Award-Winning AP Calculus AB Tutors

Varsity Tutors can help you provide your student with the educational support they need by connecting you with a skilled AP Calculus AB tutors. The academic needs of your student will dictate how each session is designed. Whether they need weekly review sessions or targeted test prep, working with a personal instructor can give them the guidance they need to work towards their academic goals. Keep reading to learn more about what is covered in AP Calculus AB and how Varsity Tutors can help you give your student the assistance they need to navigate this challenging class.

What is AP Calculus AB?

AP Calculus AB is similar in composition to a college course. Your student will study a variety of calculus topics related to differential and integral calculus. Some of the specific concepts covered as part of this class include the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, definite integrals, and derivatives. Students are encouraged to use their understanding of these and related concepts with the assistance of technology to solve problems.

Before enrolling in an AP Calculus AB course, your student would first need to have completed four years of university-level math classes such as trigonometry, algebra, and geometry. They'd also need to have a firm grasp of the languages and properties of different functions. Finally, students must be familiar with the Mathematical Practices for AP Calculus (MPACs). These are math tools that are necessary for one to understand calculus. If your student was lacking academic mastery in any of these areas despite having successfully completed individual courses, AP Calculus AB tutors could help them work on these prerequisite skills in tandem with their AP Calculus AB material to help them gain the foundational knowledge necessary to understand their current assignments fully.

Some of the MPACs a private instructor could explore with your student include connecting concepts, building notational fluency, reasoning with definitions and theorems, connecting multiple representations, communicating, and implementing algebraic or computational processes.

Many parents and high school academic advisors encourage students to take AP classes because it gives them the potential of earning college credits without investing in additional college courses. It can be an excellent way for your student to get a jump start on their college education. However, they will need to successfully navigate the AP Calculus AB final exam to be eligible for college credits.

Can AP Calculus AB tutoring help my student prepare for a test?

Students have 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete both sections of the AP Calculus AB exam. However, it is important to note that students have additional time restrictions within the individual sections of the exam.

In Section I of the AP Calculus AB exam there are two different parts. For Part A, students have 60 minutes to answer 30 questions. During this portion of the exam, a graphing calculator is not allowed. For Part B, students have 45 minutes to answer 15 questions. They will be required to use a graphing calculator as they work through the items in Part B. The combined parts of Section I are worth 50 percent of the exam score.

Section II of the AP Calculus AB test also has two parts. During Part A, your student will have 30 minutes to answer 2 questions. This portion of the test requires a graphing calculator. Part B gives students 60 minutes to answer only four questions. However, a graphing calculator is not allowed.

Students can receive a score of between 1 and 5 on their AP Calculus AB exam, with 5 being the highest score possible and 1 the lowest.

As mentioned previously, students have the potential to earn college credits depending on the score they receive for their final exam. The minimum score they must earn to gain college credits is based on the school they wish to have the credit applied. Many top schools require students to earn a 5 to have college credits applied for AP Calculus AB. Most schools require a 3 or a 4, but it is best to check with any schools your student is interested in attending to get the most up to date requirements.

Unfortunately, around 40 percent of students score a 1 or a 2 on this exam. This means that even if your student finished all of the assigned work, did well on tests throughout the course, and have a good grasp of the material, they may not score well enough to receive college credit for their work. This can cause even the most confident testers to feel nervous about their upcoming final exam in AP Calculus AB. Only around 20 percent of students earn a 5, and another 40 percent make either a 3 or a 4.

With so much riding on the results of this one high-stakes exam, it makes sense to want your student to work with a private AP Calculus AB tutor who can help them maximize their preparation efforts. In addition to reviewing specific concepts and skills covered in the course, a private instructor can also work with your student on developing their test-taking skills.

Successfully navigating an AP exam has as much to do with how you take the test as it does with knowing the subject area content on which the test is based. Your student will need to be good at managing their time if they are to complete each portion of the test within the limited time allowed. They will also need to be able to complete problems with and without a calculator as needed. A private AP Calculus AB instructor can help your child work on developing all of these skills.

How is working with an AP Calculus AB tutor different from being in a classroom?

Classrooms are considerably different from working with a private instructor. AP teachers are required to work through a strictly regimented curriculum within a tight time frame. Because the course has the option of serving for college credit, the course itself is run more like a college class than one for high school students. This means if your student is missing critical information or is struggling with a new concept that the classroom teacher may not have the time to help them personally to the extent they require. When you have your student work with a private instructor, on the other hand, every session will be tailored to meet the academic needs of your student.

A private instructor can take the time to get to know your student. They can discover a student's learning style, academic weaknesses, academic strengths, and learning goals. With this information, tutors can create individualized lesson plans that help students tackle the most critical issues first so they can move forward with their studies with greater confidence.

Whether your student needs help brushing up on concepts from previous courses or they need ongoing support to help them stay on track with their current lessons, private tutoring can provide the academic guidance and support they need.

How can I get my student started with AP Calculus AB tutoring?

Varsity Tutors can help you quickly connect with skilled AP Calculus AB tutors who can work with your student in person or in a digital learning environment. Both of these learning environments give your student the educational support described previously. The only substantive difference between them is the type of scheduling flexibility each offers.

Many parents think tutoring can only be effective in person, so they spend a lot of time looking for a local instructor who can help their student. AP courses all require not only subject area mastery but also an understanding of the format of the test. Finding an instructor with both of these skills nearby can be difficult. Even when there are local instructors are available, they can be quite popular and may have limited availability.

By considering AP Calculus AB tutors who live in other locations, you expand your pool of candidates. Your student will meet with their personal instructor via our Live Learning Platform. This allows the student and teacher to talk face-to-face, just like they were sitting across from one another. During their lessons, your student will be able to see and hear their tutor, and they can ask questions and receive answers and feedback on their work in real time. Since instructors are located throughout the country in various time zones, it is often easier to find session times that are convenient for both you and your student.

There is no need to spend hours searching for private instructors who you will then need to interview. Instead, you can just contact the experienced staff at Varsity Tutors to be connected to a skilled AP Calculus AB tutor easily. If you've been looking for a way to provide your student with the educational support they need to get the most out of their study efforts, professional AP Calculus AB tutoring is one of the best solutions you can find. Contact Varsity Tutors to learn more and get started now.