What to know before taking calculus (article) | Khan Academy (2024)

So you're about to take AP Calculus, eh? Here's a summary of what you should know going into it.

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  • Sevilla, Julia

    7 years agoPosted 7 years ago. Direct link to Sevilla, Julia's post “Is it possible to take an...”

    Is it possible to take an advanced calculus class (e.g. AP Calculus AB) without taking pre-calculus? I've taken Algebra I, II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Math Analysis. Or is math analysis essentially pre-calculus?

    (29 votes)

    • Alexis Janke

      7 years agoPosted 7 years ago. Direct link to Alexis Janke's post “I just finished what my s...”

      What to know before taking calculus (article) | Khan Academy (4)

      What to know before taking calculus (article) | Khan Academy (5)

      I just finished what my school would consider "pre-calculus" in Algebra II. In addition to algebra, in my class, we incorporated Trigonometry and Analysis concepts, and I have already began taking calculus without any actual "pre-calculus" class. I am not struggling, and I believe you will be fine, if you're okay with the rigor of an advanced class. Since the classes you have taken seem to cover all of the previous knowledge required for calculus, I would say that you are going to do fine if you decide to take an advanced calculus class. It is possible then, at least in my school and state, to take it without "pre-calculus"

      (27 votes)

  • Ayana Febles

    4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to Ayana Febles's post “Is it possible to take AP...”

    Is it possible to take AP Calculus AB as a 10th grader while still getting an A year round? I'm currently in ninth grade and taking Algebra 2, while also taking Geometry online. I'm not sure if I should take AP Calc because I play sports after school and I'm already going to be taking AP World and AP Physics next year for sure. I've just been debating it constantly because the due date to sign up for the Pre cal class is in less than 2 weeks. So if I did decide yes, then I'd take pre calc over the summer and ap calc during the 10th-grade year. For reference, I've gotten 95-100s on every math course I've taken.

    (10 votes)

    • Harish Krishnakumar

      4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to Harish Krishnakumar's post “Hey, it is very possible ...”

      What to know before taking calculus (article) | Khan Academy (9)

      Hey, it is very possible to do that, and if you have an interest in math, you should definitely do it! Just make sure you have a strong precalc foundation before you start ap calc.

  • Pratyush Sharma

    4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to Pratyush Sharma's post “Do we also need to learn ...”

    Do we also need to learn logarithm before learning Calculus?

    (4 votes)

    • obiwan kenobi

      4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to obiwan kenobi's post “Yes, the logarithm is ver...”

      What to know before taking calculus (article) | Khan Academy (13)

      Yes, the logarithm is very important in Calculus.

      (20 votes)

  • Thi

    a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to Thi's post “would you recommend I tak...”

    would you recommend I take ap calc ab without taking pre-calc? I did some self studying over summer but im worried that it's not enough, obviously if I took pre-calc I would have a whole year more of experience and an actual teacher. But I heard pre-calc is mostly just reviews of algebra and trigs. would it be too hard if I take it without pre-calc?

    (7 votes)

    • Venkata

      a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to Venkata's post “Algebra and trig are argu...”

      What to know before taking calculus (article) | Khan Academy (17)

      Algebra and trig are arguably the hardest parts of calculus. So, having a solid foundation in them is essential to do well in calc. If you're confident in the skills taught in pre-calc, you can go forward with calc. Otherwise, learning and mastering pre-calc would be a very good investment for calculus.

      (13 votes)

  • Mia Kaplan

    4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to Mia Kaplan's post “What is the difference be...”

    What is the difference between Precalculus for BC and Precalculus for AB?

    (5 votes)

    • Safin Khatri

      4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to Safin Khatri's post “Pre-calculus is a prerequ...”

      What to know before taking calculus (article) | Khan Academy (21)

      Pre-calculus is a prerequisite for both types of calculus. Calculus AB covers the first semester of calculus only (Calculus I) Calculus BC covers the first two semesters or a whole year of calculus (Calculus I and II courses combined) All of the topics covered in Calculus AB are also found in BC

      (12 votes)

  • Mel M

    3 years agoPosted 3 years ago. Direct link to Mel M's post “I'm an adult working full...”

    I'm an adult working full time and have a family. I need to take Brief Calculus at my community college next semester. I'm doing College Algebra right now and it takes A LOT of effort for me to maintain a B average. Would taking a course in addition to Brief Calc be reasonable? I don't want to overwhelm myself. Thanks!

    (6 votes)

    • Polina Vitić

      3 years agoPosted 3 years ago. Direct link to Polina Vitić's post “I would recommend only ta...”

      I would recommend only taking Brief Calculus. You will have more time to focus on the math and learn it really well.

      Sometimes difficult things in math just take extra time to work out and understand, so often having adequate time is what makes math manageable/fun instead of stressful.

      Hope this helps! Good luck with your classes :)

      (8 votes)

  • Zakoriya Ahmed

    7 years agoPosted 7 years ago. Direct link to Zakoriya Ahmed's post “I have less than one mont...”

    I have less than one month before school starts, i was wondering if i could fully practiced AP Calc by the time my school starts and i just want to complete this course and try get 5 on the exam. How much time should i spend everyday ?
    P.S. i have a flexible time

    (9 votes)

  • Loc Vo

    8 years agoPosted 8 years ago. Direct link to Loc Vo's post “Can I study the Calculus ...”

    Can I study the Calculus course on Khan Academy and take the AP Calculus AB test? If I need to learn more about Calculus AB and doesn't have an AP Calculus AB class at my school where should I find the materials to learn it?

    (6 votes)

    • Elizabeth R.

      8 years agoPosted 8 years ago. Direct link to Elizabeth R.'s post “You can purchase textbook...”

      You can purchase textbooks online, or borrow one from a library. I would suggest purchasing a book in which you could practice problems, besides just reading about.

      (5 votes)

  • shubhankar

    4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to shubhankar's post “i am in class 11 and i ne...”

    i am in class 11 and i need to study calculus.what are the important topics i need to brush up before i join the calculus course.i study according to cbse pattern

    (3 votes)

    • Ian Pulizzotto

      4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to Ian Pulizzotto's post “The most important topics...”

      What to know before taking calculus (article) | Khan Academy (33)

      The most important topics are algebra topics, such as factoring polynomials, simplifying expressions, solving equations & inequalities, polynomial functions, rational functions, exponential functions, logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions, and inverse trigonometric functions.

      The next most important topics are geometry & measurement topics, such as Pythagorean theorem, perimeter, area, surface area, volume, similar triangles, and right triangle trigonometry.

      When you join calculus, you will learn the concept of a limit. The concept of a limit will lead to the concepts of the derivative (think of the slope of a curve at a point on the curve) and the integral (think of the area under a curve but above the x-axis). Furthermore, you will learn that the processes of taking the derivative and taking the integral are essentially inverses of each other (Fundamental Theorem of Calculus)!

      (12 votes)

  • Yashasvi Aggarwal

    6 years agoPosted 6 years ago. Direct link to Yashasvi Aggarwal's post “Which calculator would be...”

    Which calculator would be a good choice for AP Calculus BC?

    (3 votes)

    • rachelbloom413

      6 years agoPosted 6 years ago. Direct link to rachelbloom413's post “A TI-84 or a similar mode...”

      A TI-84 or a similar model graphing calculator should work.

      (9 votes)

What to know before taking calculus (article) | Khan Academy (2024)

FAQs

What do I need to know before taking a calculus class? ›

In some sense, the prerequisite for Calculus is to have an overall comfort with algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. After all, each new topic in math builds on previous topics, which is why mastery at each stage is so important.

Can Khan Academy prepare me for calculus? ›

I recommend you go through all of the Khan Academy courses fully, completing all of the modules between Algebra I and Calculus. This will take time, but it will lay the foundation you need to do well in Calculus and give you critical problem-solving skills to answer more complex problems Calculus might give you.

What do you need to take before calculus? ›

The standard prerequisite for freshman-level calculus is three years of high school mathematics, including trigonometry and logarithms. Students who need to take calculus but are lacking the necessary prerequisites should start with a precalculus course.

How long does it take to learn calculus 1 on Khan Academy? ›

The Calculus 1 course currently has 367 videos with a total runtime of about 37 hours. So at minimum it would take 37 hours just to watch all of the video content. There's also many exercises that go along with the videos, so you will need to factor that into your schedule as well.

What is the hardest type of math? ›

Real Analysis: This course is sometimes referred to as the most difficult undergraduate math course because it delves deep into the theoretical foundations of calculus. It relies heavily on rigorous proofs and demands a high level of abstract thinking.

Can I take calculus without trigonometry? ›

There's no prerequisite to learn trig first, and forcing people to learn trig-calc excites many mathophiles but is a major turn off to other students. Calculus can be taught using just basic algebra, and most students will benefit from already understanding calculus, when they are learning trigonometry.

How fast can I learn calculus 1? ›

Basic Proficiency:

Grasping fundamental concepts like limits, derivatives, and integrals takes about six months to a year of regular study and practice. Strong algebra and trigonometry skills and high motivation can speed up this process.

What level of math is Khan Academy? ›

All of our math exercises are mapped to the K–12 Common Core State Standards for mathematics. You can search for a standard and find aligned content at www.khanacademy.org/commoncore.

How long does it take to self-teach calculus? ›

How Long Will It Take? Depending on your reason for learning calculus, the length in which you achieve your goal will vary. But if you want to gain a foundational understanding of the subject so that you can move on to more challenging courses, then give yourself at least four to six months.

Should I take calculus if I dont need it? ›

Even though not all colleges require it, doing well in calculus can make your application stand out. However, this focus on calculus can make things harder for students who don't have access to the class. So, if you can't take calculus, you can still impress colleges by taking the hardest classes available to you.

What grade should you take calculus? ›

According to Just Equations, the "race to calculus" starts in middle school. Middle school math placement often determines which students will make it to calculus by 12th grade. Otherwise, students who progress through high school math at a standard rate may never get a chance to take calculus.

How much Khan Academy should I do a day? ›

We recommend starting at your grade level and doing 1-2 practice sets per day (or 10 practice sets per week). This should take about 10-20 minutes per day. If you find it difficult, completely okay to start at an earlier grade level.

How long should I study calculus a day? ›

Indeed, calculus is one of the most complicated subjects. It is stated that it is one of the most challenging courses during the semester. Approximately, you will have to spend, at least, 12 hours per week studying it. Meaning, you are supposed to study for 2 hours per day,6 days a week.

What are the three main topics in calculus? ›

Calculus is a seminal field of mathematics that profoundly influenced the development of modern science and engineering. At its core are three groundbreaking ideas – limits, differentiation, and integration.

Are calculus classes hard? ›

The Most Challenging Topic in Maths

A study published in the Journal of Mathematical Behavior reported that approximately 30-40% of students found calculus to be the most difficult topic in their mathematics curriculum.

What are the basics of calculus? ›

The basics of calculus revolve around the derivative and the integral. The derivative looks at infinitesimal changes of functions. It is an operation that returns the slope of a function at any point it is defined. The integral looks at summations of infinitesimal changes of functions.

Is calculus easy or hard? ›

Calculus is widely regarded as a very hard math class, and with good reason. The concepts take you far beyond the comfortable realms of algebra and geometry that you've explored in previous courses. Calculus asks you to think in ways that are more abstract, requiring more imagination.

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