AP Chemistry Exam

1. AP Chemistry Exam #easiestthingyoudoinMay

2. Ultimately… • If we considered real estate, the mantra we’d consider is location, location, location. • Success in on the AP Chemistry exam has its own mantra: preparation, preparation, preparation. • If you are like the turtle, you’ll be consistently slow but steady. This breeds success. It’s rare that the procrastinating, cramming rabbit wins the race

3. What’s On This Piece? • The AP Chemistry exam is very similar to every other AP exam. • Two Sections • Section I – 90 minutes • 60 Multiple Guess questions • No Calculators Allowed! • Equation Tables/Periodic Table Given • Section II – 90 minutes • 3 Long Free Response • 4 Short Free Response • Calculators (any programmable) allowed • Equation Tables/Periodic Table Given

4. Section I – Multiple Guess (1999)

5. Section II – Part A

6. Section II – Part B

7. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly • Here is an example score distribution for an AP Chemistry exam* • 160 Possible Points between both sections…. So while it may seem trite, getting a 50% on the exam gets you a 3…which is a pretty good score… * May 2002…before the changes we see for today…

8. Before The Exam… Review = Smart and Successful Cram = Draw Shapes on the Bubble Sheets • There is a time and place to try to cram in things. This isn’t one of those places! Just practice AP-level questions • Get a good night’s sleep • PRACTICE A ROUTINE • Be early and take time to breath before you do anything • Bring all the necessary tools – pencils, erasers, watch, calculator (with extra new batteries), snacks/water

9. Strategies for Section I • TIME MANAGEMENT! • Speed Bubbling (practice first!) • There are fewer questions on the new exam but don’t let that give you a false sense of security. You still have to be mindful of the time you spend on each problem. = 1.5 questions/min • It’s not a rule but merely a guideline. If you get stuck on something, MOVE ON. You can come back to it later

10. Strategies for Section I • Based on the old system… • You could in theory skip every third question and still get a 5 • You could in theory skip half the questions and still get a 4 • You could in theory skip two out of every 3 and still get a 3 • The new system will likely not be quite this generous with the scoring curve but it will still give you plenty of slack to answer incorrectly/skip and still do very well. • So the question becomes….when do you skip?

11. Strategies for Section I • I would recommend that you do a two-pass system for questions • Read through the exam and if you know how to do it, then do it. As you come to ones you don’t know, put a big circle on the booklet number to indicate you need to come back to it • On the second pass (which at this point is only looking at numbers which you’ve circled), if you realize how to do it, then do it. If not… • Try to POE. • Statistically speaking, if you can eliminate at least one of the five possible answers, it stands to benefit you to guess. • Just remember…if you get to this point and you do guess…it’s just that. A GUESS. Don’t put much thought into it. Pick your favorite letter and just move on.

12. Strategies for Section I • Don’t turn any question into a crusade to find the truth! • If you can figure it out, great but most people run out of time on standardized exams because they sit and pull their hair out over 2-4 problems. • Skipping a question doesn’t mean you’re a failure • Just consider that if you can’t/won’t skip one and need to guess, guessing randomly on every question won’t exactly hurt you… (15 right x 1 point)-(60 wrong x ¼ point) = 15-15 = 0

13. Strategies for Section II • Time isn’t quite the issue here as in Section I • This isn’t the time to fluff your way to a 5 • Remember that the AP readers see thousands of these exams • If you fluff, they start to glaze over • If they have to hunt for your answers, they are angered • If you have an impossibly laid out logic, odds are they aren’t going to take the time to sit for an hour and figure out what the heck you did • Be succinct and direct while still showing each step • Most times you don’t get full credit for something simply by putting an answer together. Most of your credit is awarded from the work…

14. Strategies for Section II • Familiarize yourself with the types of questions which arise each year (see the sample chart I showed you earlier) • Make certain to box your answers and include appropriate units/labels with your answers • There’s a reason why I keep pushing that all year…. • Significant Figures • They count….get over it • Your answer can be ±1 sig fig off after which you lose one point of credit • Generally you’ll see that answers contain 2 or 3 sig figs • Thus, if you express all answers to 3 sig figs, you should be Au-en

15. Stress Management • Some stress is good. • Stress triggers your brain to focus, your breathing to deepen, your body to keep your blood sugar levels up, etc • Freaking out is bad. • Sweating and crying that you’re going to fail a test which cannot be failed won’t really help you. • Many times the thing that stresses people out is the feeling out of control. • Take control of the situation by setting, and sticking to, an appropriate study/review period now rather than a fortnight before the exam

16. Stress Management • Focus on your strengths • Make a list of things you know how to do and a list of things you typically struggle doing • Set a realistic goal of getting help with one new/old thing per week • Getting help with 15 topics at a time can feel overwhelming • Exercise is very good for you anyhow • Don’t do drugs…no…not what I mean… • Once again, routine helps reduce stress

17. Stress Management • As hard as it may be for you to believe (and consequently as easy as it is for me to say…) • This one test will not define you as a person or a future scientist • This exam is an opportunity to show how much you’ve learned in a short time rather than an example of how dum you are • I promise to still think you’re incredibly bright regardless • I’ve made attempts to make the class hard. This should mean that you’re already functioning at a high level and won’t be blindsided by anything on the exam. You’ll be ready!