Could I self Study AP Calc BC while in Algebra 2? [international transfer high school student]

So i moved here from another country during the winter, but I moved before I could take my final exams, so my transcript didn’t reflect that and only reflected the classes from the previous semester. So I had to settle for Algebra 2 when I had knowledge kind of beyond that. Now I’m currently taking the " Introduction to Calculus " course by the University of Sydney on Coursera and will take take part in the “Single Variable Calculus” course series by UPenn after. I feel that I could be done by around winter break and would want to be able to take the AP Calc exam in may. Is it possible, do I ask my counselor now, or am I just a dreamer.

Is it possible - sure. Worthwhile - likely not.

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Why?

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It would help us give better advice if you could give us more information. Somewhere high on the list of information that could be helpful would be to know what grade you are in. It sounds like you are a high school student. Is this correct?

Generally speaking the only people who could possibly do well when jumping ahead in math like this are people who are very, very good at math. However, these are specifically the people for whom algebra 2 and calculus are very likely to be useful many times in the future. These are subjects that are worth learning very well. This means that jumping ahead in math is usually a bad idea.

By the way, I have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from MIT. I have used both algebra and calculus many times in classes that I took more recently, and on the job. I probably could have jumped ahead in math. However, I did not jump ahead in math, and learning these important bases very well has been very helpful to me.

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Because you’re not taking the class and you should take classes - math is foundational.

One takes big risks by jumping ahead in my opinion.

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Some high schools require that a student be registered in the AP class in order to reserve a seat for the May tests.

Based on my time at the local high school: Tests are paid through the cashier’s office and “ordered/reserved” in advance, in the Fall.

The staff know exactly how many students are registered for the May testing. (They have to logistically plan for all of the students’ whereabouts during the May testing and continue to educate everyone else who is at the high school.)

This includes district supervised home-schooled students and private school students within the district who have been assigned to the public high school site by the District and College Board.

Sometimes it is hard for students who are not enrolled in the course to access a “seat”.

The proctors are strict about test “access codes” because of the possibility of “cheating” or taking extra time.

Before you try to self study, you need to ask if your high school will allow you to take the test on site if you are not enrolled.

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What math did you complete previously?

If you were underplaced into algebra 2, then it is best to change into the math course that is actually the next one following what you have completed.

If you are unsure of how your previous math courses align with US math courses, you may want to try the following quizzes to see if you know the prerequisite material for intermediate algebra (high school algebra 2), college algebra (high school precalculus), and calculus 1: Web-Based Are You Ready quiz/reviews

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You would need to bring translated copies of your last math course’s syllabus or program or curriculum, showing what you covered, because it sounds like you were not given a placement test and were placed in the wrong class. It’s quite possible you already completed precalculus at your old school, especially since it sounds like it might have been on a Southern hemisphere calendar, ie., exams in the Winter (unless you’re talking about taking exams in May/June and doing only half a year there??)

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If you’re already familiar with trigonometric functions (generally the last core topic of precalculus in the US), then you should be fine starting calculus. You will need to arrange a spot to take the exam, which will require reaching out to your school’s AP coordinator.

If you would like to learn trigonometry: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuVp5PfVnO87xz4U5hYgaz75jhxVHWtxC
Khan Academy (take the precalculus course challenge to get credit for what you know, and then fill in any remaining gaps)
https://youtu.be/wVpaP6IyyvY
3Blue1Brown - The Essence of Calculus
https://youtu.be/MO-AExWdl4Q?si=mwObsg7ZxvYoEGqP
Khan Academy
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-calculus-ab-and-bc-course-and-exam-description.pdf (when using a source that is not aligned to the AP curriculum, like Paul’s Online Math notes, make sure you’re aware what is and isn’t covered on the AP calculus BC exam)
Calculus I
Calculus II
TI-83/84 Plus BASIC Math Programs (Calculus) - ticalc.org