AP^® Precalculus Manual

The College Board has introduced a new course - AP Precalculus, which will begin in the Fall of 2023. The goal of this course is not to gain college credits. Rather, it is to be sure that students (who most likely are not taking AP Calculus) have the requisite skills needed for a college level calculus course. Details about the thinking behind this new Advanced Placement precalculus course can be found at the College Board Website.

Once this course was announced, I decided to create a precalculus manual similar to the one that has been successful for AP Calculus, both AB and BC. This necessitated taking a long, hard look at the proposed curriculum which is somewhat different than traditional precalculus courses. This new course emphasizes rate of change, use of technology, and modeling. And, it begins to use calculus terms without actually doing calculus.

AP Precalc versus Traditional Precalc

Rather than try and explain the differences here in this space, I urge you to download the "Why AP Precalculus?" document that will explain the curriculum, the areas in which it mirrors traditional precalculus courses and where it differs. Please note that while some of the material from my (non-AP) precalculus manual was used in this new work, it has been thoroughly updated and enhanced to reflect this new course and its perspective. About 30% of it is brand new and so this precalculus manual is an up-to-date, next-generation document in compliance with the Advanced Placement standards.

Advanced Placement® Compliant

The AP Precalculus manual was constructed similar to the AP Calculus manuals: a classwork section that teachers will use to show examples, and then a homework section which mirrors the types of problems seen in classwork. There are three units in the course with the fourth optional as it is not tested on the AP exam. All four units are included in this manual:

1. Polynomial and Rational Functions

2. Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

3. Trigonometric and Polar Functions

4. Functions Involving Parameters, Vectors, and Matrices

(not tested on AP exam)

Like most material that comes from outside sources, the College Board does not endorse this material. However, all of the topics that are taught in the AP Precalculus manual are coupled with the AP^® learning objectives that are enumerated in the AP Precalculus Course Framework.

Download for free

As are most MasterMathMentor materials, you can purchase the student version in PDF form FREE OF CHARGE. Each is about 8 megabytes. Links are below.

Solution Options

You can download the solution version. This version is an exact duplicate of the student version except that the space given for students to complete work are filled in with the solution ... not just the answer!). Solutions are available as a web download as well as on a flash drive.

Teachers who purchased the traditional precalculus manual after 2020 can receive a $25 discount in the price of either solution version. Email me first at team@mastermathmentor.com to ensure you are in our records.

Get the AP Precalculus Solutions

All AP Precalculus Solutions

Web Download Version

This purchase will provide you with the AP Precalculus Solutions as downloadable PDF files.

Only $99.95 (contains the entire course)

All AP Precalculus Solutions

Flash drive Version

This purchase will provide you with the AP Precalculus Solutions on a 2-gigabyte flash drive. Included is the student version.

Only $114.95 plus $8.00 shipping.

Free Student Version

Date of last upload is given which also affects the solutions.

Cover and Table of Contents (double-click to download)

Unit 1: Polynomial and Rational Functions

# Topic (double-click to download) Pages Latest

upload

1a	1.1 1.2 1.3	Functions and Graph Behavior Rates of Change Change in Linear & Quadratic Functions	20	9/14/23
1b	1.4 1.5 1.6	Polynomials Polynomials and Their Zeros End Behavior	23	10/17/23
1c	1.7 1.8 1.9	Polynomial Modeling Rational Functions Rewriting Expressions	29	10/6/23
1d	1.10 1.11 1.12	Polynomial & Rational Inequalities Transformations Rational Function Modeling	16	10/19/23

Unit 2: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions

# Topic (double-click to download) Pages Latest

upload

2a

2.1

2.2

2.3

Arithmetic Sequences

Geometric Sequences

Exponential Functions

20

11/7/23

2b

2.4

2.5

2.6

Composition of Functions

Inverses

Logarithms

19

12/1/23

2c

2.7

2.8

2.9

2.10

Properties of Logarithms

Exponential Models

Regression

Semi-Log Plots

41

11/7/23

Unit 3: Trigonometric and Polar Functions

# Topic (double-click to download) Pages Latest

upload

3a	3.1 3.2	Radian and Degree Measurement The Trigonometric Functions	23	10/12/23
3b	3.3 3.4	Using Trigonometric Functions Graphs of Trigonometric Functions	37	1/6/24
3c	3.5 3.6	Analytic Trigonometry Solving Oblique Triangles	37	8/25/23
3d	3.7 3.8	Trig and Polar Coordinates Polar Graphs	19	8/27/23

Unit 4: Functions Involving Parameters, Vectors & Matrices

# Topic (double-click to download) Pages Latest

upload

4a	4.1	Parametric Functions	14	9/3/23
4b	4.2	The Conic Sections	17	2/10/23
4c	4.3	Vectors	10	8/1/23
4d	4.4 4.5	Matrices and Notation Matrix Operations	24	2/10/23
4e	4.6 4.7	Linear Transformations and Matrices Matrix Applications	17	9/3/23

Get the AP Precalculus Solutions

AP Precalculus Solutions

Web Download Version

This purchase will provide you with the AP Precalculus Solutions as downloadable PDF files.

Only $99.95 (contains the entire course)

AP Precalculus Solutions

Flash drive Version

This purchase will provide you with the AP Precalculus Solutions on a 2-gigabyte flash drive. Included is the student version.

Only $114.95 plus $8.00 shipping.

Purchase all AP Precalculus Products

AP Precalc Manual Solutions, AP Precalc Exams and Quizzes Solutions,

AP Precalc Diving In Solutions, Sample AP Exams Solutions

AP Precalculus Solutions

Web Download Version

This purchase will provide you with the Manual Solutions, Exams Solutions, Diving-In Solutions, and Sample AP Exam Solutions as downloadable PDF files.

Only $229.95

AP Precalculus Solutions

Flash Drive Version

This purchase will provide you with the Manual Solutions, Exams Solutions, Diving-In Solutions, and Sample AP Exam Solutions on a 2-gigabyte flash drive. Included are the student versions.

Only $239.95 plus $8.00 shipping.

If you have questions about the curriculum, Contact Us

Course Outline: AP Precalculus topics, detailed structure