Reply to AP Calculus AB or BC

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[quote=pettifogger]Lots of misinformation in this thread:

- There is only one precalculus class from the college board, it's called 'AP precalculus', (not 'AP Precalculus AB' or 'AP Precalculus BC').
- It is not necessary to learn any calculus topics such as limits, prior to taking a calculus class (calc AB or BC).
- I haven't seen evidence to the claim that Calculus BC covers 50% more topics than Calculus AB.

The traditional advice is still valid:

1) Students should have a strong understanding of algebra, functions, and trigonometry (as equivalent to what is taught in an honors precalculus course) to be prepared for Calculus BC. It is not necessary to learn any calculus topics, as Calculus BC covers calculus from the beginning.

2) Students who do not feel comfortable with the faster pace of Calculus BC, or who do not feel they have a strong understanding of the fundamentals (algebra, functions, and trigonometry), would be better off taking Calculus AB.

Regarding the recent trend of taking two years of calculus, i.e Calc AB followed by Calc BC, it is unnecessary for most students, mainly because much of Calculus BC [b]is a repeat of AB.[/b] If this trend is popular now, it is likely because more students are unprepared for a calculus class but are accelerated enough in their math course sequence that they have the time to take both in two years while not having any other suitable math choices in the second (senior) year.

Another contributing factor is that Calculus AB is no longer perceived as competitive for STEM majors, which puts pressure on students to take BC, if they can. I don't think this is absolutely necessary for most colleges, but I can see the logic of it in today's more competitive environment with regards to top colleges.
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