They're often tempted to do this if they don't feel quite prepared enough to start with BC Calculus, but they want extra college credits for passing the AP exam or they want to impress colleges by taking the more difficult AP calculus class. AB Calculus and BC Calculus are similar enough that taking them one after the other will be a lot like taking the same class twice, and it'll probably be pretty boring for you. Taking both also usually won't help your college applications because it will look like you needed two years to learn calculus instead of one.
If you were considering taking both AB and BC Calculus but aren't sure which one to take now, keep reading for the questions you should ask yourself. These are the main prerequisite courses at most schools for AP Calculus. If you haven't taken Pre-Calculus yet, don't worry about deciding which calculus class you want to take just yet. Focus on doing well in Pre-Calc! Say you've taken or are currently taking Pre-Calculus.
It's possible to get by in many math classes by doing the problems and memorizing formulas but not truly understanding the material. However, a solid understanding of Pre-Calc is necessary to do well in either AP Calculus class, but especially if you're making the jump to BC. How can you tell if you truly understand Pre-Calculus? See if you can explain your Pre-Calculus homework to a friend or younger sibling. If you can teach something, odds are you know it pretty well.
However, if you struggle to explain a concept, it might be a sign you don't know the material very deeply. If you're not sure you get Pre-Calculus, consider taking AB Calculus, since it moves slower and you'll have more time to learn the concepts.
This is another practical consideration. Don't count your chickens before they've hatched—make sure you pass the placement exam for AP Calculus before worrying about which course to take.
Many schools have summer assignments for AP Calculus, since there is a lot of material to cover during the year. BC Calculus is more likely to have a longer assignment. If you can, ask the teachers for copies of their summer assignments to see what they're like.
Also think about your summer schedule. For example, have you already committed to a camp or service trip that's going to take up most of your summer? If you're not sure you'll have time to complete the BC summer assignment, you might want to consider taking AB instead. You don't want to start out the year behind! If you've committed to a service trip abroad, you might not have time for summer BC Calculus homework.
As we discussed above, some schools require more class periods for BC Calculus since it covers more material. Would this cause you to have to give up an extracurricular, like band or newspaper? Topics may include: Determining the average value of a function using definite integrals Modeling particle motion Solving accumulation problems Finding the area between curves Determining volume with cross-sections, the disc method, and the washer method Determining the length of a planar curve using a definite integral.
Topics may include: Finding derivatives of parametric functions and vector-valued functions Calculating the accumulation of change in length over an interval using a definite integral Determining the position of a particle moving in a plane Calculating velocity, speed, and acceleration of a particle moving along a curve Finding derivatives of functions written in polar coordinates Finding the area of regions bounded by polar curves.
Topics may include: Applying limits to understand convergence of infinite series Types of series: Geometric, harmonic, and p-series A test for divergence and several tests for convergence Approximating sums of convergent infinite series and associated error bounds Determining the radius and interval of convergence for a series Representing a function as a Taylor series or a Maclaurin series on an appropriate interval.
Start a Search. Course Resources article. Explore Your Future. Career Areas Majors Additional Information. Previous Why Take the Course. Next About the Exam. Not a student? However, enrolling in a certified AP course is generally regarded as the best way to achieve a strong score. Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free.
Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey. Calculate Your Chances for Free. Taking the AP Exam If you plan on studying English or social sciences at the college level, taking the AP Calculus AB exam is a great way to get that pesky core math class out of the way. It will, however, hurt you immensely if you fail the class. Calc BC is not a particularly advanced class, and there will be many harder ones to come if a career in science is what you have in mind.
Have you checked out the Kahn Academy videos for Calc? They got my son through both BC and multivariable. What are your other AP classes? Because just having an "AP" in front of them will not automatically impress adcoms, there are some which seem to be perceived as easy AP's like psych, enviro and stats , so swapping out one of them for BC and knuckling down senior year might be a good idea.
I think it's more important to do well in the classes you take then what you didn't as long as it's a rigorous course load. I think 5 AP classes qualifies. He will be pre-med and a Bio major and will start with what is basically Calc BC in the fall. Also, it may be impossible for some to take Calc BC. My son's school didn't offer it but he couldn't take Algebra until 8th grade so I don't see how he could have anyway.
Everyone at my school is pretty competitive and judgmental, and I'm afraid of screwing up my schedule. I guess I should start working on that. Anyway, thanks for the reassurance, it is very much appreciated. This information was most helpful and very reassuring. I guess I'll pick another elective instead of Cal BC Once again thank you, I really do appreciate it! I would take it. The risk of his GPA dropping would hurt his chances way more than having the class listed on his application.
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