Writing an AP Calc Assessment 

• Include calculator and non-calculator items

• Include multiple choice and free response items

• Write questions that reflect learning targets and success criteria

• Determine scoring rubric for FRQs before administering the assessment (see below)

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Questions to Include

• Items which require students to demonstrate a geometric interpretation of integration 

• Items which require students to demonstrate an understanding of basic antiderivatives

• Items which require students to demonstrate an understanding of u-substitution

• Items which require students to demonstrate an ability to simplify the integrand

• Opportunities for using tabular or graphical information when integrating

• Items which require correct and precise integral notation

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Grading Tips

This quiz was administered as a non-calculator assessment with a focus on student communication and notation:  four multiple-choice questions contributed fewer than 33% of the total points!  Demonstrating an appropriate and efficient choice for solving an integral was the primary focus and our scoring rubric represented that emphasis.

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Although students were given freedom to choose their solving technique, our quiz included integrals best solved by one of four major strategies: geometry, basic integration rules, simplifying the integrand, and u-substitution. 
 
Students who neglected the “+C” term on their indefinite integrals lost only one point; they were “inoculated” from losing a point every time they forgot. 

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Reflections

Students did well with geometric interpretations of integration and identifying the best choices for u-substitution.  When evaluating definite integrals, approximately half of our students chose to work with an integrand and limits of integration written in terms of u; the other half chose to use the original integrand and values of integration. This assessment did not include an extended FRQ-style question. Instead, a wide variety of integrals were used to assessed students’ solving techniques and communication abilities.