CRACKING FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS
Section II is worth 50 percent of your grade on the AP Calculus Exam. This section is composed of two
parts. Part A contains two free-response questions (you may use a calculator on this part); Part B contains
four free-response questions where there are no calculators allowed. You’re given a total of 90 minutes
for this section.
Clearly Explain and Justify Your Answers
Remember that your answers to the free-response questions are graded by readers and not by computers.
Communication is a very important part of AP Calculus. Compose your answers in precise sentences. Just
getting the correct numerical answer is not enough. You should be able to explain your reasoning behind
the technique that you selected and communicate your answer in the context of the problem. Even if the
question does not explicitly say so, always explain and justify every step of your answer, including the
final answer. Do not expect the graders to read between the lines. Explain everything as though somebody
with no knowledge of calculus is going to read it. Be sure to present your solution in a systematic manner
using solid logic and appropriate language. And remember: Although you won’t earn points for neatness,
the graders can’t give you a grade if they can’t read and understand your solution!
Use Only the Space You Need
Do not try to fill up the space provided for each question. The space given is usually more than enough.
The people who design the tests realize that some students write in big letters or make mistakes and need
extra space for corrections. So if you have a complete solution, don’t worry about the extra space. Writing
more will not earn you extra credit. In fact, many students tend to go overboard and shoot themselves in
the foot by making a mistake after they’ve already written the right answer.
Read the Whole Question!
Some questions might have several subparts. Try to answer them all, and don’t give up on the question if
one part is giving you trouble. For example, if the answer to part (b) depends on the answer to part (a),
but you think you got the answer to part (a) wrong, you should still go ahead and do part (b) using your
answer to part (a) as required. Chances are that the grader will not mark you wrong twice, unless it is
obvious from your answer that you should have discovered your mistake.
REFLECT
Respond to the following questions:
- How much time will you spend on each free-response question?
- How will you change your approach to the free-response questions?
- Will you seek further help, outside of this book (such as a teacher, tutor, or AP Central), on how to