Reply to AP Precalculus vs Honors Precalculus

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Honors Pre Calc prepares you for AP Calc BC (though many will still take AB).  Is AP Pre Calc designed to prepare for AB or BC? I wonder if Honors might be the more rigorous class?[/quote]

As per the College Board, “This course is not a prerequisite for and does not have to be followed by AP Calculus AB or BC.” 
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-precalculus/about-ap-precalculus

AP Precalculus was primarily designed for students taking 9th grade Algebra 1 so they have certification of their math skills when they go to college. In its description of AP Precalc, the College Board emphasizes themes that are popular right now in reform math circles, namely teaching math through modeling applications to real world problems. This approach is meant to appeal to students who might otherwise not be interested in math and prepare them for a wide-range of careers, not just STEM. "In this course, students study a broad spectrum of function types that are foundational for careers in mathematics, physics, biology, health science, social science, and data science. Furthermore, as AP Precalculus may be the last mathematics course of a student’s secondary education, the course is structured to provide a coherent capstone experience and is not exclusively focused on preparation for future courses." College Board notes that technology should be used throughout the course although they still want students to be able to do some calculations by hand. AP Precalc does not list logs or any trig beyond right triangles as a prerequisite to make it accessible to more students. 
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-precalculus-proposed-course-framework.pdf

Since AP Precalc was not designed as a preparatory course for AB or BC calculus, it seems unlikely to be as rigorous as Precalculus courses that are designed to prepare students for high school calculus. Of course, districts have leeway in how they craft courses and could add additional content if desired. [/quote]

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