Are you planning on taking the AP® Chemistry exam? If so, read on! This AP® Chemistry review post will prepare you so that you can earn your best possible score.
The AP® Chemistry exam is graded on a scale of 1-5, and you can earn college credits at many institutions for receiving a score as low as a 3, which is estimated to be a knowledge level on par with earning a C, C+, or B- in a college-level chemistry course. However, because of the variation between colleges in what test scores they will accept, if any, check in with the specific colleges you are considering to see what score(s) they accept.
In this AP® Chemistry review post, we’ll go over the exam’s format and what units are covered, give you practice resources to review, and provide you the best tips and tools to be ready for test day!
Are you ready? Let’s go!
What We Review
What’s the Format of the AP® Chemistry Exam?
The AP® Chemistry exam includes 60 multiple-choice questions and 7 free-response questions, including 3 long-answer questions and 4 short-answer questions. Each section represents 50% of your score.
| Section | # of Questions | Time Limit | % of Overall Score |
| I: Multiple-Choice | 60 | 90 minutes | 50% |
| II: Free-Response | 7 (3 long-answers; 4 short-answers) | 105 minutes | 50% |
How Long is the AP® Chemistry Exam?
The AP® Chemistry exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes. You’ll have 90 minutes for the AP® Chemistry multiple choice section in part 1, and 105 minutes for the free-response questions in part 2.
How Many Questions Does the AP Chemistry Exam Have?
There are sixty multiple-choice questions on the AP® Chemistry exam and seven free-response questions. For the free response, there are 3 long-answer questions and 4 short-answer questions.
Since both parts of the exam are weighted equally, you’ll want to spend your study time equally and practice both types of questions!
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Is a calculator allowed on the AP® Chemistry Exam?
Yes! As of 2023, you can use a scientific calculator on all sections of the AP® Chemistry exam. Previously, a calculator was only allowed on free-response questions. Starting in 2023, calculators are also allowed on multiple-choice questions.
A scientific calculator (must not have unapproved features or capabilities; see list of unapproved calculators and technology) or graphing calculator are recommended; a four-function calculator is allowed but not recommended.
For more details on approved calculators, see here.
What Topics Are Covered on the AP® Chemistry Exam?
There are two types of questions on the AP® Chemistry exam: multiple choice and free-response.
Section I: AP® Chemistry Multiple Choice
The AP® Chemistry exam multiple choice section assesses both content knowledge and science practices, with questions designed to do both. These multiple-choice questions may be either individual or in short question sets.
The content knowledge within the nine different course units is broken down into four big ideas, with learning objectives related to each:
- Scale, Proportion, and Quantity (SPQ)
- Structure and Properties (SAP)
- Transformations (TRA)
- Energy (ENE)
Questions within each content area, with the relevant learning objectives addressed, are weighted in the multiple choice section as shown; resources for AP® Chemistry video lectures and AP® Chemistry exam practice for each section are also provided. You can use this to make an AP® Chemistry study guide.
| Units, Topics, and Learning Objectives | Weighting on Exam | Resources |
Unit 1: Atomic Structure and Properties
| 7-9% | AP® Chemistry Video Lectures:
|
Unit 2: Molecular and Ionic Compound Structure and Properties
| 7-9% | AP® Chemistry Video Lectures:
|
Unit 3: Intermolecular Forces and Properties
| 18-22% | AP® Chemistry Video Lectures:
|
Unit 4: Chemical Reactions
| 7-9% | AP® Chemistry Video Lectures:
|
Unit 5: Kinetics
| 7-9% | AP® Chemistry Video Lectures:
|
Unit 6: Thermodynamics
| 7-9% | AP® Chemistry Video Lectures:
|
Unit 7: Equilibrium
| 7-9% | AP® Chemistry Video Lectures:
|
Unit 8: Acids and Bases
| 11-15% | AP® Chemistry Video Lectures:
|
Unit 9: Applications of Thermodynamics
| 7-9% | AP® Chemistry Video Lectures:
|
Notice the larger emphasis on AP® Chemistry Units 3 and 8. Intermolecular Forces (especially Hydrogen Bonding) and Acid-Base chemistry are two topics you should prioritize.
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The six different science practices are divided into skills and are also assessed on BOTH the multiple-choice and free-response sections, weighted as shown:
| Science Practice and Skills (A, B, C, etc.) | Weighting on Exam |
1. Models and Representations: Describe models and representations, including across scales.
| MC: 8-12% FR: 2-4% |
2. Question and Method: Determine scientific questions and methods.
| MC: 8-12% FR: 10-16% |
3. Representing Data and Phenomena: Create representations or models of chemical phenomena.
| MC: 0% FR: 8-16% |
4. Model Analysis: Analyze and interpret models and representations on a single scale or across multiple scales.
| MC: 23-30% FR: 5-9% |
5. Mathematical Routines: Solve problems using mathematical relationships.
| MC: 35-42% FR: 43-53% |
6. Argumentation: Develop an explanation or scientific argument.
| MC: 8-12% FR: 15-24% |
Notice the larger weights on Science Practice 5 on both sections of the exam and Science Practice 4 on the multiple-choice section. You should prioritize these practices and skills during your preparation.
Section II: AP® Chemistry Free Response
The AP® Chemistry free response questions are also designed to assess both content knowledge and science practices and are organized around the science practices and the four big ideas for the course.
The free-response questions are broken up as follows:
- 3 long-answer questions worth 10 points each
- 4 short-answer questions worth 4 points each
You will be provided Equations and Constants tables that you may use on either section of the exam.
While a four-function calculator is allowed, it is not recommended. Rather, a scientific calculator or graphing calculator is recommended. Remember: you can use a calculator on free-response AND multiple-choice questions.
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What Do AP Chemistry Exam Questions Look Like?
Because taking an exam is a skill, the best thing that you can do to prepare for the AP® Chemistry exam is to complete AP® Chemistry exam practice questions and then review the answers carefully. This will ensure you are ready for all the content and question formats. The AP® Chemistry Course and Exam Description (CED) for AP® Chemistry from the College Board provides 15 AP® Chemistry multiple choice practice questions and correct answers that address content knowledge from all nine AP® Chemistry units as well as skills from all six science practices.
The CED for AP® Chemistry also provides 2 AP® Chemistry practice free response questions (1 long-answer question and 1 short-answer question) with detailed grading rubrics. The College Board has also provided AP® Chemistry free response questions from 2019 and previous years. Not many recent AP® Chemistry multiple-choice sections are available from the College Board. The AP® Chemistry Course Description from 2012 as well as AP® Chemistry exams from 1994 and 1999 are available, all of which have both AP® Chemistry multiple choice and free response questions for practice. You can find some old exams if you do a Google search.
For example, two additional old exams (one is the multiple choice section only) are available from PrepScholar. However, be aware that the AP® Chemistry exam changed in 2013. Prior to that, each AP® Chemistry exam had 75 multiple-choice questions, each with five answer choices (today, there are only four answer choices), and 6 free response questions for which you could not use your calculator for three of these (today, you can use your calculator for the whole free-response section). Nonetheless, these are still good for practice.
Albert also provides a wide variety of both AP® Chemistry exam practice multiple-choice and free-response questions and answers, as well as complete AP® Chemistry practice tests.
AP® Chemistry Multiple Choice Examples
As of 2023, Calculators are allowed on multiple-choice questions. We still recommend you draw a diagram of the concept, if needed, and narrow down your choices as much as possible.
One pattern you will find is that AP® Chemistry multiple choice questions will either be stand-alone (assessing a single concept) or multiple-reference (one piece of information is referred to across multiple questions).
In the multiple-answer set, some answer choices may be used more than once, and some answer choices may not be used at all.
Example #1: Stand-Alone
AP® Chemistry Course and Exam Description (CED) – MC Example #1
Correct Answer: C
The information provided gives students what is necessary to answer this straightforward question and challenges students on one AP® Chemistry unit and one science practice. Recognize that the chemical species with the electron configuration shown has 18 electrons and that the K^+ can have 18 electrons.
For Unit 1 (Atomic Structure and Properties), you should flag the topic of atomic structure and electron configuration as important.
For Science Practice 1 (Models and Representations), you should flag the following as important:
- Describe the components of and quantitative information from models and representations that illustrate particulate-level properties only.
Example #2: Multiple-Reference
AP® Chemistry Course and Exam Description (CED) – MC Example #13-15
Correct Answer #13: A
Correct Answer #14: C
Correct Answer #15: B
These questions challenge students on two AP® Chemistry units and two science practices.
For Unit 4 (Chemical Reactions), you should flag the topics of net ionic equations and stoichiometry as important. For Unit 5 (Kinetics), you should also flag the topic of reaction rates as important.
For Science Practice 2 (Question and Method), you should flag the following as important:
- Formulate a hypothesis or predict the results of an experiment.
- Identify experimental procedures that are aligned to a scientific
For Science Practice 5 (Mathematical Routines), you should flag the following as important:
- Determine a balanced chemical equation for a given chemical phenomenon.
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AP® Chemistry Free Response Examples
There will be 7 free response questions: 3 long-answer questions worth 10 points each and 4 short-answer questions worth 4 points each. According to the College Board, the free-response questions will require you to:
- Explain, analyze, and interpret models and representations of chemical properties or phenomena
- Design experiments and procedures to test a prediction or theory
- Represent data and chemical phenomena with graphs and diagrams
- Solve problems using mathematical relationships
- Make or justify a scientific claim and support it with evidence and/or reasoning
As you work through practice free-response questions, make sure that you will understand the various task verbs used, as explained in the AP® Chemistry Course and Exam Description (CED).
Also, recall that you are able to use your calculator to answer free-response questions (and multiple-choice questions).
Here are two examples of the types of free-response questions you may see, as well as the correct answer, scoring rubric, and commentary for each question. Notice that each has multiple parts, with the long-answer question having many parts covering multiple units and science practices. The unit(s) and science practice(s) that each question assesses are also provided. One long-answer question and one short-answer question are shown.
Example #1: AP® Chemistry Long Essay Free Response Question:
Carefully review the scoring rubric provided for this question.
This question challenges students on three AP® Chemistry units: Molecular and Ionic Compound Structure and Properties (Unit 2), Chemical Reactions (Unit 4), Thermodynamics (Unit 6), and Applications of Thermodynamics (Unit 9).
Here’s the content that you should flag as important from this question:
- Unit 2: Lewis Diagrams and VSEPR and Bond Hybridization
- Unit 4: Net Ionic Equations, Stoichiometry, and Types of Chemical Reactions
- Unit 6: Hess’s Law
- Unit 9: Introduction to Entropy and Gibbs Free Energy and Thermodynamic Favorability
This question also covers 5 of the science practices: Models and Representations (Science Practice 1), Representing Data and Phenomena (Science Practice 3), Model Analysis (Science Practice 4), Mathematical Routines (Science Practice 5), and Argumentation (Science Practice 6).
Here are the science practices that you should flag as important from this question:
Science Practice 1: Models and Representations:
- Describe the components of and quantitative information from models and representations that illustrate particulate-level properties only.
Science Practice 3: Representing Data and Phenomena:
- Represent chemical substances or phenomena with appropriate diagrams or models (e.g., electron configuration).
Science Practice 4: Model Analysis:
- Explain the connection between particulate-level and macroscopic properties of a substance using models and representations.
Science Practice 5: Mathematical Routines:
- Explain the relationship between variables within an equation when one variable changes.
- Determine a balanced chemical equation for a given chemical phenomenon.
- Calculate, estimate, or predict an unknown quantity from known quantities by selecting and following a logical computational pathway and attending to precision (e.g., performing dimensional analysis and attending to significant figures).
Science Practice 6: Argumentation:
- Provide reasoning to justify a claim using chemical principles or laws, or using mathematical justification.
Example #2: AP® Chemistry Short Answer Free Response Question:
Carefully review the scoring rubric provided for this question.
AP® Chemistry Course and Exam Description (CED) – FR Example #1
The short-answer free-response questions will also have multiple parts, although not as many as the long-answer questions — make sure to answer each of them.
This question challenges students in one AP® Chemistry unit, Atomic Structure and Properties (Unit 1).
Here’s the content that you should flag as important from this question:
- Unit 1: Photoelectron Spectroscopy
This question also covers 2 science practices: Representing Data and Phenomena (Science Practice 3) and Model Analysis (Science Practice 4). Here’s what you should flag as important from this question:
Science Practice 3: Representing Data and Phenomena:
- Represent chemical phenomena using appropriate graphing techniques, including correct scale and units.
- Represent chemical substances or phenomena with appropriate diagrams or models (e.g., electron configuration).
Science Practice 4: Model Analysis:
- Explain the connection between particulate-level and macroscopic properties of a substance using models and representations.
In these free response examples, notice some of the “Task Verbs” such as “Calculate”, “Draw”, “Justify”, and “Write”. Use the definitions — be complete, but concise. This takes practice! Remember, an AP® Reader will review your work for literally a few seconds because they have so many thousands of papers to grade! Including a few key words linked in a concise statement is the best way to ensure your work will receive due credit. Draw or label neatly and clearly so a reader can see it easily in those precious few seconds.
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When is the 2024 AP® Chemistry exam?
The 2024 AP® Chemistry exam will be given in person using paper-and-pencil tests. The AP® Chemistry exams will take place on:
Monday, May 6, 2024 at 12pm (noon) local time
Curious about when other AP® exams are happening in 2024? View or download the complete AP® exam schedule here.
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What Can You Bring to the AP® Chemistry Exam?
The College Board is quite specific about what you can and cannot bring to an in-person AP® Chemistry exam. You are at risk of having your score not count if you do not follow instructions. Carefully review these guidelines and pack your bag the night before to reduce your stress on the morning of the exam.
What You Should Bring to Your AP® Chemistry Exam:
If you’re taking the paper AP® Chemistry exam in-person at school, you should bring:
- At least 2 sharpened No. 2 pencils for completing the multiple-choice section and an eraser.
- At least 2 pens with black or blue ink only to complete certain areas of your exam booklet covers and to write your free-response questions. The College Board is very clear that pens should be black or blue ink only, so make sure to double-check!
- A scientific or graphing calculator to use only both sections of the exam. A four-function calculator is also allowed but not recommended. You may actually bring two calculators. Make sure your calculator(s) has fresh batteries. Calculators cannot connect to the internet, make noise, or have a stylus or keyboard. For more information about acceptable versus unacceptable calculators, look here.
- If you do not attend the school where you are taking an exam, you must bring a government-issued or school-issued photo ID.
- If you receive any testing accommodations, be sure that you bring your College Board SSD Accommodations Letter.
What You Should NOT Bring to Your AP® Chemistry Exam:
If you’re taking the paper AP® Chemistry exam in-person at school, you should not bring:
- Electronic devices of any kind, as listed below, beyond the permitted calculators are prohibited in both the exam room and break areas:
- phones
- smartwatches and other wearable technology (including watches that beep or have alarms)
- portable listening or recording devices (including MP3 players and iPods)
- tablets
- cameras
- laptops
- separate timers
- devices that access the internet or communicate in any way
- Mechanical pencils, colored pencils, or pens that do not have black/blue ink
- Your own scratch paper
- Reference guides (note that you will be provided with an AP® Chemistry Equations and Constants tables)
- Food or drink, including bottled water, are not permitted in the test room but are permitted in the break room
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How to Study for AP® Chemistry: 5 Steps to Get a 5
Give yourself enough time to thoroughly review for the AP® Chemistry exam. Your reward is waiting on test day, but, like any good training effort, pace yourself to be most effective. Except for taking AP® Chemistry practice tests, block off periods of time no longer than 2 hours at a time. You can cycle through steps 3 and 4 multiple times until you have mastered the material and built confidence for the exam.
1. Take an AP® Chemistry practice test and grade it. (3 hours 15 minutes to take test, another hour to grade it)
Identify your areas of strength as well as focus areas for review by taking an Albert AP® Chemistry practice test. Be sure to have a scientific or graphing calculator to use. Also, become familiar with using the AP® Chemistry Equations and Constants tables.
While grading your AP® Chemistry practice test, read through each part of the free response scoring guidelines, even the notes and alternative solutions. Afterward, go through the topics list and highlight each item based on your level of understanding: green if you are highly confident in that topic, yellow if you are approaching mastery, and pink for topics that you need to review and practice.
2. Make a schedule. (1 hour)
Determine your exam date and format. Then, start preparing early, giving yourself at least two months if possible. After taking an Albert AP® Chemistry practice test to identify areas for study, make a schedule, giving yourself at least 3-5 days for each content unit on your AP® Chemistry study guide.
- Block out time each day for review. To review even 15-20 minutes a day is better than hours of cramming the night before the exam — and far more effective.
“Success is the sum of small efforts – repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier
- While you should prioritize material where you struggle, also review those units you know better for at least 2 days each to stay sharp so that you can answer these questions quickly.
- If you are running short on study time, prioritize AP® Chemistry Units 3 and 8 since these are the most heavily weighted on the exam. The remaining AP® Chemistry units are all equally weighted.
3. Review challenging concepts using your resources and build your AP® Chemistry study guide. (20-25 hours)
Use your high school textbook and notes and other accessible materials (like these AP® Chemistry video lectures, OpenStax Chemistry, Khan Academy, or CK-12) for AP® Chemistry review of the various AP® Chemistry units. As you review each AP® Chemistry unit, build your AP® Chemistry study guide, the outline of which has already been provided above, to include important key words and concepts for each unit.
4. Use AP® Chemistry exam practice resources. (10-15 hours)
Answering lots and lots of AP® Chemistry exam practice questions is arguably the most important piece of the puzzle because practice makes perfect! You should practice sample questions from isolated AP® Chemistry units and get detailed feedback on right and wrong answers. An important part of this process is to check your answers and read carefully through the solutions.
If you can articulate WHY you got an answer wrong and how your understanding of the topic has changed, you will be well on your way to acing the AP® Chemistry exam. Use the AP® Chemistry exam practice free response questions and scoring guidelines provided by the College Board as well as the Albert AP® Chemistry exam practice questions for each AP® Chemistry unit to support your study.
5. Get more AP® Chemistry exam practice. (3 hours, 15 minutes)
After completing steps 1-4, take another Albert AP® Chemistry practice test and grade it to identify content areas that require more review. Additionally, pay careful attention to time management as you move through each section. You should budget about 90 seconds per multiple choice question, 20 minutes for each long essay free response question, and 10 minutes on each short answer question. Afterwards, reflect on where you felt comfortable and where you felt rushed. For example:
- Do you run out of time when completing a long-answer FRQ?
- Are you losing time typing numbers into your calculator?
- Are you spending too much time on multiple-choice problems involving stoichiometry calculations?
Then, strategize on what you can do (study more? practice more?) to move through the sections that were slowing you down.
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AP® Chemistry Review: 15 Must Know Study Tips
5 AP® Chemistry Study Tips to Do at Home:
1. Remove distractions from your study space.
In this day and age, it is so easy to become distracted during studying by texting, SnapChats, e-mailing, listening to music, etc. Unfortunately, multitasking reduces efficiency and increases your study time because it takes about 25 minutes to return to a task after a distraction. Therefore, reduce distractions during studying.
2. Be consistent with your study schedule.
Devote time to studying and preparing daily. Even if it is just 15 to 20 minutes on some days when you are busy, be sure to study each and every day.
3. Learn how to use your calculator.
Remember, you cannot use your phone as a calculator on the AP® Chemistry exam so make sure that you have a calculator that meets the requirements and that you know how to use it. Recall that while you can use a four-function calculator, the College Board recommends using a scientific or graphic calculator. Practice using it as you complete free-response and multiple-choice practice questions. The first time you use it should NOT be during the AP® Chemistry exam.
4. Use Quizlet or another phone-based app for studying key terms on the go.
There are already tons of flashcards and study guides preloaded into Quizlet (vocab lists from your textbook may already be available), or you can just make your own. Then, you can be reviewing key terms and studying whenever you have a few free moments when you are out and about (like standing in the grocery store checkout, taking the bus, etc.). If this doesn’t work for you, you can still make flashcards the old-school way with index cards.
5. Study with a friend.
It can be helpful to study with a friend to talk through concepts from your AP® Chemistry study guide because they might explain it in a new way that you may more easily comprehend. Also, having regularly scheduled study meet-ups can help keep both of you on track with getting through your study plans. However, while you can also schedule in time for socializing after your studying, make sure that you stay on task for your designated study time.
5 AP® Chemistry Multiple Choice Study Tips:
1. Pace yourself.
Because you will have 90 minutes to complete 60 multiple choice questions on the AP® Chemistry exam, you should spend only about 90 seconds on any one question during your first pass through the questions (assuming that you move more quickly through other questions). If you get stuck, mark the question, eliminate any answer choices that you can, and move on. Then, return to this question later after you have completed all other questions. Make sure you fill in an answer for each question.
2. Come up with a mental image of an answer before looking at the answer choices.
After carefully reading a question, imagine the correct answer. Then, choose an answer that matches your mental image and then justify your choice. Next, justify why each of the remaining answer choices is incorrect. If you cannot choose an answer, eliminate as many as possible and then make your best choice. When using the Albert AP® Chemistry practice questions, carefully read the explanations of both the correct and incorrect choices, even if you got the answer correct.
3. Carefully review any visual materials provided.
Make sure you examine any labels, titles, axes, and legends on tables, graphs, figures, or any other types of images so that you have know how to interpret the visual materials provided to answer the questions associated with these materials.
4. Be ready to handle questions that are grouped as sets.
While many of the multiple choice questions are individual, there will likely be a few sets of 2-4 questions. Make sure you know which questions are included as a question set. Questions within a set are all usually associated with one or more figures or tables. While these questions are related, don’t give up if you can’t answer the first question. Typically each question can be answered independently of the others within the set.
5. Leave yourself time to check your work.
If possible, use at least 10-15 minutes of the exam time to check your work. First, go back to any questions that you found difficult to answer on the first pass, making sure to select an answer. Then, review your answers to all of the questions, ensuring that you have answered each and every question.
5 AP® Chemistry Free Response Study Tips:
1. Keep track of time and pace appropriately.
You will have 105 minutes to complete the 7 free-response questions on the AP® Chemistry exam. Because each of the three long-answer questions is more extensive and together are worth over half of the free response section (10 points each), you should plan to spend about 20 minutes on each. Then, spend no more than 10 minutes on each of the four short-answer questions (worth 4 points each). Use any remaining time to review your answers, making sure they are complete.
2. Make sure you review the scoring guidelines from past exams.
The College Board has provided detailed scoring guidelines for the many free response questions from past exams that they have made available for practice, as well as Chief Reader Reports from these past exams that summarize both how students performed on a particular question and what the readers were looking for. Review these carefully, making sure you understand what was required to earn each and every point.
3. Focus on the task verbs.
For each question, focus on the task verbs and other clarifying words. Underline or circle each bolded word and other key words. Make sure you understand what each task verb is asking you to do. Review the list of AP® task verbs provided above.
4. Don’t panic if you do not do part (a) of a multi-part free response question.
If you cannot do question (a) of a multi-part free response question, make up a value and use it for subsequent parts, or explain what your process for the subsequent parts would be if you knew the answer to part (a). Remember, the exam graders assess your work holistically and are looking for areas to give you credit. If you can clearly communicate your thinking, you will be fine.
5. Ensure that you follow these 5 must-dos to answer each question completely:
- Students commonly restate the question as they answer a free response question, but this is a waste of precious time. Instead, focus on answering what the question is asking. Past Chief Reader Reports from the College Board recommend careful reading and addressing of the prompt.
- The free-response questions are commonly broken into parts. Make sure that you answer each part of the question.
- When a calculation is required, clearly mark your final answer and show your work as to how you arrived at that answer. Make sure that you use dimensional analysis to help keep track of units. Don’t forget to provide units for any answers — every value (except a ratio) must have a label! Also reread the question and double check that your answer makes sense (Is it too big? Too small?).
- If asked to make a table or graph, follow standard conventions: include a title, label columns or axes (including units), plot points. Draw a line or curve only through the data provided and do not extrapolate unless asked to do so.
- Be succinct but complete in your answers, completing each thought (“closing the loop”) and using the correct vocabulary. You will not earn points simply for volume, but rather, for substance. The AP® graders will not know your thought process, only what you have written.
- When making an argument, use the structure of “claim-evidence-reasoning”, making sure that you include all three of these in your answer. Don’t just state that a claim is either correct or incorrect without citing evidence that supports the claim.
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AP® Chemistry: 5 Test Day Tips to Remember
1. Pack your bag the evening before.
Review what you can and cannot bring to the AP® Chemistry exam and pack carefully. Use Albert’s convenient checklist for packing. Double (triple!) check that you will be technology-free as you walk into the exam room: no phones, earbuds, smart watches, bluetooth, etc. Be sure to include a snack and some water for the break, but remember that you cannot bring these into the testing room.
2. Put fresh batteries in your calculator.
Because you don’t want your calculator batteries dying during the exam, make sure to change the batteries in your calculator with new ones a day or so before the exam.
3. Get enough sleep the night before.
Complete your intense studying by dinnertime the day before the exam, then have a relaxing dinner and get a good night’s sleep (6-8 hours, if possible). Set your alarm, giving yourself more than enough time for breakfast and for getting yourself to the exam site.
4. Eat a healthy breakfast.
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, especially on exam day. Make sure your breakfast includes both protein and carbs to keep your brain fueled while taking the exam. Also, don’t over-caffeinate–you don’t want to be on edge, and you want to avoid a full bladder.
5. Pump yourself up with positive messaging.
Mindset goes a long way. If you have confidence in yourself and trust that your preparation will pay off at game time, then you are more likely to do so. Believe in yourself. You’ve got this!
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AP® Chemistry Review Notes and Practice Test Resources
Here are our recommendations for resources to review for and prepare for the AP® Chemistry exam:
- Your High School Chemistry Textbook
- Notes
- Homework Assignments
- Exams
- Laboratory Activities
- Other Resources Provided by Your Teacher
If you are taking an AP® Chemistry course, your teacher has carefully designed the course to prepare you for the AP® Chemistry exam. Use the many resources that your teacher has provided for AP® Chemistry review, carefully reviewing your notes, exams, homework assignments, etc.
AP® Chemistry Practice Materials Provided by the College Board:
The College Board has provided some practice materials for the AP® Chemistry exam. Throughout this document, we have mentioned the AP® Chemistry Course and Exam Description (CED) multiple times. You should review this document carefully. Note that there are 15 multiple choice practice questions and correct answers that address content knowledge from all nine AP® Chemistry units as well as skills from all six science practices. This document also provides two practice free response questions (one long-answer question and one short-answer question) with detailed grading rubrics.
The College Board has also released the free response questions with scoring guidelines from 2019 and the previous 5 years. The College Board has also released complete AP® Chemistry exams with answers from the 1994 and 1999 exams, along with the 2012 AP® Chemistry Course Description which also contains some multiple choice and free response practice questions. There are also two additional old exams available at PrepScholar (one is an AP® Chemistry multiple choice section only). Note, however, that the format of the AP® Chemistry exam changed in 2013. While the exam used to have 75 multiple choice questions, each with five answer choices, and 6 free response questions (you could use your calculator for only 3 of these), the AP® Chemistry exam now has only 60 multiple choice questions, each with four answer choices, and 7 free response questions.
OpenStax Chemistry Textbook:
This is a great freely available textbook with associated resources designed for mastering chemistry. There are additional resources available for students, including a student solutions manual (requires you to set up a free account) that includes solutions to many of the questions within the text. There is also a reading and notetaking guide that provides strategies for how to read the textbook and take notes as well as study.
- Use this site if: you are looking for a high-quality, freely available chemistry textbook.
- Do not use this site if: you are looking for a variety of high-quality videos to display and show the material or if you are looking for a resource that is organized in the same way as the AP® Chemistry exam.
Khan Academy AP/College Chemistry Resources:
The Khan Academy provides high quality, freely available, specific resources in support of preparing for the AP® Chemistry exam. Each section includes short readings and videos about the various topics, as well as practice questions. The Khan Academy is currently developing more practice questions as well as quizzes and tests for each AP® Chemistry unit. While you can access these materials without signing up or logging in, by setting up an account, you can save your progress through the materials.
- Use this site if: you are a visual learner. There are lots of great videos available.
- Do not use this site if: you primarily learn by reading only or if you find it bothersome switching back and forth between methods of content presentation.
CK-12 Chemistry for High School FlexBook:
This is another great resource. Each section has practice questions associated with it. If you set up a free account, you can also access Challenge problems for each section.
- Use this site if: you learn well from reading short sections of content and then completing multiple choice questions to assess your understanding.
- Do not use this site if: you are looking for a resource that is organized in the same way as the AP® Chemistry exam.
AP® Chemistry Videos:
There are several great video series specifically designed to provide instruction in AP® Chemistry. One is the Bozeman Science series, and another is the series made by Mr. Sean Byrne (Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, IL) and Mr. Michael Farabaugh (Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, VA). The Bozeman Science series includes a lot of short videos on specific topics. The Byrne/Farabaugh series videos are longer complete lectures organized around the content in each AP® Chemistry unit.
- Use these sites if: you need more extensive review in specific topics or AP® Chemistry units and learn well from watching video lectures.
- Do not use these sites if: you are short on time (the Byrn/Farabaugh series lectures are quite long) or do not learn well from watching video lectures.
Albert AP® Chemistry Practice Questions and Practice Exams:
Albert has developed a series of excellent resources to support you as you prepare for the AP® Chemistry exam. There are AP® Chemistry exam practice questions (both AP® Chemistry multiple choice and free response) for each of the 9 AP® Chemistry units, organized by the unit and topics found on the AP® Chemistry exam. For each question, clear descriptions of the correct answer as well as explanations for eliminating the incorrect answers are provided. There are also 3 complete AP® Chemistry Practice Exams.
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Summary: The Best AP® Chemistry Review Guide
We have covered a lot in this AP® Chemistry review guide, so let’s regroup and summarize:
Exam Structure: The exam will take 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete and is composed of a 90-minute AP® Chemistry multiple choice section and a 105-minute free-response section:
| Section | # of Questions | Time Limit | % of Overall Score |
| I: Multiple Choice | 60 | 90 minutes | 50% |
| II: Free Response | 7 | 105 minutes | 50% |
Main Topics Covered: The exam will cover 9 AP® Chemistry units and 6 science practices, as shown below, with each question typically covering one or more of each:
9 AP® Chemistry Units:
- Unit 1: Atomic Structure and Properties
- Unit 2: Molecular and Ionic Compound Structure and Properties
- Unit 3: Intermolecular Forces and Properties
- Unit 4: Chemical Reactions
- Unit 5: Kinetics
- Unit 6: Thermodynamics
- Unit 7: Equilibrium
- Unit 8: Acids and Bases
- Unit 9: Applications of Thermodynamics
6 Science Practices:
- Science Practice 1: Models and Representations
- Science Practice 2: Question and Method
- Science Practice 3: Representing Data and Phenomena
- Science Practice 4: Model Analysis
- Science Practice 5: Mathematical Routines
- Science Practice 6: Argumentation
How to Study for the AP® Chemistry Exam:
- Take an AP® Chemistry practice test
- Make a schedule
- Review challenging concepts using your resources and build your AP® Chemistry study guide
- Use AP® Chemistry exam practice resources
- Get more AP® Chemistry exam practice
We hope you have found this AP® Chemistry review guide useful. If you worked hard throughout the year in your class, have made a good AP® Chemistry study guide using the advice and resources provided here, and have practiced using lots of AP® Chemistry practice questions and AP® Chemistry practice tests, you should feel confident that you have mastered the skills required to earn a strong score. Best of luck!
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