AP Calculus BC

The exam has a multiple-choice section and a free-response section. College Board notes that the number of multiple-choice questions and the timing have been updated, effective with the May 2027 exams, but does not state the revised counts or timing in its public course pages. Check the official course and exam description for exact figures.

BC covers the principles of AP Calculus AB and builds on them, adding topics such as parametric equations, polar coordinates, vector-valued functions, and infinite series. It is equivalent to two college courses rather than one, so expect a faster pace and a heavier load, particularly in Units 9 and 10.

College Board's public AP pages do not state a retake policy for this exam, so confirm directly with College Board or your AP coordinator. What the pages do describe is score reporting services and the option to send scores to colleges, which is where most students focus after exam day.

Follow the sequence your teacher uses, since College Board presents the ten units as one possible order and teachers may reorganize them. If you are self-studying, the listed order works because later units depend on earlier ones; do not skip Units 6 and 10, which carry the largest exam weightings.

Weights range from 5%–10% for Units 1 through 4, 7, and 8, to 10%–15% for Units 5 and 9, and 15%–20% for Units 6 and 10. Integration and infinite series together account for roughly a third or more of the exam, so budget study time accordingly.

College Board recommends successful coursework in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry, and elementary functions. You should understand linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, and piecewise-defined functions, plus sequences, series, and polar equations, and be able to graph them and solve equations involving them.

Justification is where students most often fall short. The mathematical practices weight justifying reasoning and solutions at 10%–20% of multiple choice but 35%–60% of free response, and correct notation and language are assessed only in free response, so unsupported answers and sloppy notation cost real points.

The AP Calculus BC exam is scheduled for Monday, May 10, 2027, Session 1. Your AP coordinator tells you when and where the exam will be administered, so registration and logistics go through your school rather than through College Board directly.

Joining your class section in My AP gives access to AP Classroom, where teachers can assign topic questions, progress checks, videos, and practice materials that also familiarize you with the Bluebook app before exam day. The AP Calculus AB and BC Course and Exam Description is the core document laying out content and the exam.