What's on the AP Chemistry Exam

What’s on the AP Chemistry Exam?

AP tests are exams designed to measure a person’s grasp of a particular subject area. Passing one of these exams certifies that you have achieved a level of learning commensurate with that of a student who has passed college classes in the subject.

If you’re in high school and are preparing for college, Advanced Placement (AP) courses are a great way to go with earning college credit while still being in high school.

The AP Chemistry exam covers the fundamental concepts of chemistry such as structures and states of matter, intermolecular forces, reactions, and how to use chemical calculations to solve problems. The AP Chemistry exam consists of 60 questions takes 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete.

Students who wish to take the AP exam should expect to pay a $92 fee and must score a 3 on the exam to be considered as passing. Scores on the AP exam range from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest score.

AP Chemistry Study Guide

What's on the AP Chemistry Exam-The AP Chemistry exam covers the fundamental concepts of chemistry such as structures and states of matter, intermolecular forces, reactions, and how to use chemical calculations to solve problems.

The AP Chemistry exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions that account for 50% of the exam. The questions on the multiple-choice section require the test-taker to:

• solve problems mathematically including symbolically
• design and describe experiments
• perform data and error analysis
• explain, reason, or justify answers
• interpret and develop conceptual models

AP Chemistry Study Guide
The AP Chemistry exam also includes a free-response section with 7 questions that account for the other 50% of the exam score. There are 3 long response questions and 4 short response questions. In this section, students are expected to:

  • ensure the assessment of experimental design
  • quantitative and qualitative translation
  • analysis or authentic lab data and observations
  • creating or analyzing atomic and molecular views to explain observations

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