How the AP Chemistry exam works
The exam is held in May and lasts 3 hours 15 minutes. Check the College Board website for this year's date and any changes to the format.
Multiple choice
A minute and a half per question. Some stand alone and some come in sets that share a table, graph or experiment.
Free response
Three long questions worth 10 points each and four short questions worth 4 points each. You must show your work and explain your reasoning.
What you are given
- A periodic table and a sheet of equations and constants for both sections.
- A scientific or graphing calculator is allowed in both sections.
- The exam is scored from 1 to 5. Many colleges give credit for a 4 or 5, and some for a 3.
How much each unit counts in the multiple choice
| Unit | Name | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atomic Structure and Properties | 7–9% | Practice |
| 2 | Compound Structure and Properties | 7–9% | Students |
| 3 | Properties of Substances and Mixtures | 18–22% | Students |
| 4 | Chemical Reactions | 7–9% | Students |
| 5 | Kinetics | 7–9% | Students |
| 6 | Thermochemistry | 7–9% | Students |
| 7 | Equilibrium | 7–9% | Students |
| 8 | Acids and Bases | 11–15% | Students |
| 9 | Thermodynamics and Electrochemistry | 7–9% | Students |
Units 3 and 8 together make up about a third of the multiple-choice section, so they deserve the most review time.
A simple review plan
Keep up unit by unit
After each unit in class, read the study guide here and do its practice set. Fix gaps before the next unit builds on them.
Review all nine units
Two or three units a week. Start with Units 3 and 8, then the units where your practice scores are lowest.
Timed practice
Work through official released free-response questions from the College Board under timed conditions, and check them against the scoring guidelines.
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