# AP Precalculus tutor: live classes, unit by unit

Source: https://tutix.ai/programs/ap-precalculus  
Updated: 2026-10-21

**The short answer.** AP Precalculus on Tutix is a ready-made series of live classes with an AI tutor. It covers all 4 units and 58 topics, in five levels from 5 hours to the full 52. It ends with 2 full practice papers (46 questions each). You can start on the free plan.

- Follows the College Board AP course description
- 4 units and 58 topics, taught in 15-minute lessons
- Five levels, 5 to 52 hours of teaching
- 2 full practice papers, 66 marks each
- Starts on the free plan (45 live minutes a month)

## What AP Precalculus covers

The program develops students’ understanding of functions and their representations, rates of change, and mathematical modeling. It also covers exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, polar, parametric, vector, and matrix concepts.

AP Precalculus is a College Board course on polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric and polar functions, and on functions involving parameters, vectors and matrices. The exam assesses the first three units; the fourth is taught but not assessed.

### Unit 1: Polynomial and Rational Functions (30–40%)

Topics: Change in Tandem; Rates of Change; Rates of Change in Linear and Quadratic Functions; Polynomial Functions and Rates of Change; Polynomial Functions and Complex Zeros; Polynomial Functions and End Behavior; Rational Functions and End Behavior; Rational Functions and Zeros; Rational Functions and Vertical Asymptotes; Rational Functions and Holes; Equivalent Representations of Polynomial and Rational Expressions; Transformations of Functions; Function Model Selection and Assumption Articulation; Function Model Construction and Application.

### Unit 2: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions (25–40%)

Topics: Change in Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences; Change in Linear and Exponential Functions; Exponential Functions; Exponential Function Manipulation; Exponential Function Context and Data Modeling; Competing Function Model Validation; Composition of Functions; Inverse Functions; Logarithmic Expressions; Inverses of Exponential Functions; Logarithmic Functions; Logarithmic Function Manipulation; Exponential and Logarithmic Equations and Inequalities; Logarithmic Function Context and Data Modeling; Semi-log Plots.

### Unit 3: Trigonometric and Polar Functions (30–35%)

Topics: Periodic Phenomena; Sine, Cosine, and Tangent; Sine and Cosine Function Values; Sine and Cosine Function Graphs; Sinusoidal Functions; Sinusoidal Function Transformations; Sinusoidal Function Context and Data Modeling; The Tangent Function; Inverse Trigonometric Functions; Trigonometric Equations and Inequalities; The Secant, Cosecant, and Cotangent Functions; Equivalent Representations of Trigonometric Functions; Trigonometry and Polar Coordinates; Polar Function Graphs; Rates of Change in Polar Functions.

### Unit 4: Functions Involving Parameters, Vectors, and Matrices

Topics: Parametric Functions; Parametric Functions Modeling Planar Motion; Parametric Functions and Rates of Change; Parametrically Defined Circles and Lines; Implicitly Defined Functions; Conic Sections; Parametrization of Implicitly Defined Functions; Vectors; Vector-Valued Functions; Matrices; The Inverse and Determinant of a Matrix; Linear Transformations and Matrices; Matrices as Functions; Matrices Modeling Contexts.

## A class in AP Precalculus, opened

Every class works like this. The tutor asks, you answer in your own words, and it reads what you wrote while you are still in the room, then tells you what is missing and asks you to try again.

A class, opened. A sample written to show how a class sounds (not a real learner); the scores show how the exam would credit each answer.

> **Unit 3 · Sinusoidal functions.** Question: State the period of y = 3 sin(2x).
> The student wrote: 2 (the exam would credit 0 of 1)
> The tutor: Put a finger on one full cycle. The 2 tells you how many cycles fit in 2π, so the length of one cycle is 2π divided by 2.
> The student then wrote: π (the exam would credit 1 of 1)

## How the AP Precalculus exam is built

The 2027 exam is on Tuesday, May 11, in the morning session. It has 42 multiple-choice questions in 105 minutes (62.5% of the score) and 4 free-response questions of 6 points each in 70 minutes (37.5%). A graphing calculator is required for part of each section.

| Exam section | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Multiple choice, no calculator | 29 questions · 65 min · 44% of the score; No calculator |
| Multiple choice, graphing calculator | 13 questions · 40 min · 19% of the score; Calculator |
| Free response, graphing calculator | 2 questions · 35 min · 19% of the score; Calculator |
| Free response, no calculator | 2 questions · 35 min · 19% of the score; No calculator |

## How students score on AP Precalculus

How students scored in 2026 (share of students at each AP score):

| Score | Share of students |
| --- | --- |
| 5 | 29% |
| 4 | 29% |
| 3 | 24% |
| 2 | 11% |
| 1 | 7% |

The share of students scoring 3 or higher on AP Precalculus was 75.6% in 2024, the first year the College Board's tables list it, and 82% in 2026. The College Board reviews each exam's score standards every five to ten years, so a change from one year to the next can reflect a new standard as well as how students did. AP pass rates for every exam shows the whole table.

| Year | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 or higher | Students | Mean score |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 | 29% | 29% | 24% | 11% | 7% | 82% | n/a | n/a |
| 2025 | 28.1% | 25.8% | 26.8% | 11.2% | 8.0% | 80.8% | 253,596 | 3.55 |
| 2024 | 25.9% | 23.9% | 25.9% | 14.6% | 9.8% | 75.6% | 184,394 | 3.42 |

## How long does AP Precalculus take?

Every level covers the whole syllabus. A deeper level only adds classes, so you can go deeper later and keep everything you have done. Hours are hours of teaching, counted in classes of 45 or 60 minutes.

| Level | Hours | Classes of 45 min |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Short | 5 | 7 |
| Standard | 26.2 | 35 |
| In depth | 38.8 | 52 |
| Extended | 49.5 | 66 |
| Full syllabus | 52 | 70 |

The Programs page draws AP Precalculus beside the other eleven programs on one hours scale, with what a pass costs at each level.

## Questions

**How many hours of teaching does AP Precalculus take on Tutix?**

The Standard level takes 26.2 hours: 35 classes of 45 minutes, or 27 of 60. The Full syllabus level takes 52 hours (70 classes of 45 minutes). The Short level is 5 hours. Every level covers the whole syllabus; deeper levels add classes.

**What does the AP Precalculus exam look like?**

As the board publishes it, the exam has these parts: Multiple choice, no calculator (29 questions, 65 minutes); Multiple choice, graphing calculator (13 questions, 40 minutes); Free response, graphing calculator (2 questions, 35 minutes); Free response, no calculator (2 questions, 35 minutes). Check your board's current specification for the exact format of the year you sit it.

**Which AP Precalculus units carry the most weight?**

The heaviest units are Polynomial and Rational Functions (30–40%); Exponential and Logarithmic Functions (25–40%); Trigonometric and Polar Functions (30–35%), measured as a share of the multiple-choice section.

**Are there practice papers for AP Precalculus?**

Yes. The Full syllabus level includes 2 full practice papers written for Tutix in the style of the real exam (46 questions and 66 marks each). You can sit them as long homework, and a class can go over them afterwards.

**Is this an official College Board AP course?**

No. Tutix is not affiliated with College Board and its AP Precalculus classes are not endorsed by College Board. The lessons and questions are Tutix's own, prepared to follow the published AP Precalculus course description, and the real exam is set and marked by College Board.

**Can I try AP Precalculus for free?**

Yes. The Free plan includes 45 live class minutes a month, about one class of the default length, and no card is needed. Pro is $15 a month for 360 live minutes (6 hours), and Pro+ is $30 a month for 900 live minutes.

**Is the AP Precalculus tutor a person?**

No. The tutor is an AI. It talks with you in real time, teaches on a whiteboard, reads your answers and remembers what each earlier class covered. A parent can set up a child's classes and choose to get a recap after each one.

**When is the AP Precalculus exam in 2027?**

AP Precalculus is on Tuesday, May 11, 2027, in the morning session. The 2027 AP exam window runs from May 3 to May 7 and from May 10 to May 14, set by the College Board.

**What is a good AP Precalculus score?**

The College Board calls a 5 extremely well qualified, a 4 very well qualified and a 3 qualified. In 2026, 82% of students who sat AP Precalculus scored 3 or higher. What counts as good for you depends on the colleges you are aiming at.

**Does AP Precalculus count for college credit?**

It depends on the college. The College Board says many US colleges grant credit or advanced placement for scores of 3 and above, and that each college makes its own decisions about which scores it accepts. Check each college's credit policy before you rely on a score.

## Sources

- College Board: [AP Precalculus: the exam](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-precalculus/exam) (accessed October 21, 2026)
- College Board: [AP Precalculus: the course](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-precalculus) (accessed October 21, 2026)
- College Board: [AP exam dates](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/exam-administration-ordering-scores/exam-dates) (accessed October 21, 2026)
- College Board: [AP score distributions, 2026](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/about-ap-scores/score-distributions) (2026 results)
- College Board: [The AP score scale](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/about-ap-scores/ap-score-scale-table) (accessed October 21, 2026)
- College Board: [Getting credit and placement](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/getting-credit-placement) (accessed October 21, 2026)
- College Board: [AP score distributions, by year (2021 to 2026)](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/about-ap-scores/score-distributions) (2021 to 2026 results)

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