- Some Tips for Success on the AP Exam!
- May 13, 2008 at 8:00 am
What to bring and what not to bring: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/exday.html
Exam format: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/150180.html,
print and bring to class for discussion soon
Includes: Section I (90 minutes) will not change and will still
consist of 75 multiple-choice questions with broad coverage of chemistry
topics
and: Section II is that students will no longer be asked to choose
between alternative questions. All students will do the same six questions:
three problems, the first of which is an equilibrium problem; question 4
(reactions); and two essay questions
and second change in Section II relates to question 4, which assesses
students' knowledge about chemical reactions. Currently students are asked
to write chemical equations for five of eight given sets of reactants. In
the new question 4 format, all students will write balanced chemical equations
for three different sets of reactants and will answer a short question about
each of the three reactions.
and third change in Section II relates to the timing of Part A
(during which calculators are permitted) and Part B (when no calculators
are permitted). In Part A, students will have 55 minutes to answer three
problems; in Part B, students will have 40 minutes to answer question 4
and questions 5 and 6, the two essay questions
- great review website with pdf documents: http://www.hedney.com/apchem/notes.htm
Do not use abbreviations (examples: nrg, EA, EN, IE, etc) in your free response answers! Do not assume the readers will know what you mean if you say
"The nrg increases."
Don't waste your time writing phase symbols or balancing net ionic equations
- you don't have to, so don't do it!
Use process of elimination with multiple-choice questions - if you can't narrow it down to 2 or 3 choices, you're probably better off skipping that question.
With calculation problems on the multiple-choice, use estimation:
(967) (33)/ (22325) =BB (970) (30)/ (22300) or (1000) (30)/(22000)
Let's say your choices are (a) 0.25 (b) 0.92 (c) 1.45 (d) 2.65 (e) 3.45
You can eliminate (a) and (b) because the numerator is larger than the denominator. Numerator is approx. 30,000 and 22,000 will not go into 30,000 more than once. So, (c) HAS to be the answer!
WRITE NEATLY! Readers have to read several thousand exams. You may deserve a "5" but earn a "4" because they can't read your writing.
If you can't figure out an answer from one part of a question (part a, for example) that is used later in the problem (part c, for example), make up a number. Start the next problem with something like, "Assuming the answer to part a is...” You will lose credit for part (a), but if you do the rest of the problem correctly with the wrong numbers, you'll get full credit on the rest of the problem.
Significant figures have to be within +/- 1 sig fig (+/- 2 sig figs for pH).
Most answers are reported in 2, 3, or 4 sig figs, so it's usually safe to report answers with 3 sig figs.
Show ALL work! You may earn partial credit if you show your work.
Even though you only have your calculators for the 1st 40 minutes of the Free Response section, you can return to Part A (the Calculations section) after the 40 minutes is up. I would save any non-calculation questions in Part A until last.
Read through ALL the net ionic questions first - pick the ones you feel pretty good about. If you can figure out the products (like in combustion of hydrocarbon equations, where the products are ALWAYS CO2 and H2O) you can earn at least 2 points!
Don't forget about charges in net ionics! Reactants are worth 1 point and have to be totally correct (including charges) to earn the 1 point. Products are worth 2 points and you usually earn 1 point if at least one of the products is correct.
Do the easy net ionics first, then go back and try the other ones. Don't just go in order.
If you get stuck on a question, MOVE ON. Come back to it later.
When you get to the part of the Free Response where you have to choose between two questions (Do Question 7 or 8, for example), read over BOTH questions carefully before starting. You will probably not have time to do both and choose your best one.
Remember the "KISS" rule of thumb. Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one.
For multiple choice questions, if choice (a) seems to be the right one, don't spend your time working out the rest of the choices. If you're not sure, make a note to yourself to go back later and spend more time on the question.