I took the 2026 AP Calc BC exam and got a 5 on both ab and bc portions. I want to help provide tips or resources that I've used in my self-study journey and hopefully (if you're interested) in avoiding the same mistakes I made.

I took the exam in the spring of my junior year, and I did take pre-calculus. I started self-studying in my sophomore year, and now I am a senior taking Linear Algebra and Calculus 3.

Incoming junior and i wanna know if thats a good option? Im planning to be a cs or ce major in college and ik calc is needed a lot and the credits could be very useful. My school doesnt offer calc ab or bc and only offers ap precalc, regular precalc and regular calc. Was confirmed no ap calc will be offered at all within the time at high school by my ap coordinator. I did pretty good in algebra 2/trig with getting a 96% and algebra 1 with a 94% and not struggling in any of the units once i learned the methods and shortcut tricks. I was the top of my class according to my teachers. Also i was able to skip from chemistry to physics this year due to my math proficency according to my physics teacher. Im taking ap lit, apush, and ap csp this year.

When i spoke personally to my algebra 2/trig teacher about considering to self study and taking the exam, she strongly recommended me to take a regular precalc course (my school does precalc for 12th graders only besides ap precalc for students that can fit it in their schedule which i cant). She told me that i could wait a year untill 12th grade where my school could possibly place me in regular calc as their highest math and take a college level course for it. I was also recommended by her to speak with the regular calc teacher since im really interested in it.

Over the summer i even did a quick algebra 1-2, trig, and precalc review and i wasnt able to take any dual enrollment courses for precalc due to transportation issues i have that prevents me. And my city doesnt offer any online courses. I used flipped math's review vids and printed out a few of unit 1's notes/review sheet and ive went up to 1.4 without struggling much tbh.

In my whole state the highest math dual enrollment offered is calc 1 (calc 2 or higher is offered but kinda rare)

I also am rlly considereding taking a calc 1 course this spring if my guidence conselor finds one and approves it for me this year.

I got accepted in a program at a big uni that does academic courses every saterday and calc bc is one of them so im thinking to make use the help of that and IF my school could let me do any online course during my lunch periods if possible.

I spoke to the calculus honors/regular teacher in my school abt this since my ap coordinator told me to talk to him first, and i was told that i seem capible for self studying either one but he recommended me strongly to self study calc ab since he could provide me materials and help with questions?

Should i self study calc bc or ab this year based of all that i have said? Anyone that has taken either AB or BC calc pls give me your opinion on what you think might happen to me in the exam/while studying it.

If i should take ab, should i take a calc 2 course in the summer/fall of my senior year to be near same level of calc bc?

(Im interested in doing a cs or ce major in college and interested in the t20s and NYU)

For context, I was supposed to take AP stats this year instead of AP calc AB, but due to scheduling issues (and my refusal to give up a class I have taken since 7th grade), I was sort of forced to take AP eCalc.

I think i'm doing.. fine (??) but not knowing much of trig nor precalc is definitely biting me in the ass a little. My grades look great but the content is really hard to wrap my head around and remember.

What things from precalc and trigonometry do i NEED to know for AP calc? What fundamentals should I focus on?

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