Important Updates
Secure Exam for Classroom Use
A secure 2017 AP Calculus BC Exam is available on the AP Course Audit website. To access, sign in to your AP Course Audit account, and click on the Secure Documents link in the Resources section of your Course Status page.
CED Updated with Free-Response Question Instructions
We recently updated pages 45-46 of the Course and Exam Description (CED) (.pdf/3.72MB) to include the instructions students will see on exam day for completing Section II: Free-Response Questions.
Please help make your students aware of these instructions by pointing them to the AP Calculus BC Exam page on the AP Students site.
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- Tue, May 15, 2018
AP Calculus BC Exam Day 2018
Exam Overview
The AP Calculus BC Exam measures students' understanding of the concepts of calculus, their ability to apply these concepts, and their ability to make connections among graphical, numerical, analytical, and verbal representations of mathematics.
Students need strong foundations in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and elementary functions to be prepared for the exam, though the course focuses on differential and integral calculus.
Students may not take both the Calculus AB and Calculus BC Exams within the same year.
Encourage your students to visit the AP Calculus BC student page for exam information and exam practice.
AP Calculator Policy
A graphing calculator is permitted for parts of the exam (see Exam Format below).
Exam Format
Section I
Multiple Choice — 45 Questions | 1 Hour, 45 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score
- Part A: 30 questions; 60 minutes (calculator not permitted)
- Part B: 15 questions; 45 minutes (graphing calculator required)
Section II
Free Response — 6 Questions | 1 Hour, 30 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score
- Part A: 2 questions; 30 minutes (graphing calculator required)
- Part B: 4 questions; 60 minutes (calculator not permitted)
Completing Section II: Free-Response Questions
Review the instructions provided to students for completing Section II.
Exam Questions and Scoring Information
For free-response questions from prior exams, along with scoring information, check out the tables below.
Please note that a A Calculus AB sub-score is reported based on performance on the portion of the Calculus BC Exam devoted to Calculus AB topics.
The Past Exam Questions page has free-response questions and scoring information from the 2016 exam and before. Please note that this page does not represent the updated course and exam.
Be sure to review the Chief Reader Report. In this invaluable resource, the Chief Reader of the AP Exam compiles feedback from members of the reading leadership to describe how students performed on the FRQs, summarize typical student errors, and address specific concepts and content with which students have struggled the most that year.
| Questions | Scoring | Samples and Commentary | Score Distributions |
|---|---|---|---|
Exam Resources
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AP Calculus AB and BC Course and Exam Description—2016
This is the core document for this course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and the AP Program in general.
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Teaching and Assessing Modules (Updated for 2017-18)
Features sample free-response questions and interactive scoring practice using real student responses. -
AP Calculus BC Exam from 2012
Previously available only through your AP Course Audit account. Since this exam is now publicly available, you can use the questions without restriction.
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Commentary on FRQ Instructions
Explains how answers are scored.
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Course Overview Modules for AP Calculus
Take a guided tour of AP Calculus with a series of video presentations that provide a detailed look at the curriculum framework, the exam, the AP Course Audit process, helpful resources, and more. -
Sample Exam Questions
Sample exam questions originally published in the fall 2014 curriculum framework.
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Sign Charts in AP Calculus Exams
Explains how sign charts should be used throughout the course and on the exam.