There are countless AP exam review books to choose from – Kaplan, Barron's, Princeton Review, 5 Steps to a 5, and more. While all of them review the course content and have plenty of practice questions, students often struggle to find the motivation to trudge through the hundreds of pages. A few years ago, we decided it was time to modernize the review book and move the AP Exam review online. As of 2024, we offer the Review Course for both AP Calculus and AP Precalculus. After we made this move away from the review book, we asked our own students what they thought about this change. Here is what we learned from their responses:
Students prefer a mix of digital and print. The Calc Medic Review Course has 30+ instructional videos. Each video comes with printable guided notes to keep students focused.
Students want immediate feedback. Multiple choice questions in the Calc Medic Review Course are graded as soon as they are submitted, with thorough explanations for the correct answer. Free response questions include rubrics that are similar to those used on the actual AP Exam.
Students don't just want content and answers, but explanations and insight. Getting a good score on the AP Exam certainly involves getting correct answers. But those students who do really well are able to clearly communicate their understanding. This is why the Calc Medic Review Course includes thorough video explanations and dozens of specific AP Exam tips.
Videos must be succinct and specific. Students don't want to have to fast forward through hour-long videos to get to the info they need. Each video in the Calc Medic Review Course is targeted to a specific skill or concept.
Students hate carrying books and love their phones. The Calc Medic Review Course has been designed to be very phone friendly, so students always have it with them (because we know they never part with their phones).
Cool...but how much work will it be to switch?
In our years of teaching, we have seen many online resources come and go. And every time a new one arrives, we wonder how much work it will be to get it figured out. You may have wondered this same thing when considering the transition from a traditional review book to the Calc Medic Online AP Exam Review. We promise the switch is easy. Here is why:
It's easy to sign up.
The process for getting started is so simple that you could have students working in the Review Course tomorrow. Here is how it works:
Get a quote. It will come to you in email.
In the email, click "Accept".
We set up your cohort for you. Sarah sends you an email with instructions on how to get started.
We have done the planning for you.
Trying to figure out what to include in your AP Exam review can be very challenging. What are the most important topics to review? What types of questions are most likely to show up on the exam? We have done all of this thinking and planning, and through trial-and-error have created this Review Course with the best of the best. We even have suggested pacing guides for teachers with 1, 2, or 4 weeks to review.
The Review Course is web based.
There is no app to download or fancy software to install. The Review Course is accessible by following a direct link on any web browser. It works on desktops, laptops, iPads...and most importantly on any mobile device. Our students always appreciate being able to watch videos and do problems straight from their phones.
Getting student work is easy.
There are two easy options for having students hand in all their work for the Review Course:
Students hand in their work on paper. We provide you with printable handouts for the whole course, so you can make copies for students. This includes guided notes for all the videos, as well as printed versions of the practice MCQs and FRQs, and a printable Practice Exam.
Students submit all their work directly in the Review Course. They can submit multiple choice answers and get immediate feedback with explanations. They can also take pictures of their FRQs and upload them into the course, so you can view them digitally.
We hope you consider the switch away from the Review Book to the Calc Medic Online Review Course, available for both AP Calculus and AP Precalculus. Your students will thank you!