This free AP Precalculus practice test gives you exam-style questions on every major function family the course covers, each with an answer and an explanation. Use it to find out which topics cost you points, then fix those first.
The 2027 AP Precalculus Exam is on Tuesday, May 11, 2027. That leaves plenty of time to practice with purpose. Work through the topic quizzes, check your reasoning against the explanations, then try the exam simulator when you want to test your pacing. We are an independent study site, not affiliated with College Board (AP Program).
AP Precalculus is a College Board course and exam built around one idea: understanding how quantities change and how functions model that change. Instead of drilling isolated algebra tricks, the course asks you to describe a function's behavior, build a model from a situation, and explain what the model says about the real context.
Most test takers are high school students who finished Algebra II or an equivalent and want a stronger base for calculus, statistics, engineering, or science courses. Some are homeschoolers or self-study students who sit the exam through a participating school. Many colleges grant credit or placement for qualifying scores, but policies differ a lot by school and by major. Check the credit policy of each college you are considering rather than assuming.
The content centers on these function families:
The exam rewards two skills equally: fluent technique and clear written reasoning. A correct answer with no justification often earns only partial credit on the free-response questions, so practice explaining your steps as well as getting results.
Facts verified Nov 9, 2026 against College Board. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
Facts verified Nov 9, 2026 against College Board. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions (free response (Section II)) | 4 free-response questions | College Board |
| Number of questions (multiple choice (Section I)) | 42 multiple-choice + 4 free-response | College Board |
| Passing score | Scored 1–5; many colleges grant credit for 3+ | apstudents.collegeboard.org |
| Exam fee (all other schools) | $129 per exam | College Board |
| Exam fee (late order fee) | $40 extra per exam | College Board |
| Delivery | Hybrid digital (Bluebook + paper booklets) | College Board |
| Score release | Most scores available in July | apstudents.collegeboard.org |
| Next exam date | Tue, May 11, 2027 (Session 1) | College Board |
| Late registration deadline (late testing) | Late testing: Thu, May 20, 2027 (Session 1) | College Board |
| Late registration deadline (spring courses / late order) | Mar 12, 2027, 11:59 p.m. ET | College Board |
| Testing window | May 3–7 and May 10–14, 2027 | apstudents.collegeboard.org |
Facts verified Nov 9, 2026 against College Board. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
Prepare for the AP Precalculus exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
Each practice quiz below matches one content area of the AP Precalculus. Start with the area you know least.
This area covers how polynomial functions behave and how to read that behavior from an equation or a graph. Study zeros and their multiplicity, how the degree and leading coefficient control end behavior, and how to find intervals where the function is increasing, decreasing, or concave in a given direction. Practice building a polynomial from its zeros, dividing polynomials, and using the relationship between factors and x-intercepts. Know what a rate of change means for a polynomial, including average rate of change over an interval. Be ready to explain your reasoning in words, since free-response questions often ask you to justify a claim about a graph or model.
Rational functions combine polynomials in a quotient, and most mistakes come from domain and asymptote details. Study vertical asymptotes, holes, horizontal and slant asymptotes, and end behavior, and learn to tell a hole from an asymptote by factoring. Practice finding zeros and sketching a graph from its features, solving rational equations and inequalities, and checking solutions against the domain. Know how to describe the behavior of the function near an asymptote using limit-style language. Always test whether a candidate solution makes a denominator zero before you accept it.
This area is about quantities that change by a constant percent over equal intervals. Study the difference between linear and exponential change, how to write a model from a table or a verbal description, and how to interpret the initial value and the growth or decay factor in context. Practice transformations of exponential graphs, comparing models, and fitting a function to data with a calculator. Know when an exponential model is reasonable and when a different model fits better. State answers with units and a sentence that explains what the number means in the situation.
Logarithms are the inverse of exponential functions, and the course expects you to move easily between the two forms. Study the properties that turn products, quotients, and powers into sums and differences, and the change of base idea. Practice solving exponential and logarithmic equations, finding domain and asymptotes of logarithmic graphs, and describing transformations. Understand why the input of a logarithm must be positive and check every solution against that rule. Be ready to interpret a logarithmic model in context and to explain why a logarithm can turn an exponential pattern into a linear one.
This area focuses on the periodic behavior of sine, cosine, and tangent and on how to model repeating patterns. Study the unit circle, radian measure, amplitude, midline, period, and phase shift, and practice writing a sinusoidal function from a graph or a description. Learn the key identities and use them to simplify expressions and solve equations over a given interval. Know the inverse trigonometric functions and their restricted ranges. Practice interpreting a sinusoidal model in context, such as tides or rotating objects, and watch your calculator mode so you do not mix up degrees and radians.
Polar functions describe curves using a distance from the origin and an angle rather than x and y coordinates. Study how to convert between polar and rectangular coordinates, how to graph polar equations by tracking the radius as the angle changes, and how to recognize common curves such as circles, roses, and limacons. Practice finding where the radius is largest, where it is zero, and how the graph traces over an interval of angles. Know how to describe when the distance from the origin is increasing or decreasing. Sketching a quick table of values often makes an unfamiliar curve clear.
The AP Precalculus Exam is a hybrid digital exam. You answer the multiple-choice questions in the Bluebook app, then write your free-response answers by hand in a paper booklet. That mix matters for practice: you need to be comfortable reading a question on a screen and also laying out a full written solution on paper.
The exam has two sections. Section I has 42 multiple-choice questions. Section II has 4 free-response questions. Parts of each section allow a graphing calculator and parts do not, so you need to know when a calculator helps and when exact algebra is expected. Confirm the current calculator rules and approved models on the official AP Central page before test day.
Scores are reported on a scale of 1 to 5. Many U.S. colleges grant credit or placement for a 3 or higher. Most scores are released in July, though some take longer to process.
What the free-response questions tend to test:
Because free-response answers are graded on reasoning, show each step and state conclusions in a full sentence tied to the context.
A good plan starts with a baseline, not a textbook. Take a short quiz on each function family before you review anything. The results show where you actually lose points, which is rarely where you expect.
Short, frequent sessions beat one long weekend cram. Rational functions, logarithm properties, and trigonometric graph transformations deserve extra repetition because small sign or domain mistakes cost points on them.
The 2027 AP Exams run over two weeks in May, May 3–7 and May 10–14. AP Precalculus is scheduled for Tuesday, May 11, 2027, in Session 1. A late-testing exam is scheduled for Thursday, May 20, 2027, also in Session 1, for students with an approved conflict.
Registration goes through your school, not through this site. Ask your AP coordinator about ordering and fees, and read the official AP Central page for current rules. The 2026-27 exam fee is $99 per exam at schools in the U.S., U.S. territories, Canada, and DoWEA schools, and $129 at schools everywhere else. Orders placed after November 13, 2026 carry a late fee of $40 per exam, and the order deadline is March 12, 2027, 11:59 p.m. ET.
Before the exam:
During the exam, answer the questions you know first, mark the ones you do not, and return to them. On the written section, show your work even when you are unsure; partial reasoning can earn credit.
After the exam, most scores arrive in July. When they do, send them to the colleges you plan to attend and check each college's credit policy.
The topic quizzes on this page match the content areas of the course, so you can target your weakest area instead of working through a random mixed set. Start with the area you feel least sure about. Read the explanation for every question, including ones you got right, since a lucky guess hides a gap.
A routine that works well:
Be realistic about what free practice can do. These questions are written to mirror the style and content of the course, but they are not official College Board questions, and they cannot predict your score. Treat results as a guide to what to study, not as a score forecast. For the official course description, sample questions, and scoring guidelines, use the AP Central page for AP Precalculus.
If you want a printable version of your work, copy missed questions and your corrected solutions into your own notes. Writing them out by hand also trains the paper-booklet part of the exam.