AP Economics
The Exam
The AP Microeconomics Exam and the AP
Macroeconomics Exam are each a little over
two hours long.
•The multiple-choice section accounts for twothirds of the student’s exam grade and the freeresponse section for the remaining one-third.
•Each exam consists of a 70-minute multiplechoice section and a 60-minute free-response
section.
.
The Readers’ scores on the free-response questions
are combined with the results of the computerscored multiple-choice questions; the weighted
raw scores are summed to give a composite
score. The composite score is then converted to a
grade on AP’s 5-point scale:
AP GRADE QUALIFICATION
5 Extremely well qualified
4 Well qualified
3 Qualified
2 Possibly qualified
1 No recommendation
 AP Exam grades of 5 are equivalent to A grades
in the corresponding college course.
 AP Exam grades of 4 are equivalent to grades of
A, B+, and B in college.
 AP Exam grades of 3 are equivalent to grades of
B, C+, and C in college.
Free Response
Some questions in the free-response
section require graphical analysis.
 The free-response section begins with a
mandatory 10-minute reading period.
During this period, students are advised to
read each of the questions, sketch graphs,
make notes, and plan their answers.
 Students then have 50 minutes to write
their answers.

Multiple Choice
 All
Multiple Choice questions present
5 possible answers.
 One-fourth of a point is deducted for
each incorrect answer therefore take
only educated guesses when
answering.
1. Scarcity is correctly described by which of the
following statements?
I. Scarcity exists if there are more uses for
resources than can be satisfied at one time.
II. Scarcity exists if decisions must be made about
alternative uses for resources.
III. Scarcity would not exist in a society in which
people wanted to help others instead of
themselves.
(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) I and II only
(E) I, II, and III
Answer to Question 1
D
 III.
Is incorrect because scarcity
always exists regardless of society,
government, or wealth
2. Which
of the following situations would necessarily
lead to an increase in the price of peaches?
(A) The wage paid to peach farm workers rises at
the same time that medical researchers find that
eating peaches reduces the chances of a
person’s developing cancer.
(B) While the wages of peach farm workers fall
drastically, the peach industry launches a highly
successful advertising campaign for peaches.
(C) A breakthrough in technology enables peach
farmers to use the same amount of resources as
before to produce more peaches per acre.
(D) The prices of apples and oranges fall.
(E) Weather during the growing season is ideal
for peach production.
Answer to Question 2
A
B
creates a neutral scenario
 C, D, E would all lead to a reduction
in the price of peaches
3. The diagram above shows the demand and supply curves for a
normal good.
The equilibrium price could rise from P1 to P2 if
(A) consumers’ incomes increased
(B) P2 were set as a legal maximum
(C) subsidies on the product increased
(D) the price of a complementary product increased
(E) costs of production were substantially lowered
Answer to Question 3
A
B
reads “legal maximum”
 C, and E are related to increasing
supply which will cause a decrease in
the price
 D means more consumers will buy
this product because its price is
lower
Free Response
In the free-response section of the exam, students have a 10minute reading period and 50 minutes to answer one long
and two short essay questions.
The essays generally require students to interrelate different
content areas and may ask them to analyze a given
economic situation and to set forth and evaluate general
microeconomics principles.
A student is expected to show both analytical and
organizational skills in writing the essays and to incorporate
explanatory diagrams that clarify his or her analysis.
Some questions will require students to interpret graphs that
are provided as part of the questions; other questions will
require students to draw their own graphs as part of their
answers. All graphs should be clearly labeled.
Good News about Free Response
Unlike AP US History or English, your
readers are economists who value ‘to the
point’ answers.
 Do not repeat the question as a statement
 Do use economic terms correctly
 Do include correctly labeled graphs, charts
 But you must use blue/black ink pens and
you can’t have calculators

1. J & P Company operates in a perfectly competitive market for smoke
alarms. J & P is currently earning short-run positive economic profits.
(A) Using correctly labeled side-by-side graphs for the smoke alarm
market and J & P Company, indicate each of the following for both
the market and the J & P Company.
(i) Price
(ii) Output
(B) In the graph in part (a) for J & P, indicate the area of economic
profits that J & P Company is earning in the short run.
(C) Using a new set of correctly labeled side-by-side graphs for the
smoke alarm market and J & P Company, show what will happen in
the long run to each of the following.
(i) Long-run equilibrium price and quantity in the market
(ii) Long-run equilibrium price and quantity for J & P
Company
(D) Assume that purchases of smoke alarms create positive
externalities. Draw a correctly labeled graph of the smoke alarm
market.
(i) Label the market equilibrium quantity as Qm.
(ii) Label the socially optimum equilibrium quantity as Qs.
(E) Identify one government policy that could be implemented to
encourage the industry to produce the socially optimum level of
smoke alarms.
2. (A) Draw a correctly labeled graph showing a typical
monopoly that is maximizing profit and indicate each of
the following.
(i) Price
(ii) Quantity of output
(iii) Profit
(B) Describe and explain the relationship between the
monopolist’s demand curve and marginal revenue curve.
(C) Label each of the following on your graph in part (a).
(i) Consumer surplus
(ii) Deadweight loss
Summary
 Don’t
freak—you will learn the
language.
 We will do lots of practice and actual
testing.
 I can guide you.
You can do this!