AP Precalculus review: exam format, the units tested, and how to study
The AP Precalculus exam is a 3-hour test of 40 multiple-choice questions and 4 free-response questions, with a graphing calculator allowed on part of each section and no formula sheet provided. This AP Precalc review covers that format, the three tested units, how the exam is scored, and a study plan built to earn a 5.
What’s on the AP Precalculus exam
The AP Precalculus exam splits into two sections. Section I is 40 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, worth 62.5%: Part A is 28 questions with no calculator, and Part B is 12 questions where a graphing calculator is required. Section II is 4 free-response questions in 1 hour, worth 37.5%: Part A is 2 questions with a calculator, and Part B is 2 questions without one.
Two things are worth knowing up front. No formula sheet is provided — like AP Calculus, Precalculus expects the formulas memorized, so our AP Precalculus formula sheet is a study reference, not something you carry in. And only Units 1–3 are tested; Unit 4 is taught but not assessed. The exam is a hybrid: the multiple choice and free-response prompts appear in Bluebook, but you handwrite your free-response work on paper.
The tested units of AP Precalculus
The course has four units, but only the first three appear on the exam, and they are weighted fairly evenly. Each centers on a family of functions.
How AP Precalculus is scored
Your multiple-choice and free-response points combine into one composite score, which the College Board scales to a 1–5 each year. AP Precalculus opened strong: in its first year, 2024, 75.8% of students scored a 3 or higher and 25% earned a 5, with a mean around 3.4 — one of the friendlier distributions among the math exams.
What separates a 3 from a 5 is the free response, where correct setup and clear work earn the points. To see what a practice raw score becomes, run it through our AP Precalculus score calculator.
How to study for AP Precalculus
Because no formula sheet is provided, start by memorizing the toolkit — the quadratic formula, the log properties, the unit circle, and the sinusoidal and exponential models — until recall is automatic. Our formula sheet collects exactly what to know, grouped by function family.
Then build fluency with each of the three tested function families and practice moving between their graphs, equations, and tables. Drill one unit at a time with the Progress Check walkthroughs, and work free-response questions so setup and notation feel routine.
When is the AP Precalculus exam, and how long is it
AP Precalculus is given once a year during the College Board’s May testing window, and the exam takes 3 hours. The exact date and start time are set each year, so confirm the current schedule on the official AP calendar with your coordinator before you plan around it.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers, written by humans.
How many questions are on the AP Precalculus exam?
There are 40 multiple-choice questions and 4 free-response questions, split into two sections. The multiple choice is worth 62.5% of your score and the free response 37.5%.
How long is the AP Precalculus exam?
Three hours: 2 hours for the 40 multiple-choice questions and 1 hour for the four free-response questions.
Is a calculator allowed on the AP Precalculus exam?
Partly. A graphing calculator is required on Part B of the multiple choice and Part A of the free response; the other parts of each section are no-calculator.
Is a formula sheet provided on the AP Precalculus exam?
No. Like AP Calculus, AP Precalculus gives you no reference sheet, so you are expected to have the formulas memorized.
How many units are on AP Precalculus, and which are tested?
Four units are taught, but only Units 1–3 are assessed on the exam — polynomial and rational, exponential and logarithmic, and trigonometric and polar functions. Unit 4 is not tested.
Is AP Precalculus hard?
It is a solidly passable exam — about 76% of students passed in its first year, 2024 — but it assumes a strong algebra foundation and moves through several function families.
Is the AP Precalculus exam digital?
It is a hybrid: you answer the multiple choice and view the free-response prompts in the Bluebook app, but you handwrite your free-response work in a paper booklet.