How is the Test Formatted?
- Roughly 70% of the points for this exam are based on Section 1: 100 Multiple Choice Questions where you'll have 70 minutes to answer as many of the questions as you can correctly. You do not get points taken off is you guess or get an answer wrong, so make sure to fill in every question with an answer.
- Roughly 30% of the remaining points are divided into Section 2: two Free Response Questions where you'll have 50 minutes answer both. They will have roughly the same amount of points, so each counts as 15% of the overall score of the test. It is suggested to spend half of the time on the first question and half on the other. You don't get points taken off if you say something wrong, only if you contradict something else that you said. So spit as much information out about the topic and hope that something sticks.
How is the Test Scored?
The test is scored on a point scale as stated below:
5 - Extremely Well Qualified
4 - Well Qualified
3 - Qualified
2 - Possibly Qualified
1 - Not Qualified
5 - Extremely Well Qualified
4 - Well Qualified
3 - Qualified
2 - Possibly Qualified
1 - Not Qualified
What Does the Test Focus On?
- Prologue : 2-4% - History and approaches
- Chapter One: 8-10% - Research methods
- Chapter Two: 8-10% - Biological bases of behavior
- Chapter Four: 7-9% - Developmental psychology
- Chapter Five and Six: 6-8% - Sensation and perception
- Chapter Seven: 2-4% - States of consciousness
- Chapter Eight: 7-9% - Learning
- Chapters Nine and Ten: 8-10% - Cognition
- Chapter Eleven: 5-7% - Testing and individual differences
- Chapters Twelve and Thirteen: 6-8% - Motivation and emotion
- Chapter Fifteen: 5-7% - Personality
- Chapter Sixteen: 7-9% - Abnormal behavior
- Chapter Seventeen: 5-7% - Treatment of abnormal behavior
- Chapter Eighteen: 8-10% - Social psychology
How to Distribute Your Time in Reviewing
As you can see by those percentages, the AP test does not value all chapters of the David Myer's book equally. Thus, it should be wise to distribute your time for maximum benefits and for better chances to succeed.
I may also want to point our that some chapters are shared on the AP percentages, so chapters five/six, nine/ten, and twelve/thirteen actually only represent about 3-4% of the test each. These chapters should be looked over, major concepts learned, but do not focus on them! They should be paired with the shared another chapter on for one test in order keep a correct schedule over the course of the year.
Top three chapters to focus on:
Other top chapters to focus on:
Top two chapters to skim over:
Notes: The names in the prologue aren't as important as the other chapters. Since the names will be studied in full depth later, there is really no point on memorizing the names right at the beginning of the year. Besides, the AP test has been known to focus on not the people but the experiments that they did.
Also, even though dreams and sleep may be fascinating, it should be treated as a chapter to get the main points from and move on. (Since it is hard to get real and concrete facts about sleeping, this may be a reason why they don't focus on it, but that's just my guess.) Remember the sleep stages, sleep theories, and the EGG machine, and maybe do a sleep diary or two and a quiz on how well rested you are, but don't focus on this chapter. HOWEVER, the drug part of this chapter is still needed for the AP test. This section would be better serve in the biological bases of behavior, so give the drugs and their side-effects your equal amount of attention as you would anything else in chapter two.
Another important note to make is that you will not see a section for chapter three or chapter fourteen on the percentages chart. Chapter three will most likely be grouped with chapter four, since both talk about development of humans and what is attributed to our environment and what stems from our genes. Chapter fourteen can be easily studied on a student's own time since it is more of common sense about stress than need-to-know-facts. But it may be helpful to have a day or two in class to answer questions and discuss the main points of the chapter since stress is an environmental factor that plays a part in our everyday lives.
I may also want to point our that some chapters are shared on the AP percentages, so chapters five/six, nine/ten, and twelve/thirteen actually only represent about 3-4% of the test each. These chapters should be looked over, major concepts learned, but do not focus on them! They should be paired with the shared another chapter on for one test in order keep a correct schedule over the course of the year.
Top three chapters to focus on:
- Chapter 18: Social Psychology
- Chapter 2: Neuroscience and Behavior
- Chapter 1: Research Methods
Other top chapters to focus on:
- Chapter 8: Learning
- Chapter 4: Developmental Psychology
- Chapter 10/11: Cognition/Intelligence
Top two chapters to skim over:
- Prologue
- Chapter 7: States of Consciousness
Notes: The names in the prologue aren't as important as the other chapters. Since the names will be studied in full depth later, there is really no point on memorizing the names right at the beginning of the year. Besides, the AP test has been known to focus on not the people but the experiments that they did.
Also, even though dreams and sleep may be fascinating, it should be treated as a chapter to get the main points from and move on. (Since it is hard to get real and concrete facts about sleeping, this may be a reason why they don't focus on it, but that's just my guess.) Remember the sleep stages, sleep theories, and the EGG machine, and maybe do a sleep diary or two and a quiz on how well rested you are, but don't focus on this chapter. HOWEVER, the drug part of this chapter is still needed for the AP test. This section would be better serve in the biological bases of behavior, so give the drugs and their side-effects your equal amount of attention as you would anything else in chapter two.
Another important note to make is that you will not see a section for chapter three or chapter fourteen on the percentages chart. Chapter three will most likely be grouped with chapter four, since both talk about development of humans and what is attributed to our environment and what stems from our genes. Chapter fourteen can be easily studied on a student's own time since it is more of common sense about stress than need-to-know-facts. But it may be helpful to have a day or two in class to answer questions and discuss the main points of the chapter since stress is an environmental factor that plays a part in our everyday lives.
Guide to the Multiple-Choice Questions
AP Psychology may be an easier than some of the other AP tests because for a lot of them the questions are just vocab. So you either know them or you don't. Below there is a sheet that is better than most glossaries because it condenses it down for you. Please excuse the abbreviations, I tried to keep the document the way it was for my own time-management's sake.
General Tips for Multiple-Choice Questions:
General Tips for Multiple-Choice Questions:
- Always answer the questions. Like I said before, guessing doesn't deduct any points, so if you don't know what the answer is, narrow it down the best you can and guess. Then cross your fingers and wish on a shooting star. Just kidding, but in all seriousness, don't blindly guess. It's called an "educated guess" for a reason, so pick something that sounds like it could be right.
- If you find a question that you can't answer and get stuck, move on. There's bound to be a question that you only have a guess on and if you take too much time for it then you'll ruin your time for the questions you do know.
- If you know your stuff, you're bound to have extra time at the end, so go over the questions and reread them. You may find that you misread a question and thus answered incorrectly.
- If you're not sure if you should switch your answer after checking an answer, don't. Recognition is often better at first read, so don't be fooled by your brain trying to find the right answer Your brain just wants to switch the answer because it's trying to search for the answer, and because you're not sure of the one you picked, your brain says, "go to the other one! maybe then it'll feel like the right answer! This doesn't feel right so the one you picked must be wrong. Switch! Switch!" But the other one is probably not the right answer, it's just your brain trying to trick you in order to help you. That's how I think it works, but this is just my opinion.
- The questions really aren't that hard if you've studied. They're actually quite straightforward if you (a) practice AP questions and (b) actually study psychology.
Guide to the Free Response Questions
Honestly, I found the free response questions the easiest part of the test. If you know what the terms mean, you know how to answer it. If you don't, you probably won't get the points for it. It's as simple as that. The multiple choice test is the opposite. You may be able to say what the term means in your own words, but you have to try to translate your meaning into their meaning, which can crossover many "almost right" answers and make you get it wrong even if you know what the term means.
WRITING
The free-response questions are usually application of the terms, so this is my preferred format for answering one part of the free response:
Example Free-Response Question:
A teacher is giving a test and has two weeks to have the students study. Show how each one of the terms below effects how the student will study and retain information.
Note:
**[You don't have to answer the question like this, you can just give an application or answer what they are asking; however, I'll explain later why I use this formatting.]
Example Answer:
The formula that I use is simple. [Definition + Application + Any Bonus Info = Getting the Points.] This will work for most questions that don't need a straightforward answer and just look for an application.
The reason why I use this is because even if the definition is wrong, you won't get marked down. You'll only get marked down if you (a) contradict your application of the term with the definition you gave (your example could still be right, who knows?) and (b) if you're totally and utterly wrong. If you list out the definition with it's application, you will show depth in your response and let the reader know that you actually know what you are talking about. Add any bonus info that you have, like how in the second answer I added the term "Token Economy". If you know anything special, add it in. The more smart you sound, the better the chances the reader will work with you and help you get the full amount of points you deserve. Don't leave anything to chance. Say what you know, add extras. Dazzle the reader with your knowledge.
Also, DON'T WRITE IN BULLET POINTS! Write in full sentences, don't abbreviate, don't use slang.
(They say to plan what you say, but I support that to an extent. Because of this type of formatting that I have I don't really worry about outlining. I write the definition, think of an example, done. Do as much planning as you need. Any more or less than that is just a waste.)
Sound professional, don't waste the readers time with fluff. Fluff is not bonus info. Bonus info is short, on topic, and easily understandable. Fluff is using personal stories and getting off topic. Stay on topic! Write clearly. But not. Choppy. Capitalize the first letter in sentences and add punctuation. Don't worry about the "flow" of your piece necessarily, but make sure that the reader isn't banging his head into the wall by the end of your response.
It wouldn't hurt to pay attention in English class either.
FORMATTING
Write each answer to the free response in alternating blue and black ink pens. This allows the reader to feel like your piece is organized, which it probably isn't with the amount of time you have.
Underline the term in each definition. Again, it makes it look organized and makes the word stand out. I prefer to start each answer with the definition as the first word, but you can do it another way if you prefer. I do it my way so that each response is the same, the reader knows what to expect. Bam, bam, point, point, done. Easy as that. Makes the reader's time easier, makes your life a little bit better.
Write clearly. Don't write in cursive unless it's neat. No one wants to read cursive in the minute that they have to read your response. If the reader can't read your response BAM! No point for you! Sorry, improve your handwriting, it sucks. Don't write too small, or too big, it distracts the readers if your handwriting isn't moderately sized. The less time for adjusting their eyes, the better chance you have to have them focus on what you are actually saying.
Don't have too much blank space on your paper. It makes it feel like you don't have a good amount of content. If you write small, this could be a problem, but on the other side, it can make your paper feel more neat. It all depends on the handwriting. Also, you can use arrows if you leave something out (some readers like this because it shows you revised) but too many can cause clutter and can confuse the reader.
Overall, make it look nice. If it looks nice, the reader thinks it looks nice, and then he's biased to think that you're nice and that your response shall also be nice.
So be nice.
They read a lot of responses. Get to the point, get your points, get your credit for college. That's the ultimate goal.
WRITING
The free-response questions are usually application of the terms, so this is my preferred format for answering one part of the free response:
Example Free-Response Question:
A teacher is giving a test and has two weeks to have the students study. Show how each one of the terms below effects how the student will study and retain information.
- The Spacing Effect
- Fixed-Interval Reinforcements
Note:
**[You don't have to answer the question like this, you can just give an application or answer what they are asking; however, I'll explain later why I use this formatting.]
Example Answer:
- The Spacing Effect is when it is easier to remember things when they are repeated over a long period of time for maximum retention, used in the idea of spaced repetition in studying. If the teacher gives the class assignments every few days with the same material presented in new ways, the students will remember the lesson easier and when they take the test they will be able to recall and recognize the answer more easily.
- Fixed-Interval Reinforcements are rewards given to someone after a certain amount of time has passed when doing a particular action. For example, if the students are given one point of extra credit for every hour they study, the extra credit would be the fixed-interval reinforcements. These reinforcements work as a token economy, which gives rewards for work people accomplish. This, however, doesn't guarantee that the students will spend that time studying the right material for the test or whether they will just skim over the chapter just to get the credit. Because of this, this method will only help the students that actually focus on studying, which will help them retain the information better than if they hadn't studied.
The formula that I use is simple. [Definition + Application + Any Bonus Info = Getting the Points.] This will work for most questions that don't need a straightforward answer and just look for an application.
The reason why I use this is because even if the definition is wrong, you won't get marked down. You'll only get marked down if you (a) contradict your application of the term with the definition you gave (your example could still be right, who knows?) and (b) if you're totally and utterly wrong. If you list out the definition with it's application, you will show depth in your response and let the reader know that you actually know what you are talking about. Add any bonus info that you have, like how in the second answer I added the term "Token Economy". If you know anything special, add it in. The more smart you sound, the better the chances the reader will work with you and help you get the full amount of points you deserve. Don't leave anything to chance. Say what you know, add extras. Dazzle the reader with your knowledge.
Also, DON'T WRITE IN BULLET POINTS! Write in full sentences, don't abbreviate, don't use slang.
(They say to plan what you say, but I support that to an extent. Because of this type of formatting that I have I don't really worry about outlining. I write the definition, think of an example, done. Do as much planning as you need. Any more or less than that is just a waste.)
Sound professional, don't waste the readers time with fluff. Fluff is not bonus info. Bonus info is short, on topic, and easily understandable. Fluff is using personal stories and getting off topic. Stay on topic! Write clearly. But not. Choppy. Capitalize the first letter in sentences and add punctuation. Don't worry about the "flow" of your piece necessarily, but make sure that the reader isn't banging his head into the wall by the end of your response.
It wouldn't hurt to pay attention in English class either.
FORMATTING
Write each answer to the free response in alternating blue and black ink pens. This allows the reader to feel like your piece is organized, which it probably isn't with the amount of time you have.
Underline the term in each definition. Again, it makes it look organized and makes the word stand out. I prefer to start each answer with the definition as the first word, but you can do it another way if you prefer. I do it my way so that each response is the same, the reader knows what to expect. Bam, bam, point, point, done. Easy as that. Makes the reader's time easier, makes your life a little bit better.
Write clearly. Don't write in cursive unless it's neat. No one wants to read cursive in the minute that they have to read your response. If the reader can't read your response BAM! No point for you! Sorry, improve your handwriting, it sucks. Don't write too small, or too big, it distracts the readers if your handwriting isn't moderately sized. The less time for adjusting their eyes, the better chance you have to have them focus on what you are actually saying.
Don't have too much blank space on your paper. It makes it feel like you don't have a good amount of content. If you write small, this could be a problem, but on the other side, it can make your paper feel more neat. It all depends on the handwriting. Also, you can use arrows if you leave something out (some readers like this because it shows you revised) but too many can cause clutter and can confuse the reader.
Overall, make it look nice. If it looks nice, the reader thinks it looks nice, and then he's biased to think that you're nice and that your response shall also be nice.
So be nice.
They read a lot of responses. Get to the point, get your points, get your credit for college. That's the ultimate goal.