Score Higher on AP Pre-Calculus 2024: MCQ Tips from Students

Multiple Choice Questions

This guide organizes advice from past students who got 4s and 5s on their exams. We hope it gives you some new ideas and tools for your study sessions. But remember, everyone's different—what works for one student might not work for you. If you've got a study method that's doing the trick, stick with it. Think of this as extra help, not a must-do overhaul.

📌 Overview

• 62.5% of Exam Score total
• Multiple Choice Sections
  • Part A: No calculator is permitted
    • 28 questions in 80 minutes (less than 3 mins per question)
    • 43.75% of exam score
  • Part B: Graphing calculator required
    • 12 questions in 40 minutes (3⅓ minutes per question
    • 18.75% of exam score
    • Graphing calculator mandatory for Part B

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💭 General Advice

Tips on mindset, strategy, structure, time management, and any other high level things to know:

• Get a good night's sleep the day before the test. Don’t bother studying to cram the night before—you’ll simply stress yourself out more. Just relax and know that you have all of the information in your head already!
• When you read a question, take a minute to realize which unit/concepts are being asked of you to analyze. I know it sounds obvious but it helps shift how you look at the question whenever you’re stumped. For example, when you see a sinusoidal graph, make sure to start thinking about what aspects of sinusoidal functions you are being asked to analyze. It could be the amplitude, period, etc.
• Practice with the timing so that it doesn’t catch up to you on the exam. Bring a watch and make sure you reach checkpoints at a consistent pace; leave about 5-10 minutes of reviewing time at the end.
• Practice a lot without your calculator! A lot of problems are actually easier without a calculator once you get used to not having it. Build your confidence and number sense by practicing lots of MCQ with no calculator.

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🫧 Before you Bubble

What should a student do in the first few minutes, before they start answering?

• Take a deep breath and read all of the answer choices before you answer. Two choices could sound quite similar but only one will be right!
• Ask, “is this answer a stretch? Am I guessing to get it done quicker?”. If you have doubts about a question, mark it for review and come back to it! Some questions down the line might refresh your memory…this is why leaving review time is important!
• Try solving the problem on scratch paper before looking at the answers so that they don’t influence your intuition.
• If you’re unsure about the answer, you can plug in the multiple-choice options to check your answer. This can serve as a solid secondary strategy when you’re not quite sure how to approach something.

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🤔 Choosing the Best Answer

• When you’ve narrowed down to two answer options, there might be an option where most of the option is right but there is a part of it that doesn’t sound right. A certain choice of words or a certain phrase can end up being the major difference between the right answer and the trick answer option. So read each option very carefully for any trick words or phrases.
  • For example, you’ve narrowed your choices down to where they say a particular “sine function starts at 0” and another choice is that “all sine functions start at 0.” The word “all” can mean an entirely different thing, making the latter statement wrong. This can apply to MCQs of any subject.
• While studying beforehand, make a list of your mistakes and most importantly, WHY you made them. This way, you learn how to correct them and you remember the ways you tend to make mistakes. While choosing the best answer, if torn, refer back to your “be careful of” list to make sure you’re still on the right track.
• Eliminate obviously incorrect answers first—this only increases your odds of getting it correct (even if you ultimately have to guess).
• Sometimes the best answer is an answer. Points are not deducted on AP exams for incorrect answers—it’s in your best interest to bubble something, even if it’s a total guess.

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🧮 Using Your Calculator

• Know the tips and tricks of your calculator and how to use certain functions prior to the exam. This will save you time in the long run!
• When you are completely lost on a calculator question, don’t hesitate to just test each answer option manually. Use this as a last resort because it can take up time but it can help guide you towards a final decision.
• If you have time, graphing to visualize equations/problems can be very helpful! Inputting functions/formulas beforehand can spark your memory and gives you confidence in the accuracy of your work.
• Two simple things that you might overlook: make sure your calculator is charged/has fresh batteries and pack extra batteries on the day of the exam.
• Try to use your calculator to check your work rather than do it for you. It can be easy to make a simple error when typing something in on your calculator, but if you rely more on your number sense and knowledge of pre-calc, you’re more likely to catch those mistakes.