PFE - AP Exam Overview (Lesson)

AP Exam Overview

The AP Chemistry exam is designed to be a rigorous assessment of student understanding of the content outlined in the course framework.  To accomplish this, a wide variety of question types are utilized on the exam.  Listed below are some details regarding the resources that are provided for the exam as well as an exam outline and weighting of concepts.  

General Resources Provided

Each student will be provided with a periodic table and formula sheet.  An example of both of these is provided in the AP Chemistry Course and Exam Description which can be found on the CollegeBoard site.  The memorization of formulas, physical constants, and abbreviations is not necessary.  As a matter of general practice, the memorization of how to answer certain types of questions or calculate certain values is frowned upon as a test prep strategy.  The AP Exam is designed to fully assess a student's knowledge of chemical topics and there is a great deal of diversity in the way that each individual concept is assessed.

Exam Weighting

The AP Chemistry exam consists of a multiple choice and a free response section.  These sections will be elaborated on in later lessons.  The multiple choice section (MCQ) will make up 50% of the exam while the free response section (FRQ) will make up the additional 50%.  The exam assesses content from the four big ideas outlined in the Course Description:

  • Big Idea #1:  Scale, proportion, and quantity
  • Big Idea #2:  Structure and properties
  • Big Idea #3:  Transformations
  • Big Idea #4:  Energy

Test Taking Strategies from the College Board

The following strategies were developed by faculty consultants to help you on exam day:

  • Before beginning to solve the free-response questions, it is a good idea to read them all to determine which ones you feel most prepared to answer. You can then proceed to solve the questions in a sequence that will allow you to perform your best.
  • In the exam booklet, there is an insert that contains the same questions without the blank answer spaces. This can be removed from the booklet and used for reference. No credit is given for anything written on the insert; be sure to write your answers and do all your work for each problem in the pages provided in the answer booklet.
  • Show all your work; partial credit is given for partial solutions to problems. If the answer is not correct, you are not likely to receive credit for correct thinking if the person scoring the examination does not see evidence of this process on paper. If you do work that you think is incorrect, simply put an "X" through it, instead of spending time erasing it completely.
  • Organize your answers as clearly and neatly as possible, showing the steps you took to reach your solution. If the faculty consultants cannot easily follow your reasoning, you are less likely to receive credit for it.
  • Many free-response questions are divided into parts such as a, b, c, and d, with each part calling for a different response. Credit for each part is awarded independently, so you should attempt to solve each part. For example, you may receive no credit for your answer to Part a, but still receive full credit for Part b, c, or d. If the answer to a later part of a question depends on the answer to an earlier part, you may still be able to receive full credit for the later part, even if that earlier answer is wrong.
  • It is important to pay attention to units for quantities that have them. If you keep track of units as you do calculations, it can help you express your answers in terms of the proper units. It is possible to lose points if the units are wrong or are missing from the answer.
  • You should not use the "scattershot" approach: i.e., write a bunch of equations hoping that the correct one will be among them so that you can get partial credit. In such cases, faculty consultants may well deduct points for the extraneous or incorrect information.

On Test Day

What should I bring to the exam?

  • No. 2 pencils with erasers.
  • Pens with blue or black ink.
  • A watch, not a cell phone! Your watch should not beep or have any type of alarm.
  • AP approved calculator ( see later page for calculator policies )

What is not allowed in the testing room?

  • Cell phones, smartphones, cameras, MP3 players, or any electronic device. Portable listening devices are allowed if preapproved by the College Board Services for Students with Disabilities office in advance.
  • Books, notes, periodic table, mechanical pencils, scratch paper
  • Laptop
  • Any clothing with chemistry related material
  • Food or drink

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION