Why is it that I can teach myself third-year-college-level math, but not pass an AP Calculus test?
I mean, I KNOW the material. I just am a horrible test taker. And... and... I'd rather teach myself topology!
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33person
I think has everything to do with test taking and noting to do with math. You can get better - just make educated guesses of ways to improve. When something doesn't work for you, move on. When something does, then no matter what it is, do it.
TetrisGuy · 26-30, M
I do perfectly fine on Multiple Choice. It's the free response that gets to me :S
33person
Maybe look at some old AP free-response questions. There usually aren't problems in the calc book that do a good job preparing for free-response on AP exams, so you have to look elsewhere. They just ask the questions from a different angle. Sometimes you might find where they even have the solutions, so you can use those to guide you. Good luck!
TetrisGuy · 26-30, M
I wonder why they haven't given us any practice ones so far...
33person
I can't judge; I can only speak from my experience. Part of the reason might be because a lot of these problems require knowledge on almost all of AP calc AB with cumulative, connected strategy. In other words, you might know enough to solve parts a, c, and d, but part b requires stuff from a later lesson. It's that way in calculus, and it's even more that way with physics and chemistry. The problems in the book tell you what to calculate, but the AP free-response questions make you figure you what to calculate.