has 4 questions in 70 minutes for 37.5%.
Are official multiple-choice questions included in the publicly available materials?
No. The publicly available materials used for this guide do not include officially released AP Precalculus multiple-choice questions. The multiple-choice practice in this guide was independently written for instruction.
Use four passes to make function reasoning exam-ready
Pass 1 — identify the family and restrictions. Before calculating, name the likely function family and mark the domain, interval, units, calculator status, and graph features that the final answer must respect. Differences, ratios, factors, asymptotes, and repeated landmarks should guide the choice.
Pass 2 — reproduce complete examples. Work from Question to Calculation to Answer without hiding endpoint evaluations, factorization, repeated-change intervals, exact angle values, or units. Then use the four-column rubric check to identify the model element, likely error, and evidence needed for credit.
Pass 3 — connect representations. Turn each solved formula into a small table or labeled graph, and turn each graph or table back into a defensible equation. Verify zeros, holes, asymptotes, residual patterns, extrema, period, and signed radius in a second representation.
Pass 4 — practice under both tool settings. Alternate a 65-minute calculator-free multiple-choice block with a 40-minute calculator-required block, then practice the two 35-minute free-response parts. Use stored precision in calculator work and exact values when calculators are not permitted.
Use the three published multiple-choice ranges to distribute study time, but keep all three tested units active in mixed review. The ranges do not guarantee a fixed question count or a free-response topic. Do not spend exam-preparation time on Unit 4, because it is not tested.
Build recall deliberately. The exam does not provide a formula sheet. Reconstruct standard forms, transformation rules, unit-circle values, assessed identities, and family-selection cues from memory, then check them against the appendix and apply them in a complete problem.
AskSia is not affiliated with or endorsed by College Board®. AP is a registered trademark of College Board®. Exam facts and unit percentages are based on official College Board information as of 2026-08-29. The practice contexts, functions, values, calculations, and graphs in this guide were independently written for instruction.
