Barron's AP Calculus [Paperback]

Shirley O. Hockett (Author), David Bock (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764143247 | ISBN-13: 978-0764143243 | Publication Date: February 1, 2010 | Edition: 10

Both Calculus AB and Calculus BC are covered in this comprehensive AP test preparation manual. Prospective test takers will find four practice exams in Calculus AB and four more in Calculus BC, with all questions answered and solutions explained. The manual also provides a detailed 10-chapter review covering topics for both exams. The authors also offer an overview of the AP Calculus exams, which includes advice to students on making best use of their graphing calculators.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

(back cover)

Four Calculus AB and four Calculus BC practice exams reflect the actual AP exams in length, structure, and degree of difficulty

All questions answered with solutions explained

Study tips and test-taking strategies

A detailed overview of both AP Calculus exams includes advice on making the best use of your graphing calculator

Product Details

• Paperback: 688 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 10 edition (February 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764143247
• ISBN-13: 978-0764143243
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,673 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #63 in Books > Education & Reference > Education > Test Guides - College & University > Advanced Placement

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Calc AB student, April 5, 2008

By 

Steve - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barron's AP Calculus (Paperback)

This book has its pros and cons. On the one hand, it has an incredible amount of practice problems (organized by chapter) and is well organized in that topics and practice problems specified for "just BC students" are well marked(However, arc length is on the AB syllabus, not just BC as this book says it is). The book also provides four practice tests for both AB and BC, more than you will find in any other Calculus prep book.

However, many of the practice problems found in the "end of the chapter practice problems," as well as in the practice tests, are not representative of questions that have come up on previous AP exams. In my AP Calc class, we did every college board released multiple choice section since 1978 as well as every free-response question given in the past 10 or so years. Though the practice tests given in this book are okay, and will provide good practice, it is evident Barrons did not do enough research into the AP Calculus exams themselves. Many of the problems (though not all), are either too difficult, or simply too different from questions that you will actually encounter on the AP test to be very helpful.

I gave this book three stars because it CAN be helpful if used as extra practice-- as a supplement to any in-class preparation. However, I strongly discourage purchase of this book if you 1. don't have a good foundation for most of the calculus topics or 2. aim to self-study for the exam. As already noted in previous reviews of Barron's AP Calc prep books, their subject review is hard to understand, muddled with confusing language-- Barron's simply makes no attempt to simplify their explainations. Furthermore, their "answers explained" sections at the end of practice problem sections and practice tests are short, often only one sentence long, rendering them useless most of the time.

The last complaint I have for this book is that Barron's provides no "AP scoring chart" for you to self grade and find your corresponding AP grade (1-5) at the end of a test. Granted, the other calc prep books I've looked at don't either, but it's an annoyance to not know where you stand after taking a practice test for 3 hours.

For those looking for better topic review, I would try Peterson's "Master the AP Calculus AB and BC" book. I hear the authors review is simplified and easier to understand for someone not so familiar with the material. For those who are familiar with the material and who want extra practice, this book isn't half bad, it is well organized and has unlimited practice problems--just don't get scared off by some of the tougher problems. The best practice, however, is past AP exams. Ask your teacher/school if they have any of them; if not, they're available on collegeboard.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Preparation for Multiple-Choice Questions, July 24, 2008

By 

yes1123 (Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barron's AP Calculus (Paperback)

I used this book solely for the multiple-choice practice problems, not the review or tests, so I can only vouch for the MC problems. The coverage of topics is both broad and deep, with well over 500 problems of varying difficulty. Taking the AP Exam, I felt confident, prepared, and familiar with every problem type. The only complaint I have is the lack of fully developed solutions to the MC problems. The short one- or two-line explanations were always enough to answer any of my questions, but for those struggling with the concepts, they may prove inadequate.

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Review, August 4, 2011

By 

Rei - See all my reviews

This review is from: Barron's AP Calculus (Paperback)

I didn't take AP Calculus BC, so I can only speak for the AP Calculus AB students.

I actually didn't like this book because the questions are super difficult in comparison to the AP exam, and the answer explanations are only decent at best. Some students actually like practicing with harder questions because it'll make the actual exam look easy. However, there are errors in this book, which could make it even more frustrating.

However, I do agree that this book does provide the great multiple-choice practice questions in comparison to the other prep books out there. I didn't find the free-response questions as helpful. I also found the Princeton Review to be a great source for practice Calculus questions. If you can excel while doing these problems, you know you'll do excellent on the exam. I would still practice with actual released multiple-choice and free-response questions from the Collegeboard though. This book would be a good supplement to another prep book or a class, but it's hard to use it to self-study, if you're looking to do that. This book is better for students who are already good at Calculus. For those that are struggling and want to clarify concepts, look for another book.

I would also not use this book for the conceptual explanations though because it's a bit convoluted and unclear. The concepts are too textbook-like, and it could've been explained better, especially since students are looking for additional help when purchasing prep books. I found The Calculus Lifesaver: All the Tools You Need to Excel at Calculus (Princeton Lifesaver Study Guide) and the Peterson's guide to be more helpful for concepts.