<p>Bump - hope you self-studiers are doing well so far! If you’re interested, it’s still not too late!</p>
<p>The binomial series IS covered on AP BC Calculus.</p>
<p>Hi guys!</p>
<p>So we’re registering for AP exams now, and I’m in IB HL math, and our teacher says that we will cover all the AB topics in our IB HL math course, but no BC at all, and that we have the option of self-studying the BC portion but he doesn’t really recommend it to anyone. Do you think I should do it? I’m pretty interested in math and I’m currently doing well in IB HL, although we just started calculus. </p>
<p>What do you think I should do?</p>
<p>Agreed - if you’re not sure just go for it</p>
<p>It depends on the organization / schedule of your class - if your class finishes integration by March/April, then you’ll have sufficient time to learn the BC-related integration topics (which are very important). If your class doesn’t get to these topics until April/May-ish, then you’ll have to learn integration in advance from your teacher, a textbook, or internet resources. It won’t be too difficult, but will require roughly an extra 10-15 hours of work. </p>
<p>Either way, I’d say most people start self-studying for BC around early December, and spend roughly 5 hours/week, and then 8+ hours/week during April and May. Of course, this depends on how much you enjoy math. If you find AP calc to be very easy right now, then you probably won’t need to spend as much time. If you’re still unsure, think about how your current schedule is like and how you’re liking AP calc so far. If you’re breezing through AP calc and think you can add another honors-level math class to your schedule, then go for it! However, if you’re currently swamped and aren’t enjoying AP calc too much, then don’t bother. IB HL Math is perfectly fine, and you can always learn calc II some other time.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for this! I have one question, though: I want to self study the AP Calculus AB or BC exam because I would like to take Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra next year (I am currently a junior). I am in an Honors Algebra II class right now, and my average is 95%; if I manage to maintain it, I can get into AP Calculus AB next year. But I also want to take Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra simultaneously, and I need at least a 3 on the AP exam to do so (and an 80% in physics, but I already have that). The thing is, I can take either exam. Should I take the AB or BC one? Which one is harder? I am also starting my self-study a bit late (although I have covered some derivative and integral calculus topics over the summer), so which one is easier to learn? Any feedback will be much appreciated! Thanks!
-Zara.</p>
<p>AB is obviously easier. BC involves a lot of material on advanced integration and power series solutions, so it’ll be a lot more time-consuming to study for that. </p>
<p>However, multivariable does involve some calc 2 concepts. if you’re sure that your school will allow you to do multivariable with only calc ab, then go for it. If you end up doing only AB, you might want to learn some basic power series and some more advanced integration techniques, such as integration by parts and partial fractions. In addition, it’ll be good to know parametric and polar equations, and how to take their derivatives and integrate them.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for your efforts on helping us high schoolers out! I’d imagine it would be quite a chore to reply to every single one of them. I also have another option, to do AB and get a 4 or higher, and get into BC next year. However, I think I would benefit with learning the material first and worrying about the placement later. I will definitely keep your suggestions in mind, they seem much more genuine than my math teacher’s.</p>
<p>I am a junior in the middle of the year now… my school suxs! we are in the beginning of Algebra 2 now!!! I am willing to do all it takes, do whatever u tell me to do… can i self study ap calc!!! plz say yes! i mean i’ll do ANYTHING! any advice?? plz say i have a chance at a 5… :(… wat about bio ap!!! this really suxs…</p>
<p>@100174one6: No problem, good luck!</p>
<p>@2200andbeyondXD: No, you shouldn’t if you are still learning Algebra 2. If you really wanted to, you could try watching some of the videos I posted earlier to learn the basics, but I strongly would not recommend taking the AP exam. I am sure you still have time, so don’t worry about rushing to learn AP calc.</p>
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<p>The binomial series and Simpson’s rule are on the exam. You should also note that hyperbolic functions don’t have much to do with trigonometry, except in complex analysis.</p>
<p>Calculus AB is way too easy. Thanks for the advice!</p>
<p>Hey Equilibrium, </p>
<p>I took Precalc Honors last year and I want to take the AP Calc BC Exam this year. I plan on starting the beginning of January. How should I go about doing it?</p>
<p>so… @equilibrium, how is it possible that i have time?! I am a junior! And if i dont take them this year, won’t be able to impress uni’s with them! I feel really bad abt this… NO chance i can catch up on my own?! at all?!</p>
<p>@mapletree: Got it - Thanks!</p>
<p>@nemuku: Great to hear - Best of luck! </p>
<p>@2200: You can just take it during senior year - there’s nothing wrong with that. Adcoms understand that some schools have less rigorous math curriculums. As long as you’ve been taking a rigorous courseload for your school, you’ll be okay. If you really want to self-study, then you’ll have to learn several precalc topics - primarily trigonometry, series/sequences, and function properties (logs, polynomials, etc). On top of all that, you’ll have to cover the entire AP Calculus AB curriculum by yourself in addition to BC, which is a massive undertaking. If you have a lot of free time, then by all means go for it - buy a review book, watch tutorials/videos online, and do lots and lots of old AP problems. I’d estimate the precalc topics will take ~20 hours to learn, AP Calc AB will take ~100+ hours, and BC will require ~60+ hours, making for ~180 hours total. </p>
<p>@Sagar: Buy a good review book (either PR or Petersons are the best imo) - based off the book, make a schedule/timeline for yourself to learn the necessary BC topics. Try to finish most of the topics by late March to early April, so you have time to fix any misunderstandings and solve more practice problems. Be sure to do lots and lots of practice problems from the book and also lots of old AP problems. Lastly, if you get stuck, use some of the online tutorials/videos I posted to help yourself learn the material. That’s the basic process - for further details, please look at the rest of my first post. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Although it’s getting late, it’s still not too late to start self-studying!</p>
<p>Did anyone make some sort of explanation for the multiple choice question answers from the Collegeboard’s AP Calc BC Course Description?</p>
<p>Mostly stuck because I can’t use my calculator :(</p>
<p>Hey Equilibrium, great guide. I was in the same situtuation as Agrasin (whose posts were deleted). I started out my sophomore year in Alg.2/Trig, and advanced several years, ending my sophomore year with the AP Calculus BC exam yesterday. </p>
<p>Although I do not know my score yet, I am fairly confident that I got a five. I certainly got higher than the required 70% mark. I just wanted to make this post to say that this guide works very well for anybody who is dedicated to learning math. I started learning Calculus AB in February, and (although I cannot pat myself on the back until the scores come back) I feel like I’ve mastered the course material in only a little bit over 3 months. </p>
<p>I used most of the things that Equilibrium recommended. PatrickJMT and KhanAcademy are priceless, but they are not what consisted of the meat of my self-study regimen. I actually borrowed Larson’s Calculus textbook from my math department and studied the first 9 chapters. I strongly recommend that you do this in order to gain a deeper and more solid understanding of calculus. </p>
<p>Furthermore, I went to half.com and bought the Barrons and PR review books (for a total of $12, including shipping). As I went through chapters in the textbook, I would complete PR problem sets (PR is a better teacher, Barrons is a better reviewer, imo). Dedication was key. For example, I completed 5/9 chapters over February break. Of course, that meant that I interacted with very few humans over February break. </p>
<p>After the first 5 chapters, Calculus AB was practically completed. I spent a week or two going through every review problem my textbook had and that way solidified my Calc AB knowledge. </p>
<p>Calculus BC was completed slowly. I spent lots of time on each topic, brushing up on hard topics with online videos. I was also distracted by other AP tests for several weeks, and felt like I needed a break from math. So, in theory, the entire course could’ve taken less than 3 months! </p>
<p>Around the time that I was learning infinite series, I began doing practice tests. FRQs are on CB’s website, and 1 full released exam can be found by googling ): <a href=“http://ap-calculus-bc.sbsd.sbhs.schoolfusion.us/modules/locker/files/get_group_file.phtml?gid=1955828&fid=7592975[/url]”>http://ap-calculus-bc.sbsd.sbhs.schoolfusion.us/modules/locker/files/get_group_file.phtml?gid=1955828&fid=7592975</a></p>
<p>All in all, undertaking AP Calculus BC is a very worthwhile endeavor, especially if you will need it later in life. My case is probably different from your’s; my school doesn’t offer Calc BC. This course should not seem daunting to any self-studier; embrace it and work through it steadily.</p>
<p>Again, thank you very much Equilibrium. Your post gave me the confidence to tackle AP Calculus BC!</p>
<p>Congrats, I’m glad that self-studying went well! Thanks also for your advice / feedback on the process! :)</p>
<p>Hope the exam went well for all your self-studiers 
I’m just bumping this in case anyone else is interested in self-studying!</p>
<p>It’s too bad, Calc BC scores will lower this year. It’s like that 5% drop in 5’s went all to an increase in 1’s and 3’s. 4’s stayed the same. Makes sense, if you took the BC exam with just a working knowledge of AB and not much BC, you would earn a 3.</p>