Free guides

AP^® Precalculus guides

How the exam works, how to use Desmos on the parts that allow it, and the Precalculus topics students ask about most, each with worked examples.

• How to use Desmos on the AP Precalculus examWhere Desmos is allowed on the AP Precalculus exam, the five calculator moves it asks for, worked examples of each, and when to put it away.Read the guide
• AP Precalculus exam format: what's on the 2027 examThe new May 2027 AP Precalculus exam, part by part: question counts, time limits, calculator rules, score weights, and which units are tested.Read the guide
• How to earn points on AP Precalculus free responseThe four AP Precalculus free-response question types, what each one asks, what earns the points, and where students most often lose them, with examples.Read the guide
• Rational functions for AP Precalculus: asymptotes, holes, and sign chartsRational functions for AP Precalculus: vertical asymptotes versus holes, horizontal and slant asymptotes, zeros, and sign charts, with worked examples.Read the guide
• Regression and choosing a model for AP PrecalculusHow to pick a model from a table, run each regression in Desmos with the exact syntax, read a residual plot, and use semi-log plots on AP Precalculus.Read the guide
• Solving exponential and logarithmic equations for AP PrecalculusThe exponent and log rules, rewriting growth factors for new time units, and solving exponential and log equations exactly by hand, with extraneous checks.Read the guide
• Building sinusoidal models for AP PrecalculusHow to build a sinusoidal model from a maximum and a minimum: amplitude, midline, period, and phase shift, then how to use it and describe how it changes.Read the guide
• Polar functions for AP Precalculus: coordinates, graphs, and distancePolar coordinates for AP Precalculus: converting points and equations, sketching from a graph of r versus theta, and when distance from the origin grows.Read the guide