Before AP Calculus: five skills worth checking

Why a course grade is only one signal

College Board recommends prior study of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry, and elementary functions for AP Calculus. Students need to use those ideas together, not merely recognize them in a familiar chapter.

An ACT study of 2017–2021 cohorts found that average high-school GPA rose while average ACT scores edged down, and that high-school GPA became a less consistent predictor of first-year college GPA after the pandemic began. This is evidence of a broad measurement problem, not proof of grade inflation at any particular school or for any particular student. Families can keep the grade in view while also checking independent work.

What one AP Calculus lesson revealed

In an anonymized October 2026 AP Calculus AB lesson, the derivative rule was short, but the student needed to rewrite a radical as a fractional power, use exponent rules, and simplify accurately. Trigonometry, including radians and the unit circle, also needed review for current AB work. The lesson notes do not establish a test score, an accuracy rate, or the cause of the gaps.

The student said that information could be looked up on Google during an earlier online precalculus course. The notes do not say whether that was permitted on exams, and they do not establish that the course was taken during the pandemic. Online access can support learning; the practical question is whether a student can retrieve and apply the idea independently when a new calculus problem requires it.

Five skills to check before the first unit

This is a practical pre-course check. The separate guide on math foundation gaps explains the broader pattern; here, use a fresh question in each area and ask the student to write and explain the work. One error can be a slip; repeated difficulty across new questions is more useful information.

• Algebra: ask the student to simplify $\frac{x^2-9}{x-3}$ and explain why $x=3$ remains excluded. Also check whether they can rewrite a radical with a fractional exponent.
• Functions: give a new graph and ask for its domain, intercepts, and where it increases; then ask how the graph supports those answers.
• Trigonometry: ask for $\sin(\pi/6)$ and $\cos(\pi)$, then have the student locate the angles on a unit circle and explain the values.
• Reasoning: present a worked solution with an invalid cancellation or sign change and ask the student to identify and correct the exact step.
• Independent transfer: after reviewing one missed idea, give a different problem that uses it. Notice whether the student can start and finish without prompts or an answer key.

Check before school starts; make time for repair if class is underway

Before school starts, families can bring recent precalculus work to me for a focused skill check. We can identify weak prerequisites and begin targeted repair before the AP Calculus pace takes over.

If the difficulty becomes visible after class has started, the student will need additional time for prerequisite repair alongside current assignments. In the anonymized lesson, that meant revisiting exponent rules, radicals, radians, and unit-circle knowledge while continuing AB work. The amount of time depends on independent practice and what later questions show; this checklist cannot predict an AP exam result or decide between AB and BC.