May 2 at 12 PM
Basics for the AP Test
Format:
Objective section - 100 multiple choice questions
(70 minutes)
point value: 2/3
Free-response section - Two essays graded on a 1-5 scale
(50 minutes)
point value: 1/3
Basics for the AP Test
Content: 13 major content areas
 a. History and Approaches 2-4%
 b. Research Methods 8-10%
 c. Biological Bases of Behavior 8-10%
 d. Sensation and Perception 6-8%
 e. States of Consciousness 2-4%
 f. Learning 7-9%
 g. Cognition 8-10%
 h. Motivation and Emotion 6-8%
 i. Developmental Psychology 7-9%
 j. Personality 5-7%
 k. Testing and Individual Differences 5-7%
 l. Abnormal Psychology 7-9%
 m. Treatment of Psychological Disorders 5-7%
 n. Social Psychology 8-10%
Details on the Objective Section:
 Overall the multiple choice questions approximately
fit the categories as given:
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40% factual
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40% interpretive
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10% application
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10% other
 The questions get progressively more difficult and are
NOT grouped by category.
 Each question is worth 1 point. If a question is
incorrectly answered, no points are deducted. If the
question is not answered, no points are deducted.
Any statistic questions only require simple
calculations.
AP Psychology Test Tips
 1. The multiple-choice focuses mostly on
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vocabulary
Make a list of the people and terms you need to review
the most
2. The first few multiple-choice questions are easy
Beware of becoming overconfident
3. Take approximately 42 seconds per multiplechoice question
Be conscious of your time
4. Go through all the questions you know, then go
back to the ones you do not know
If you can eliminate 1/2 of the answers, it is okay to
guess
AP Psychology Test Tips
 5. There are 100 points possible for the multiple
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choice portion
Total scores on the multiple-choice section will be based
on the number of questions answered correctly. Wrong
answers get no points, unanswered get no points.
6. There are 50 points possible for the Free Response
portion
Never leave an FRQ blank; there is no penalty for incorrect
answers
7. Approximate score breakdown out of the 150 total is
as follows:
A 5 equals approximately 70% correct or 105 points
A 4 equals approximately 60% correct or 90 points
AP Psychology Free Response
Questions
 Directions:
 • Read each question
 • Outline the answer/brainstorm
 • Identify names, concepts, and studies that could be
used to support the answer (Academically write
everything you know about it).
 • Remember : READ-DO-DEFINE-APPLY
 • Divide answers and remember context
 • DO NOT contradict – DO demonstrate knowledge of
concepts
AP Psychology Free Response
Questions
 The free response sections are worth 33 1/3 percent of the total
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grade. You have 50 minutes to read, plan, and answer two
questions.
The key to successfully answering these questions is to
completely define the terms using appropriate psychological
terminology and then critically apply each term.
DO NOT write in lists and DO NOT define in the word-dashdefinition format. Write in sentences!
While grammar and spelling do not count, students should make
a serious effort at producing a quality piece of writing to ensure
their points are completely understood by the reader. However,
an opening paragraph with a thesis statement is not necessary.
Make connections, give examples, and APPLY the information,
much like the multiple choice application questions do.
Students are strongly encouraged to visit the
www.collegeboard.org/ap for more information on exam content,
multiple-choice questions, free-response questions, scoring
guidelines, and grade distributions from previous years.
Details on the Free-Response
Questions:
 The questions will always be mainstream or integrative
type questions. In other words, the essay questions
will be concerned with very important central topics or
they will involve integrating information from several
chapters. They may involve looking at behavior from
more than one perspective or involve some critique or
analysis.
FRQ
 You must answer the question in essay form; sentences should be complete and
tables or graphs should NOT be used.
 The question should NOT be restated since this only wastes time.
 Ask yourself “What does this question ask?”, “what am I supposed to include in
an answer to this question?” TRY TO GUESS THE RUBRIC BEFORE YOU
EVEN START WRITING!!
 Prepare an outline—you can do this in the instruction book.
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-this will help you settle down emotionally, organize your answer and
make it “reader-friendly”. It will also generate RETRIEVAL CUES so you might
remember something new and it allows you time to think through your answer
(after this it’s easy, you just have to fill in your outline.)
 Do NOT write an introduction or conclusion. This is a waste of time, as it adds
nothing to your response and does not earn points.
 Be as precise as possible. The first sentence should begin to answer the
question.
 Write in simple sentences. Style doesn’t get you points, clarity does.
 If you have a difficult time explaining a concept, follow up with an example.
 Use names or studies to clarify when possible. It will demonstrate an
understanding that you might not have communicated otherwise.
 Don’t worry if you don’t remember an answer to a portion of the question.
Remember, the object is to accumulate as many points as possible.
 Don’t worry about something you don’t know. Do your best on what you do
know so that you can earn all of the points that you deserve.
 The questions do not call for personal opinions to be stated; however, please
refer to prior knowledge or analogies, provided they do not detract from the
prompt.
 Underline vocabulary you use.
 Do not bullet or letter your sections, just use new paragraphs with each new
concept.
AP Psychology Free Response
Questions
 Readers who grade the AP free response sections
are working from a rubric. They are looking for
key terms and the correct application of those
terms
 Some students find it helpful to take two minutes
and make a small chart or brief outline to ensure
all the terms are defined and applied and the
question is answered completely.
 Should a student forget the meaning of a term, it
is OK to make an educated guess. However, the
key is to make an educated guess.
Previous Topics
 1992 (3 content areas)
 Question #1 – Learning
 Question #2 – Psychohterapy and Perspectives
(explanations)
Previous Topics
 1993 (4 content areas)
 Question #1 – Research Design and Memory (9pts)
 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
 H. A method of reducing experimental bias
Previous Topics
 Question #2 – Psychotherapy and Learning (10pts)
 Describe the therapeutic procedure called systematic
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desensitization. Select a specific disorder for which
this therapy is effective and explain
how the basic phenomena listed below play a part in
successful treatment
A. Anxiety hierarchy
B. Relaxation
C. Generalization
D. Extinction
Previous Topics
 1994 (4 content areas)
 Question #1 – Scientific Research Design (12pts)
 Design an experiment to determine weather a new drug that is supposed to reduce
hyperactivity in children actually does. Your essay should
 include and identification and description of all the components of your experimental
design, including sampling, independent and dependent
 variables, controls, and the method that you would employ to evaluate the outcome.
 Question #2 – Learning, Memory, and Social Psychology (11pts)
 One of the most useful generalizations in psychology is that “behavior is adaptive.”
Explain this generalization and then identify each of the
 following and describe how each could be adaptive.
 A. Repression
 B. Conformity
 C. Imprinting
 D. Displaced Aggression
 E. Loss of information form short term memory
Previous Topics
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2005
Question #1 – Perception, Cognition, Social Psychology, Development, Scientific Data Collection, and
Memory (8pts)
Describe a specific example that clearly demonstrates an understanding of how each of the following
concepts can lead to an inaccurate
perception, cognition, or conclusion. Each example must include an explanation of the relationship
between the concept and the inaccuracy.
• Afterimage effect
• Available heuristics
• Ethnocentrism
• Groupthink
• Lack of object permanence
• Nonrandom assignment of research participants
• Optimistic explanatory style
• Proactive interference
Question #2 – States of Consciousness, Development, Mental Disorders (9pts)
Psychologists conduct research to investigate controversial issues. Consider the following:
• The value of diagnostic labeling
• Children’s acquisition of language
• Explanation of hypnosis
A. Describe the opposing points of view on each psychological issue listed above.
Your description must provide one argument on each side of the controversy.
B. For each issue, choose one point of view to support. Using evidence from the
psychological research, justify why you think this point of view is correct.
Previous Topics
Previous Topics
Questions and FRQs at
CollegeBoard
 http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exa
m/exam_questions/2088.html
 TAKE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR FREE!!!! JUST
CREATE AN ACCOUNT:
 http://testprep.sparknotes.com/testcenter/ap/psychol
ogy/
PEACE AND LOBE!