<p>I'm really confused as to the difference between the two. Originally I thought that Calc AB was a prerequisite to Calc BC, but apparently not because it seems a TON of people just go straight to Calc BC from precalc. Why do people skip AB? Is the first half of BC really just a repeat of AB?</p>
<p>Look at the topics for Calc AB and BC: BC covers AB plus several chapters worth of information. You can pretty much self-study for the harder exam while taking the “easier” class.</p>
<p>I’m talking about classes, not exams.</p>
<p>AP: Calc AB is similar to Calc 1, and AP: Calc BC is equal to calc 1 and 2. The difference is the order the class is taught BC may seem harder at first, but the order makes more sense to people who think from left field. To answer your question BC is both AB and BC. On the AP exam you get an AB subscore along with your score.</p>
<p>Calculus AB = college Calculus I
Calculus BC = college Calculus I and II
Basically, BC covers everything that AB covers, plus some other stuff. Some high schools have AB as a prerequisite for BC, but that isn’t how the exams are designed.</p>