AP Calculus AB exam format: what's on the 2027 exam

The four parts

• Section I, Part A: 29 multiple-choice questions in 62 minutes, no calculator, 35% of your score.
• Section I, Part B: 13 multiple-choice questions in 38 minutes, calculator allowed, 15% of your score.
• Section II, Part A: 2 free-response questions in 30 minutes, calculator allowed, 16.7% of your score.
• Section II, Part B: 4 free-response questions in 60 minutes, no calculator, 33.3% of your score.

The no-calculator parts add up to about 68% of your score. If you're deciding where to spend study time, start with what you can do by hand.

Time per question

• No-calculator multiple choice: about 2 minutes 8 seconds per question.
• Calculator multiple choice: about 2 minutes 55 seconds per question.
• Free response: 15 minutes per question on average in both parts. Each question is worth 9 points.

How the exam is given

• The exam is hybrid. Multiple-choice questions and free-response prompts appear on screen in the Bluebook app, and you handwrite your free-response answers.
• Desmos is built into Bluebook on the calculator parts only, and an approved handheld is also allowed. See how to use Desmos on the AP Calculus AB exam.
• There's no formula sheet, so you need derivative rules, antiderivatives, and volume setups from memory.
• Calculator work on free response needs a written setup. The College Board requires you to write the equation, derivative, or integral you used.
• Decimal answers on free response need three places unless a question tells you otherwise.

What the course covers

The course has eight units. Each range below is the share of the multiple-choice section that the unit is expected to fill.

• Unit 1: Limits and Continuity (10–15% of multiple choice)
• Unit 2: Differentiation: Definition and Fundamental Properties (10–15% of multiple choice)
• Unit 3: Differentiation: Composite, Implicit, and Inverse Functions (5–10% of multiple choice)
• Unit 4: Contextual Applications of Differentiation (10–15% of multiple choice)
• Unit 5: Analytical Applications of Differentiation (15–20% of multiple choice)
• Unit 6: Integration and Accumulation of Change (15–20% of multiple choice)
• Unit 7: Differential Equations (5–10% of multiple choice)
• Unit 8: Applications of Integration (10–15% of multiple choice)

Units 5 and 6 have the highest ranges. These ranges describe multiple choice only, so don't treat them as a forecast of which topics will show up in free response. Common free-response topics include particle motion, reading the graph of a derivative, rates in and out, and area and volume.

How scoring works

• There's no penalty for guessing, so answer every multiple-choice question.
• Each free-response question is worth 9 points, scored against a rubric. The free-response guide covers how to earn them.
• Your final score is on the 1 to 5 scale. The conversion from points to that score is set for each exam, so a score from a practice set is an estimate.

If you're still deciding between courses, see AP Calculus AB vs BC.

Questions

How long is the AP Calculus AB exam?

190 minutes of testing time: 100 minutes for 42 multiple-choice questions and 90 minutes for 6 free-response questions.

How much of the AP Calculus AB exam allows a calculator?

13 of the 42 multiple-choice questions and 2 of the 6 free-response questions. Those parts make up about 32% of your score.

When is the 2027 AP Calculus AB exam?

Monday, May 10, 2027. Check with your school for start times and testing details.

Is there a formula sheet on the AP Calculus AB exam?

No. You need to know the derivative rules, antiderivatives, and geometry for volume setups from memory.