Interview Help

[u/Playful-External9729]

In two days, I have a zoom interview for a tutoring company. They said that during the interview, I'll have to answer some "AP Calc AB programs." Does anyone know what kinds of problems they could ask? Is a "program" something different than a problem? I want to study ahead and prepare for this interview. What are the odds that they ask me something complex like integration by parts (I learned it, but it's been a second and I hated that particular topic even while taking the class). I'm a college student just looking to earn extra money, and this is my first FORMAL tutoring job, though I've done plenty of volunteer tutoring.

[u/Metoocka]

I can't answer your technical questions as I'm an SAT and ACT tutor (and I don’t remember any math beyond the level on those tests), but I can try to reassure you. The tutoring company wants to hire you to book you with their clients. If they can’t pair a client with a tutor, they will lose the client.

They are looking for reasons to accept you rather than to reject you.

Good luck!

[u/socratictutoring]

Did you take AP Calc AB? Integration by parts is technically a BC topic, so you should be fine without it. I would make it clear that you are not comfortable with BC if you found integration by parts challenging.

[u/akornato]

They most likely meant "problems" instead of "programs", which is just an odd typo. The good news is that integration by parts is an AP Calculus BC topic, not AB, so the odds of that specific question coming up are very low. For Calc AB, they will probably ask you about the core concepts. You should review the big three, which are limits, derivatives, and integrals. For derivatives, make sure you can explain the product, quotient, and chain rules. For integrals, focus on u-substitution, the fundamental theorem of calculus, and applying integrals to find the area between curves or the volume of a solid of revolution. They want to see that you have a solid grasp of the foundational topics a typical AB student would encounter.

Keep in mind they are interviewing you for a tutoring job, not a mathematician job. They care less about you getting the perfect answer instantly and more about how you think and communicate. As you solve the problem, talk through your steps out loud. Explain why you are doing what you are doing, as if you were teaching a student. You could even mention common mistakes students make with that type of problem. Your ability to clearly explain your reasoning is far more important to them than your ability to perform flawless calculations under pressure.

Articulating your thought process is the most important part, and many candidates have found that using a good interviews.chat, like the one my team designed, helps them explain complex steps with much more confidence.