PFE - Free Response Section (Lesson)

Free Response Section

The free response section of the AP Exam will be administered last and account for 50% of your total score.  There will be a total of 7 questions with varying point structure:

  • Three long-answer questions scored at 10 points eachFYou have 105 minutes to complete the 7 free response questions.
  • Four short-answer questions scored at 4 points each

You will receive the entire section all at once, but proper time allocation is highly recommended.  You will receive a total of 105 minutes to complete this portion; however, the questions are not of equal length.  It is recommended that you spend approximately 23 minutes on each of the long questions and 9 minutes on each of the short questions.  As always, appropriate calculators are permitted on the entire exam.

The following information is available on the AP Chemistry Course and Exam Description and may be helpful when preparing for the free-response questions:

The following task verbs are commonly used in the free-response questions:

  • Calculate: Perform mathematical steps to arrive at a final answer, including algebraic expressions, properly substituted numbers, and correct labeling of units and significant figures.
  • Describe: Provide the relevant characteristics of a specified topic.
  • Determine: Make a decision or arrive at a conclusion after reasoning, observation, or applying mathematical routines (calculations).
  • Estimate: Roughly calculate numerical quantities, values (greater than, equal to, less than), or signs (negative, positive) of quantities based on experimental evidence or provided data.
  • Explain: Provide information about how or why a relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome occurs, using evidence and/or reasoning to support or qualify a claim. Explain “how” typically requires analyzing the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome; whereas, explain “why” typically requires analysis of motivations or reasons for the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome. Also phrased as “give one reason.”
  • Identify/Indicate/Circle: Indicate or provide information about a specified topic in words or by circling given information. Also phrased as “What is?" or “Which?” or other interrogatory words.
  • Justify: Provide evidence to support, qualify, or defend a claim and/or provide reasoning to explain how that evidence supports or qualifies the claim.
  • Make a claim: Make an assertion that is based on evidence or knowledge.
  • Predict/Make a prediction: Predict the causes or effects of a change in, or disruption to, one or more components in a relationship, pattern, process, or system.
  • Represent/Draw/Write an Equation/Complete a Diagram: Use appropriate graphs, symbols, words, and/or models to describe phenomena, characteristics, and/or relationships.

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