Advice from students who got a 5!
Mona Matsuda April 6, 2019 8:30 PM PST Study Resources
About the course:
Chemistry has so many amazing applications in the real world. With knowledge in chemistry, you can pursue so many exciting careers in fields like Agricultural Engineering, Biochemistry, Environmental Engineering, Forensic Science, Marine Sciences, Genetics, etc (the full list can be found here). With so many opportunities with Chemistry, it's worth taking this class to get a deeper understanding of Chemistry to prepare for college! The AP Chemistry course provides students with training through guided inquiry labs, and a chemistry specific curriculum. If you do well on the exam, you can usually waive first year chemistry at college!
About the exam:
College Board describes the course to focus on: Building blocks of matter, chemical and physical properties of materials, changes in matter, rates of chemical reactions, laws of thermodynamics, and bonds or attractions that can be formed or broken.
The complete exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long and has two sections:
The multiple choice section has 60 questions for 1 hour and 30 minutes, making up 50% of the exam score. These questions will either be discrete or will involve stimulus and data. The test does not allow a calculator for this section.
The second section of the exam is the free response portion which has 3 long answer questions and 4 short answer questions. The time allotted to this section is 1 hour and 45 minutes, also making up 50% of the exam score. A scientific/graphing calculator is allowed on this section of the exam (we recommend checking out the calculator policy and a list of approved calculators before the exam!). The test will also give you a periodic table of elements and a formula/constants chart for both sections.
Quick tips for the exam:
Make a study plan! Organize and set a timeline for studying. Make sure your plan is realistic and makes it easier for you to stick to it! In your study plan, include information like: what content will you review on what day, how much time will you allot to studying a concept, etc.
Review College Board’s course description and highlight the concepts that you are weak at. Establish what you need to review so that you can spend more time on this content so that you are well prepared for the exam!
Find prep books that you can use to study content that you might not have covered in class. We recommend the following prep books: Princeton Review’s AP Chemistry Prep Book, 5 Steps to a 5: AP Chemistry edition, Barron’s AP Chemistry, Sterling’s Practice Questions for AP Chemistry (if you are unable to purchase these books, try looking for them at local libraries or ask someone who took the exam if they can lend you theirs!)
Go through the content, take good notes in formats that help you learn. Make sure you also review the in class prep material that your teacher gave you as well. If you don’t have access to prep books, there are also online resources like Khan Academy that are available for everyone. Also, check out PrepScholar’s list of online resources for the content on the AP Chemistry exam: Online Chemistry Notes.
Form study groups with your classmates who are also taking the exam! You can quiz each other, teach other important concepts, and even play fun chemistry related games. Just make sure that your study group doesn't distract you from studying!
Take at least 2 practice tests before the exam (from prep books or online resources) and most importantly: review your mistakes! If you review your mistakes, you are likelier to score higher on the exam because you won’t make the same mistakes on the test!
Make sure you get good rest before the exam! Getting good sleep, eating nutritious food, and relaxing will help you feel energized and ready for the exam!
Sources:
“AP Chemistry The Exam.” AP Central, College Board, 9 May 2019,
Image:
Tavani, Romolo, Chemistry Image, Getty Images/iStockphoto,
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