Full course description
Course Description
AP® Precalculus A is the first semester in a two-semester series that will be your bridge to advanced mathematics courses such as college Calculus or AP® Calculus. As you explore polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions, you’ll find out how equations become art and describe the world around us. In AP® Precalculus A, you will learn what is needed to enter exciting fields such as medicine, pharmaceutical engineering, forensic sciences, economics, mechanical engineering, structural engineering, and computer software engineering. This is an online course that will assume mastery of concepts in Algebra II and Geometry. As part of this course, students are expected to watch explanation videos, take notes on key concepts, solve practice problems, and analyze and correct errors.
About AP® Courses
Advanced Placement® (AP) courses are equivalent to college-level courses. We highly recommend that you review the College Board’s AP Calculus AB Course Information page before beginning this course. Students are required to take the UTHS final exam for each semester course to earn high school credit. Students wanting to earn college credit may take the AP® exam offered by the College Board after completing the semester B course; however, it is not required to receive credit for the course from UT High School.
Semester Topics
- Unit 1: Polynomial and Rational Functions
- Unit 2: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Course Objectives
Upon completing this course, you will be able to—
- compare the rates of change at two points using average rates of change near the points;
- determine the average rates of change for sequences and functions, including linear, quadratic, and other function types; and
- determine the change in the average rates of change for linear, quadratic, and other function types.
- express sequences found in mathematical and contextual scenarios as functions of the whole numbers;
- construct linear, quadratic, and exponential models based on a data set;
- evaluate the composition of two or more functions for given values;
- rewrite a given function as a composition of two or more functions.
- identify key characteristics of a polynomial function related to its zeros when suitable factorizations are available or with technology; and
- determine if a polynomial function is even or odd.
Required Course Materials
Please visit the Computer Requirements page to view minimum device, internet, and application requirements for all UT High School courses. Generally, a desktop or laptop device five (5) years or newer with access to an office suite, such as Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, will be adequate to participate in most UTHS courses.
Unless otherwise noted, students are responsible for purchasing or securing all the following course materials:
- Textbook (Free Resource): Precalculus 2e by Jay Abramson, Valeree Falduto, et al.
- Interactive Notebook: A paper or digital composition book is acceptable. For paper composition books, please also have the following items on hand:
- Pens or Pencils
- Tape or Glue
- Graphing Calculator: A TI-84 is recommended for all UTHS math courses. Please review the UTHS Graphing Calculator Policy before purchasing a device.
Course Organization
Students must complete the course in sequence: You will not be able to access the next unit until all work in the preceding unit is completed. You may take your final exam only after completing all units and submitting all graded assignments.
- Units: Each unit includes multiple lessons and graded assignments as well as ungraded practice quizzes to help you check your understanding of the material.
- Summative Assessments: Each course includes two online, virtually proctored summative assessments testing your understanding of the material presented in the preceding 2-3 Units.
- Format: Online, Multiple-choice
- Time Allowed: 1 hr 30 min
- Final Exam: Each course includes an online, virtually proctored final exam testing your knowledge of all material presented in the course.
- Format: Online, Multiple-choice
- Time Allowed: 3 hrs 20 min
Course Grade Weighting
Your final course grade is calculated by weighting the three assignment groups displayed in the table below:
| Assignment Group | Total Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Graded Assignments | 12-18 | 50% |
| Summative Assessments | 2 | 25% |
| Final Exam | 1 | 25% |
Online Proctored Exams
All course exams, including both summative assessments and the final exam, must be completed online. Students must test online with Proctorio and are required to add the Proctorio extension to either their Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome browser—installation instructions are provided in the student's course. Proctorio uses a student's computer, web camera, and microphone to record video of both the student and their desktop during the exam. Then, UTHS instructors review the student's exam video data collected by Proctorio. Only authorized UTHS staff and instructors can view the exam recordings. Student data is not shared with any persons or organizations outside of UTHS and are deleted after one year. We encourage you to visit Proctorio's Data Security and Privacy site pages to learn more about how we protect student date.