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“A caring teacher who listens and provides great support to my student. Thank you.”

— RMT parent (tutor: Alina K.)

“Shabnam was an amazing tutor. My daughter really enjoyed her lesson. We will work with her again.”

— RMT parent (tutor: Shabnam S.)

“My son really enjoyed his lesson with Ashyrgeldi Atayev. Ashyrgeldi Atayev explained the problems clearly, guided him through each step, and encouraged him to think and participate instead of just listening. He was patient and engaging. We had a very positive experience and have already scheduled more lessons.”

— RMT parent (tutor: Ashyrgeldi A.)

Why Our Pre-Calculus Tutoring Works

  • 1-on-1 Socratic-method tutoring — students master functions, trig identities, and limits by deriving them, not memorizing them
  • BYOM Peterson curriculum — rigorous prep for Calculus: polynomial & rational functions, trig, exponentials, sequences, intro to limits
  • Online or in-person — 1-on-1 online, in-person at our San Jose center, or in-home with selected tutors

Live Video. Real Whiteboard. No Typing.

Most online Pre-Calculus programs are group sessions with typed chat — slow, clunky, and disconnected. We use 1-on-1 live video with an interactive whiteboard:

  • →See your tutor explain problems in real time
  • →Draw graphs, write equations, sketch your thinking
  • →Ask questions immediately — no chat lag
  • →Watch BYOM-trained tutors derive math the way Russian mathematicians learned it — discovery first, formulas second
Live 1-on-1 video lesson with interactive whiteboard

Pre-Calculus Curriculum — 100 Lessons, 4 Quarters

Pre-Calculus at Russian Math Tutors prepares students for AP Calculus AB/BC with the same rigor of the BYOM (Build Your Own Math) Peterson tradition. 100 lessons over four quarters covering polynomial and rational functions, trigonometry, exponentials, logarithms, sequences, and an introduction to limits.

Unlike a typical US Pre-Calc course that treats graph-reading as the goal, we treat functions themselves as objects of study — their behavior, their transformations, their asymptotic limits. Your tutor will diagnose your student’s starting point and may accelerate or pace the sequence to fit.

Quarter 1 · 25 Lessons

  • Unit 1 · Functions and Their Graphs (12 lessons)

    Function definition, domain, range. Even and odd functions. Composition and inverses. Transformations of graphs. Piecewise functions.

  • Unit 2 · Polynomial and Rational Functions (13 lessons)

    End behavior of polynomials. Zeros and multiplicities. Rational root theorem. Rational functions and asymptotes. Polynomial inequalities.

Quarter 2 · 25 Lessons

  • Unit 3 · Exponentials and Logarithms (12 lessons)

    Exponential functions and their graphs. The number e. Logarithm as inverse of exponential. Properties of logs. Solving exponential and log equations. Applications.

  • Unit 4 · Trigonometric Functions (13 lessons)

    Unit circle definitions. Graphs of sine, cosine, tangent, and reciprocals. Amplitude, period, phase shift. Inverse trig functions.

Quarter 3 · 25 Lessons

  • Unit 5 · Trigonometric Identities and Equations (13 lessons)

    Pythagorean identities. Sum and difference formulas. Double-angle and half-angle formulas. Solving trig equations. Laws of sines and cosines.

  • Unit 6 · Analytic Geometry and Polar Coordinates (12 lessons)

    Conic sections: parabolas, ellipses, hyperbolas. Rotation of axes. Polar coordinates. Parametric equations. Vectors in 2D.

Quarter 4 · 25 Lessons

  • Unit 7 · Sequences, Series, and Induction (13 lessons)

    Arithmetic and geometric sequences. Sigma notation. Infinite geometric series. Mathematical induction. Binomial theorem.

  • Unit 8 · Introduction to Limits (12 lessons)

    Intuitive limits. One-sided limits. Limits at infinity. Continuity. The epsilon-delta definition. Preview of derivatives.

Official BYOM Syllabus

This outline is drawn from the published BYOM Pre-Calculus syllabus.

  • BYOM Pre-Calculus Syllabus — complete lesson-by-lesson breakdown available on request

Your tutor will tailor the pace and sequence to your student’s background and goals. Most students complete the full year in about 50 weeks (2 lessons/week); accelerated students can finish in half that time.

About RMT Pre-Calculus

What it is

Pre-Calculus is the final prep for AP Calculus AB/BC. At RMT, it’s a 100-lesson program drawn from the BYOM (Build Your Own Math) Peterson curriculum, covering functions, trigonometry, exponentials, sequences, and an introduction to limits.

We cover everything a standard US Pre-Calc class teaches, plus rigorous work on mathematical induction, the binomial theorem, and the epsilon-delta definition of a limit — the foundations that make the calculus year fluent instead of a scramble.

Why Russian Math matters

A standard Pre-Calc class teaches students to plug points into function templates. We teach students to think about functions as mathematical objects — a shift that makes AP Calculus feel like a natural next step rather than a new subject.

Alumni of BYOM-style programs are overrepresented in Russian math olympiad teams and top STEM universities — a track record going back decades.

How lessons work

Sessions are 1-on-1 or small-group (2–4 students) over live video with an interactive whiteboard — so your tutor can draw, write equations alongside the student, and see their thinking in real time. Prefer in person? Families in the South Bay can join in-person classes at our San Jose Bernal Road center, and selected tutors across the country also offer in-home sessions at their own locations — check each tutor’s profile for availability.

Standard pacing is 2 lessons per week over the school year (about 50 weeks for the full 100 lessons). Students who want to accelerate can double up to 4 lessons/week. No long-term contract — lessons are bought individually or in packages.

Browse Pre-Calculus Tutors & Book a Free Trial →

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this prepare for AP Calculus AB or BC?

Both. The BYOM Pre-Calc sequence covers everything AP Calculus AB expects on day one, plus the sequence/series depth that BC students need going in. Your tutor can emphasize particular topics based on which AP track your student is heading into.

What math should my student know before Pre-Calculus?

Solid Algebra 2 and basic Trigonometry (right-triangle trig, unit circle). A quick diagnostic on the first lesson will confirm readiness and flag any gaps to address early.

Can we focus on specific topics instead of the full year?

Yes. Many students come to us for targeted help with specific units — trig identities, logarithms, or conic sections. Your tutor will build a custom plan.

What Parents Are Saying

Rated 4.8 / 5 across 148 verified reviews from parents of K–12 students at Russian Math Tutors.

★★★★★

“My child has been having class with Meiram. He's extremely patient. He focuses on the thinking process a lot. After a few classes I can see a change in how my child approaches problems. She doesn't give up easily and believes that she can solve the problems on her own.”

Veronica Lee  ·  Tutor: Meiram  · 
★★★★★

“Shabnam is absolutely wonderful! She's a very smart teacher who is consistently friendly and patient with my 11-year-old and 8-year-old even when they're not in the best of their learning moods. She explains concepts very well in different ways if needed, articulates very well, and has wonderful positive energy overall. We highly, highly recommend her!”

J Kim  ·  Tutor: Shabnam  · 
★★★★★

“Lilit Khiat is the best math tutor we have worked with. She easily found a way to engage with our son and connect with him to make him feel comfortable. She's encouraging and makes math accessible to him, actually improving his participation and his drive for wanting to learn more. He's always happier and feels better after coming out of a lesson and is getting more and more confident with math. I would highly recommend working with her.”

Letitia Borelli  ·  Tutor: Lilit Khiat  · 
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