AP Precalculus

The key document for each AP course is the course and exam description. Start by reviewing it to understand the objectives and expectations of the course and exam.

Download the AP Precalculus Course and Exam Description

Your course must fulfill these requirements.

AP Precalculus curricular requirements:

• The students and teacher have access to a precalculus textbook in print or electronic format.

• The course is structured to incorporate the required content outlined in units 1, 2, and 3 in the AP Precalculus Course and Exam Description.

• The course provides opportunities for students to develop the skills outlined in the course and exam description related to:

  • Mathematical Practice 1: Procedural and Symbolic Fluency

  • Mathematical Practice 2: Multiple Representations

  • Mathematical Practice 3: Communication and Reasoning

• Students have access to graphing calculators and opportunities to use them to solve problems and to explore and interpret precalculus concepts. 

• The course provides opportunities for students to practice building function models in settings where students must choose, construct, and defend the selection of a function model. 

AP Precalculus resource requirements:

• The school ensures that each student has a precalculus textbook (in print or electronic format) for individual use inside and outside the classroom. The textbook is supplemented when necessary to meet the curricular requirements.

• The school ensures that the teacher has a copy of a precalculus textbook or other appropriate materials to support instruction.

• The school ensures each student has a graphing calculator for individual use inside and outside of the classroom, with all required capabilities listed in the course and exam description.

The list below represents examples of textbooks that meet the curricular requirements of AP Precalculus. The list is not exhaustive, and the texts listed should not be regarded as endorsed, authorized, recommended, or approved by College Board. Not using a book from this list does not mean that a course will not receive authorization. 

The current editions of the following textbooks meet the Course Audit curricular requirements. Earlier editions of these texts or other textbooks not listed here may meet the AP Course Audit curricular requirements. While every effort is made to keep this list current, it can take a few months for newly published titles and revised editions to be reviewed. 

• Abramson, Jay et al. Algebra and Trigonometry. 2nd edition. XanEdu Publishing Inc.
• Abramson, Jay. Precalculus. 2016. OpenStax.
• Abramson, Jay et al. PreCalculus 2e. OpenStax.
• Adams, Jean. AP Precalculus. Flamingo Math.
• Axler, Sheldon. Precalculus: A Prelude to Calculus. 3rd Edition. Wiley.
• Bean, Spencer et al. Flipped Math — AP Precalculus. Flippedmath.com.
• Beecher, Judith, Judith Penna, and Marvin Bittinger. Precalculus: A Right Triangle Approach. 5th Edition. Pearson.
• Blitzer, Robert. Algebra and Trigonometry. 6th Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall.
• Blitzer, Robert. Precalculus. 6th Edition. Pearson.
• Brown, Richard G. Advanced Mathematics: Precalculus with Discrete Mathematics and Data Analysis. McDougal Littell Houghton Mifflin. 
• Brunner, Karen, et al. Precalculus: Concepts and Technological Applications. Perfection Learning.
• Carlson, Marilyn P., Michael Oehrtman, and Kevin Moore. Precalculus: Pathways to Calculus. 2021, Hayden-McNeil.
• Carter, John A., Gilbert J. Cuevas, Roger Day, and & Carol Malloy. Precalculus — Today's Program for Tomorrow's Leaders. McGraw Hill.
• Carter, John A., Gilbert J. Cuevas, Roger Day, and Carol Malloy. Precalculus. McGraw Hill.
• Carter, John A., et al. Precalculus Common Core Edition. McGraw Hill.
• Coburn, John W. Precalculus. 2nd edition. McGraw Hill. 
• Cohen, David, Theodore B. Lee, and David Sklar. Precalculus (custom version). 7th Edition. Cengage.
• College Board. SpringBoard Precalculus.
• Connally, Eric, Deborah Hughes-Hallett, Andrew Gleason, et al. Functions Modeling Change: A Preparation for Calculus. 6th Edition. Wiley.
• Demana, Franklin D., Bert K. Waits, et al. Precalculus: Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic. 10th Edition. Pearson.
• Demana, Franklin D. et al. Precalculus: Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic (AP Edition). 11th Edition. 2023, Pearson. 
• Dugopolski, Mark. Precalculus: Functions and Graphs. 4th Edition. Pearson.
• Eggink, Josea et al. Precalculus. 3rd Edition. CPM.
• Faires, J. Douglas, and James DeFranza. PreCalculus. 5th Edition. Cengage.
• Foerster, Paul A. Precalculus with Trigonometry: Concepts and Applications. 2nd Edition. Key Curriculum Press. 
• Henry, Teresa, Threasa Boyer, Chris Rankin, and Manda Reid. Pre-Calculus: A Graphing Approach. Holt. 
• Holliday, Berchie, Gilbert J. Cuevas, Melissa S. McClure, John A.Carter, and Daniel Marks. Advanced Mathematical Concepts: Precalculus with Applications. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Precalculus: A Graphing Approach. Holt. 
• Hornsby, John, Marge Lial, and Gary Rockswold. A Graphical Approach to Precalculus with Limits: A Unit Circle Approach. 4th Edition. Addison Wesley. 
• Hungerford, Thomas, Irene Jovell, and Betty Mayberry. Precalculus: A Graphing Approach. Holt. 
• Larson, Ron. Precalculus. 10th Edition. Cengage.
• Larson, Ron, and Robert P. Hostetler. Precalculus. 7th Edition. Brooks Cole.
• Larson, Ron, et al. Precalculus with Limits: A Graphing Approach. 5th Edition. Houghton Mifflin.
• Lial, Margaret, John Hornsby, David Schneider, and Callie Daniels. College Algebra & Trigonometry. Pearson.
• Lial, Margaret L., John E. Hornsby, David I. Schneider, and Callie Daniels. Precalculus: A Right Triangle Approach. 5th Edition. Pearson.
• Lippman, David, and Melonie Rasmussen. Precalculus: An Investigation of Functions. 2nd Edition. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
• Maile, Sarah et al. Precalculus. 3rd Edition. CPM Educational Program.
• Mathspace. AP Precalculus (BETA). 2023 edition. Mathspace.co.
• Miller, Julie, and Donna Gerken. Precalculus. 1st Edition. McGraw Hill.
• Ratti, J.S., Marcus S. McWaters, and Leslaw Skrzypek. Precalculus: A Right Triangle Approach. 4th Edition. Pearson.
• Ratti, J.S., Marcus S. McWaters, and Leslaw Skrzypek. Precalculus: A Unit Circle Approach. 3rd Edition. Pearson.
• Rice University. Precalculus. OpenStax. 
• Rockswold, Gary K. Precalculus with Modeling & Visualization. Pearson.
• Rusczyk, Richard. Art of Problem Solving: Precalculus. 2nd Edition. Art of Problem Solving, Inc. 
• Sallee, Tom, Judith Kysh, Elaine Kasimatis, and Brian Hoey. Precalculus. 2nd Edition. CPM Educational Program. 
• Stecher, Sarah. Math Medic AP Precalculus. Math Medic.
• Stewart, James, Lothar Redlin, and Saleem Watson. Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus. 7th Edition. Cengage.
• Stitz, Carl, and Jeff Zeager. Precalculus. 2013, Stitz Zeager Open Source Mathematics. 
• Sullivan, Michael. Algebra & Trigonometry. 11th Edition. Pearson.
• Sullivan, Michael. Precalculus. 11th Edition. Pearson.
• Sullivan, Michael. Precalculus: Concepts Through Functions, A Unit Circle Approach to Trigonometry. Pearson. 
• Sullivan, Michael, and Michael Sullivan III. Precalculus Enhanced with Graphing Utilities. 8th Edition. Pearson.
• Swokowski, Earl, and Jeffery Cole. Precalculus: Functions and Graphs. 13th Edition. Cengage.
• The Algebros. AP Precalculus. Flippedmath.com.
• Wetzel, Mark. Precalculus. 2nd Edition. BJU Press.
• Wilson, Gina. All Things Pre-Calculus Curriculum. All Things Algebra. 
• Young, Cynthia Y. Precalculus. Wiley.

These annotated sample AP Precalculus syllabi show how the curricular requirements can be demonstrated in a syllabus and what level of detail you’ll need to include.

AP Precalculus Sample Syllabus 1

AP Precalculus Sample Syllabus 2

Review this document for help creating your syllabus. 

Syllabus Development Guide: AP Precalculus

This resource includes the guidelines reviewers use to evaluate syllabi along with three samples of evidence for each requirement. This guide also specifies the level of detail required in the syllabus to receive course authorization.