Garland High School's AP Policy

• Cell Phones:  Cell phones are not allowed in the testing room.  If a student brings a cell phone to testing, it must be turned off, and turned into the test proctors.

• Report Times:  Students who are taking a morning exam must be at the testing location at 7:00AM prepared to check-in and ready to be seated by 7:30AM.  Students who are taking afternoon exams must eat lunch prior to reporting to their testing location at 11:15AM.  It is suggested that students pack a lunch if they are taking an afternoon exam for convienence.  

• Only approved calculators may be used for each exam allowing the use of calculators.  The information below can be found on Collegeboard.com.  if you need further details.

Biology Exam:  A four-function calculator (with square root) is permitted on both the multiple-choice and free-response sections of the AP Biology Exam since both sections contain questions that require data manipulation. No other types of calculators, including scientific and graphing calculators, are permitted for use on the exam. Four-function calculators have a one line display and a simple layout of numeric keys (e.g., 0–9), arithmetic operation keys (e.g., +, -, ×, and ÷), and a limited number of special-use keys (e.g., %, +/-, C, and AC). Simple memory buttons like MC, M+, M-, and MR may also be included on a four-function calculator. Scientific calculators have a more complicated, multi-row layout that includes various special-use keys, including ones for trigonometric and logarithmic functions such as SIN, COS, TAN, TRIG, LOG, and LN. In contrast to scientific calculators, four-function calculators do not include trigonometric and logarithmic functions, statistical capabilities, or graphing capabilities. Students may bring up to two four-function calculators (with square root) to the exam.

Calculus AB/BC, Chemistry, Physics 1 & 2, and Statistics:  The use of a graphing calculator is considered an integral part of the AP Calculus course, and is permissible on parts of the AP Calculus Exams. Students should use this technology on a regular basis so that they become adept at using their graphing calculators. Students should also have experience with the basic paper-and-pencil techniques of calculus and be able to apply them when technological tools are unavailable or inappropriate.

Graphing Calculator Capabilities for the Exams

The committee develops exams based on the assumption that all students have access to four basic calculator capabilities used extensively in calculus. A graphing calculator appropriate for use on the exams is expected to have the built-in capability to:

• Plot the graph of a function within an arbitrary viewing window
• Find the zeros of functions (solve equations numerically)
• Numerically calculate the derivative of a function
• Numerically calculate the value of a definite integral

One or more of these capabilities should provide the sufficient computational tools for successful development of a solution to any exam question that requires the use of a calculator. Care is taken to ensure that the exam questions do not favor students who use graphing calculators with more extensive built-in features.

2014–15 List of Graphing Calculators

Graphing calculators having the expected built-in capabilities listed above are indicated with an asterisk (*). However, students may bring any calculator on the list to the exam; any model within each series is acceptable.

† The use of the stylus is not permitted.


Note: This list is current as of November 2014; other allowable machines will be added as necessary.

Technology Restrictions on the Exams

You are not permitted to use these items on the AP Calculus Exams: nongraphing scientific calculators, portable and handheld computers, laptops, electronic writing pads, pocket organizers. 



Additionally, you cannot use any graphing calculator models with these features or capabilities: QWERTY (typewriter-like) keypad as part of hardware or software (e.g., TI-92 Plus, Voyage 200); pen-input, stylus or touch-screen (e.g., PalmPilot, personal digital assistant, Casio ClassPad); wireless or Bluetooth capabilities; paper tapes; talk or make noise; require an electrical outlet; have cell phone, audio, or video recording capability; can access the Internet; or camera or scanning capability. Also, the use of hardware peripherals with an approved calculator is prohibited.

Proctors are required to check calculators before the exam. Therefore, it is important for each student to have an approved calculator. Students should be thoroughly familiar with the operation of the calculators they plan to use on the exam. Calculators may not be shared, and communication between calculators is prohibited during the exam. Students may bring to the exam one or two (but no more than two) graphing calculators from the current List of Graphing Calculators.

Calculator memories will not be cleared. Students are allowed to bring to the exam calculators containing whatever programs they want. Students must not use calculator memories to take test materials out of the room. Students that attempt to remove test materials from the room by any method will have their exam grades invalidated.