The AP exam is a standardized test that is taken by high school students in the United States. The exam is designed to assess students’ knowledge and skills in a particular subject area. There are 38 different AP exams, each of which covers a different subject.
Some AP exams allow students to use calculators, while others do not. The following sections provide a breakdown of which AP exams allow calculators and which do not.
AP Exams That Allow Calculators
The following AP exams allow students to use calculators:
- AP Biology
- AP Chemistry
- AP Computer Science A
- AP Computer Science Principles
- AP Economics (both Macroeconomics and Microeconomics)
- AP Environmental Science
- AP Physics 1
- AP Physics 2
- AP Physics C (both Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism)
- AP Psychology
- AP Statistics
AP Exams That Do Not Allow Calculators
The following AP exams do not allow students to use calculators:
- AP Art History
- AP Chinese Language and Culture
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP English Literature and Composition
- AP French Language and Culture
- AP German Language and Culture
- AP Government and Politics (Comparative, U.S., and European)
- AP History (Art History, Comparative Government and Politics, European History, Human Geography, United States Government and Politics, United States History, World History)
- AP Latin
- AP Music Theory
- AP Spanish Language and Culture
- AP Studio Art
- AP World Languages and Cultures (all languages)
Types of Calculators Allowed on the AP Exam
The type of calculator that is allowed on the AP exam depends on the subject of the exam. For most exams, students are allowed to use any calculator that is approved by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). However, there are some exams that have specific calculator requirements.
For example, the AP Computer Science A exam requires students to use a graphing calculator. The AP Physics 1 and 2 exams require students to use a scientific calculator. And the AP Statistics exam requires students to use a graphing calculator that is capable of performing statistical calculations.
Tips for Using a Calculator on the AP Exam
Here are some tips for using a calculator on the AP exam:
- Make sure that your calculator is approved by the NCTM.
- Familiarize yourself with the functions of your calculator.
- Practice using your calculator to solve problems that are similar to the ones that you will see on the AP exam.
- Use your calculator wisely. Don’t rely on your calculator to do all of the work for you.
- Check your answers carefully. Make sure that you have entered the correct numbers and that you have interpreted the results correctly.
Benefits of Using a Calculator on the AP Exam
There are many benefits to using a calculator on the AP exam. Calculators can help you to:
- Save time. Calculators can perform complex calculations quickly and accurately. This can free up your time to focus on other aspects of the exam.
- Improve your accuracy. Calculators can help you to avoid making mistakes in your calculations.
- Solve problems that would be difficult or impossible to solve without a calculator. Calculators can be used to solve a wide variety of problems, including those that involve complex equations, graphs, and statistics.
Conclusion
Calculators can be a valuable tool on the AP exam. By following the tips in this article, you can use your calculator to your advantage and improve your score.
