TACKLING THE
AP PSYCHOLOGY EXAM
How to survive
getting a 5
Overview of AP Exam
• 100 MC 70 mins.
2/3 of score 100 points
• 2 FRQ 50 mins.
1/3 of score 50 points
150 points
~42sec/?
~25min/?
Strategies to conquer
the multiple choice
questions….
1. Be confident!
• Understand how the test is
scored
• Prepare carefully
• JSYK (Just Show You Know)
2. Know the lay-out
• Questions increase in difficulty,
so pace yourself!
First 1/3
Second 1/3
Final 1/3
easy
harder
difficult
3. Know the scoring
• 1 point for each correct response
• -1 point for each blank response
• -1.25 for each incorrect response
So……..
…should you guess???
It depends.
5 possible answers -- A. B. C. D. E.
If you can eliminate 1 answer:
E[V]=(.75)(-.25)+(.25)(1.0)= -.1875+.25=.0625
If you can eliminate 2 answers:
E[V]=(.67)(-.25)+(.33)(1.0)= -.1675+.33=.1625
If you can eliminate 3 answers:
E[V]=(.5)(-.25)+(.5)(1.0)= -.125+.5=.375
Should you guess? YES….if you can
eliminate at least one answer.
4. Attacking the MC questions
ABA ~ Answer Before Answer
• Cover choices – go for recall
• Read question carefully: underline key
words and define them
• Identify unit associated with ?
• Stimulate retrieval cues by
thinking about vivid examples/
activities from class and text
• Predict answer
POE ~ Process of Elimination
• Cross out known incorrect choices
• Go for recognition
• Especially use in second 1/3 of ?s
SIO ~ Skip if
recognition
If clueless, skip ~ especially in last 1/3
• Leave lots of blanks on the last 1/3 if
you have been doing poorly on the
class MCTs. If you have been
averaging As and Bs, take your
best shot.
MQ ~ Mark Qualifiers
• Always mark qualifiers
• Key words that give direction to your
answer
Practice Quiz ~ Memory
1. MQ ~ As you read each question,
write down the qualifier/s.
2. Answer the question.
3. After you answer each question, write
the strategy you used.
ABA
POE
SIO
1. Which of the following types of
memory stores information for only
about 20 seconds?
a. short-term (STM)
b. long-term (LTM)
c. intermediate (IM)
d. sensory (SM)
2. Which of the following is true about STM?
a. Information stored in it is coded verbally.
b. It can hold only about 5-9 bits of
information.
c. Information stored in it lasts
only about 20 seconds unless
it is rehearsed.
d. all of the above.
3. Joan just looked up a phone number,
closed the phone book, and then
repeated the number to herself as she
was reaching for and dialing the
phone. She was keeping this
information in _____.
a. SM
b. STM
c. LTM
d. none of the above
4. STM is to LTM as _____ is to _____.
a. verbal, semantic
b. 5 to 9, unlimited
c. 20 seconds, relatively permanent
d. all of the above
5. Which of the following is the correct
sequence of memory processing
through which information passes as it
is processed by the human memory
system?
a. SM to STM to LTM
b. STM to SM to LTM
c. SM to LTM to STM
d. STM to LTM to SM
6. Which of the following is the best
explanation of why Tom has already
forgotten the name of the person to whom
he was introduced only 5 minutes ago?
a. The name was never in Tom’s STM.
b. The name was lost from Tom’s LTM.
c. Tom did not successfully
transfer the name from his
STM to his LTM.
d. Tom did not successfully
transfer the name from his
LTM to his STM.
4 Types of MCQs
1. Factual (40 per test)
•
•
•
•
Straightforward
Details
Definitions
Basic concepts
2. Interpretive (40 per test)
• Learn a set of characteristics
• If….then…
• Solve
3. Applied (10 per test)
• Examples
• Cases
• Scenarios
4. Mix (10 per test)
• Combination of Factual, Interpretive,
and Applied
After the test….
# Right
_____
# Wrong _____
# Skips
_____
# Guesses _____
got right _____
got wrong _____
“Guaranteed Success”
Strategies:
• Pay attention all year
• Study hard all year
• Learn lots of psychology!!

Strategies to conquer
the FRQs! 
• Write a paragraph, as you have been
taught in English, on a sunset.
• “The sun set.”
• FRQs ~ Write for points, not poetry!
FRQ-y Facts…
1. Avoid introduction and summation
paragraphs
2. Get straight to the point!!
* address the question
* write concisely – only complete sentences
will be scored
*include psychological terminology and
researchers T - D - A
*present in an organized format
3. Not creative ~ an analysis and evaluation
FRQ-ish Scoring…
• 2 FRQs worth 25 points each = 50 points
• Most FRQs have 6 -12 tasks – you receive
one point for every correct task
So…if there are 10 tasks in a FRQ, and
you got 5 correct, your score is computed
as follows:
5 / 10 X
2.5
= 12.5/25
Your score/# tasks X # to bring total to 25 =
WRITE CONCISELY – To score all the
points you can, write quick style!
• This is NOT an essay, so no intro, no
concluding paragraph are needed
• Don’t overwrite, no blah…blah…no longwinded explanations of research
• Give them what they want and get on to
the next question within 20 minutes
• Use NO bullets, no phrases…only whole
sentences count!
• Never cross out (you might be right!)…just
write on and get onto the next question
ANSWER COMPLETELY – To score all
the points you can, think!
• Read both questions CAREFULLY, think
about the problem each presents
• Circle the demands or tasks you think the
question asks you to do
• Underline the terms you think you need to
define and apply to the problem
• Count the number of points called for
(usually between 6-12 per FRQ)
• Check off (√) the terms after you think you
have defined and applied them
SEPARATE DEFINITION FROM
APPLICATION – To score BOTH
points!
T = take the term or concept, underline it
when you write it
D = define the term first off without re-using
the term (circular definition)
* check off (√) on the greenie prompt
that you defined it
A = apply the term to the problem without
repeating the definition again
* check off (√) on the greenie prompt
that you applied it
BE SPECIFIC – Describe behavior in
observable terms. It scores!!
For example: “trying harder” doesn’t
score…too vague 
but “studying two extra hours” does…it’s
specific 
“He rewarded the kid” doesn’t score…poor
terminology 
but “He positively reinforced his behavior
by giving him candy for each time he
answered correctly” does…nice TDA 
USE TEXTBOOK PSYCH
TERMINOLOGY – show you know sci
psych!
• Bring out the psych terms of the glossary
you memorized, yeah?! Remember those
flashcards and vocabulary lists! 
• BEWARE – that means be aware of terms
that can be confused…use our mnemonics
for commonly confused terms*
Read the FRQs carefully and mark/
number each task
Design and describe an experiment to measure the
relationship between rehearsal/repetition of a list of
words and later recall of that same list of words. In
your answer you should formulate a hypothesis and
include a description of each of the following.
A. Population
B. Subject selection
C. Independent variable
D. Dependent variable
E. Experimental group
F. Control group
G. Potential confounding variable
~from 1993 AP Exam
Make a chart before you begin…
TERM
Population
Subject
selection
Independent
variable
Dependent
variable
ETC.
Definition
Application