Guide To The Ap Psychology Exam
Interested in the scientific study of behavior and mental processes? The AP® Psychology Exam is a college-level exam administered every year in May upon completion of an Advanced Placement Psychology course taken at your high school. If you score high enough, your AP score could earn you college credit!
Check out our AP Psychology Guide for the essential info you need about the exam:
Recreation And Fitness Workers
Recreation and fitness workers plan and lead activities. They work in local playgrounds and recreation areas, parks, community centers, health and fitness clubs, religious centers, camps, theme parks, and tourist attractions.
Richard Simmons and the latest supermodel with a workout video may have little in common, but they both get people off the couch and reaching for the sky. Like them, recreation and fitness workers motivate people of all walks of life.
Its not all about health, though. Whether theyre training runners for a 10K, teaching senior citizens Tai Chi, or taking campers horseback riding, recreation and fitness workers help people meet a wide range of personal goals — and have fun while theyre at it.
For A Few The Quantity Of Required Units And Vocab Was Challenging
I came into Psychology wanting to learn about the more scientific aspects of brain function However, Psychology can be challenging in that you have to learn 14 units and a variety of perspectives you dont pick and choose your focus. However, Im glad I got a glimpse into the whole scope of psychology because it gives me insight into what focus I want to pursue in college. AP Psychology Score: 5
The class was very heavy on vocabulary, so as long as you know and understand the vocab, you should be fine. AP Psychology Score: 5
Recommended Reading: What Does Foil Mean In Math
What Do Statistics Say About The Ap Psychology Exam
How hard is the AP Psych exam based on statistical data? To answer this, we’ll look at the pass rate and 5 rate.
In 2021, the pass rate for the AP Psychology exam was 53.3%, which is somewhat below average compared to other AP exams. In comparison, AP Physics C: Mechanics has an 73.4% pass rate , whereas AP English Literature has a 43.8% pass rate . The pass rate statistics appear to indicate that the AP Psychology exam has a medium-to-hard difficulty level when compared with other AP exams.
The 5 rate for the AP Psych exam is 14.1%, which is about average when compared with other AP exams. There are 18 AP exams that have 5 rates higher than AP Psychology and 20 with lower 5 rates. This might make you think that the test is average in difficulty.
But what does this data really tell us? Interpreting these statistics means striking a difficult balance. Paradoxically, sometimes AP tests with high pass rates are actually more difficult. Since the subjects themselves are challenging , they only attract the most motivated, well-prepared students.
Similarly, AP tests for easier subjects might have low pass rates because these classes attract less motivated students who don’t always prepare thoroughly. Low pass rates can also happen on extremely popular tests for which the number of students taking the test has increased rapidly, but their average level of preparation has declined due to the uneven quality of AP classes.
Only two free-response questions??? WAHOOO!
Tip : Make The Abstract Concrete
With all the confusing terminology involved in this course, it’s easy to get mixed up and think that a term means one thing when it really means another. Since psychology deals with how people act and process information on a day-to-day basis, it’s a great idea to connect terms to specific scenarios in your life.
For example, you might connect a term such as “reciprocity norm,” which says that people tend to treat others the same way they have been treated, to a situation in which a store employee was rude to you. Maybe they received poor treatment from other customers and were reflecting that back onto you .
When you make this type of connection, the term becomes stickier in your memory because it’s tied to the heavy weight of a real-life experience. You can practice applying psychology terms to your everyday life at any time as the concepts are constantly demonstrated all around us.
I don’t mean that you should literally make things concrete. However, even this picture could be relevant because it looks like a scene from some sort of serial killer horror movie. You can use it to remember Antisocial Personality Disorder.
Also Check: What Does Physical Geography Mean
Engineering And Science Managers
Engineering managers oversee engineers, scientists, and technicians who design and develop machinery, products, and systems. Science managers direct the research and development projects of life and physical scientists.
Whether checking the work done by an engineer or directing a team of medical scientists on a biomedical project, engineering and science managers work on two levels at once.
Understanding complex science and math concepts is only the beginning. They also need to know how to translate those concepts to customers. And they use management skills to help the engineers and scientists they work with meet deadlines and complete projects.
Why Everybody Should Take Psychology In High School
Ever since the first day of ninth grade, I knew I would end up taking AP Psychology before I graduated. And I knew that when I did, it would probably turn out to be my favorite class of my entire high school experience.
As it turns out, that’s exactly what happened. I am now a quarter of the way done with my junior year, and a quarter of the way done with AP Psychology. Which, as I predicted, is by far my favorite class. But not for the reasons I thought it would be.
I decided to take the class because it seemed like the obvious thing to do. At my school, it is a course that is known for being an easy A. Everyone who ever took the class gave the teacher, who is infamously easygoing, rave reviews, both on RateMyTeachers.com and in casual hallway conversation. As long as you do your homework and study a little the night before each test, it’ll be one less class to worry about. Not to mention the GPA boost because of it being an AP class.
Now I am three months into the year, and third period psych still never fails to be the highlight of my day at school.
Now, here’s the catch: I easily spend more time on my psychology homework every night than I do any other class. Not only that, but we take a test at least every other week, and I find myself up in my room, hunched over the Psychology textbook for hours studying before each one. I can’t say the same for any other class, including math, my worst subject.
And isn’t that more important than a letter on a report card?
Also Check: What Is Fixed Geometry Turbocharger
Tip : Get Familiar With Important Terms
You’ll need to have extensive knowledge of the definitions of psychological terms for both the multiple-choice and free-response sections of the test. Some definitions are relatively intuitive, but others are almost impossible to figure out if you haven’t studied them directly.
Be meticulous about going over all the terms covered in your class so that you don’t second-guess yourself on the test. This is especially important for free-response questions for which you will be asked to describe how terms relate to certain situations. You need to understand them beyond just the ability to pick their correct definitions out of a multiple-choice lineup. Flashcards are a particularly useful study tool for AP Psychology.
Looking for help studying for your AP exam?
Our one-on-one online AP tutoring services can help you prepare for your AP exams. Get matched with a top tutor who got a high score on the exam you’re studying for!
Business Administration And Management
This program prepares students to plan, organize, direct, and control an organization’s activities.
With the creation of large factories in the late 1800s came the need to manage large groups of workers. In his 1911 book The Principles of Scientific Management, Frederick Winslow Taylor addressed that need. He suggested that each worker be trained to do a single task with no wasted effort. His philosophy made such a big impact on the business world that it was nicknamed Taylorism and is still studied today.
Of course, theres a lot of disagreement about Taylorism: some people argue that it’s inhumane, while others celebrate the increased productivity it has led to. As a student in business management, youll add your voice to this debate and others like it.
Read Also: What Does Infrastructure Mean In Geography
Exhibit Designers And Museum Technicians
Exhibit designers and museum technicians plan, design, and put together exhibits and displays in museums, galleries, zoos, and other cultural institutions.
Visit the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. There you can step onto a 1950s-era bus and hear the driver tell you to move to the back. A statue of Rosa Parks sits at the front with her head held high. In the Maritime Museum in Barcelona, Spain, you can climb aboard a full-scale reproduction of a sixteenth-century ship and watch projected images of the crew at their oars.
In a retrospective traveling from one museum to another, you can view the work of a single artist. As you pass before her paintings, you watch her mature through the decades and read about her influences. In zoos all over the world, you can view animals ranging from primates to panthers in exhibits re-creating their natural habitats.
Should I Take Ap World History Or Ap Psychology
Hello, I am a sophomore planning my course schedule for my junior year, and I am deciding between two AP classes, AP psychology and AP world history. I feel that my interests lie more in psychology, and I would also probably do better in this class because of its easier reputation. However I feel that AP world history would help better my writing and critical thinking skills. What scares me though is that Ive heard that even the smart kids at my school earn grades like a B or B-, so I feel that my GPA would suffer more because of that.
I might be overthinking this dilemma, but do you think it would look better to colleges to earn a B+ / A- in an easier AP like psychology or a B / B- in a harder class like AP world history?
I think of high school as the foundation for your knowledge for life. If you dont pursue a topic in college, your high school exposure will be all you know or the basis for self-learning. For that reason alone, I would pick APWH, a good survey course, over psych, which is more of an elective.
I would consider the rest of the schedule to make sure you have a good balance in terms of work and rigor.
You can take psych later or even in college. Colleges understand the relative rigor of these classes, btw.
APWH is the safer bet for a wider range of selective colleges because it is the more rigorous of the two.
It would look better to get an A in the harder class. And every college AO knows the relative rigor of APHW vs AP Psych.
Recommended Reading: What Is An Isthmus In Geography
Should I Take Ap Biology If I Want To Be A Doctor
Yes. AP classes in the first two years of high school are not necessary for medical school admission. You just need to show that youre taking the most challenging courses available and doing well in them.
What year of high school should you take AP Biology?
In what year of high school should students take AP Biology? Depending on the program sequence, most students enroll in AP Biology during their junior or senior year. Since a first course in biology and a first course in chemistry are often prerequisites, this allows time for completion of those courses and also gives students
Quotes From Students That Have Taken Ap Psychology
“AP Psychology was truly insightful as it opened the door to secrets about me that I hadnt yet discovered, teaching me how my mind works and thinks. The course allowed me to understand why certain parts of my brain and body functioned in various ways. I was fascinated!” Meghna P.
“AP Psych, by all means, was worth it! Personally, what I loved most about it was that everything we learned was so directly applicable to real life.” Mishika G.
“AP Psych was more than worth it. It had a unique curriculum that incorporated science, history, and language all in one. I usually forget content after taking the test, but the information I learned in AP Psych has truly stuck with me.” Lillian M.
“AP Psych is not related to my major, but it taught me so much about culture, how people behave/interact, and how to communicate well with others. It taught me people skills, how to have a good school-work-life balance, proper eating/sleeping/studying habits and cultural differences!” Colleen B.
Read Also: How Many Laws Are There In Physics
Where Can I Find Past Ap Psychology Exams
Past AP® Psychology exams for the last 20 years can be found on the AP® Central website.
You should take the time to review the free-response questions for the last few years. Reviewing these questions can help you understand what kinds of questions have been asked in the past. You can also see examples of answers that have received full points in the past. This information will allow you to better prepare for these difficult and rigorous questions.
Below you will find links to the free-response questions for the AP® Psychology exam for recent years:
You can also prepare in advance for the multiple choice portion of the AP® Psychology exam. The College Board has provided a few multiple choice questions in their AP® Psychology Course and Exam Description. This guide only provides a few multiple choice questions, however, so it wont cover all of the concepts that will be covered on the actual exam.
You can get more multiple choice practice on Alberts AP® Psychology exam prep page. This page provides hundreds of additional multiple choice questions that are aligned with the learning objectives of the AP® Psychology course.
To fully prepare for the AP® Psychology exam, you should explore all of the resources available on the AP® Central website. The College Board has compiled a wealth of useful information that can help you boost your score.
Network Systems And Data Communications Analysts
Network systems and data communications analysts plan, design, build, maintain, and test networks and other data communications systems.
As a network systems and data communications analyst, you’ll play a crucial role in the workplace, making it possible for others to do their jobs. Without networks — and analysts — computers would be unable to share information. Also called network architects and network engineers, analysts make sure that emails can be sent and received, employees can work together on the same document, and private information is protected from prying eyes.Smooth day-to-day operations are only the beginning, though. In this job, you’ll also strive to predict the future needs of your users and improve the network so that it can meet those needs.
Also Check: Geometry Homework Chapter 12 Prisms And Cylinders Practice Worksheet
News Analysts Reporters And Correspondents
News analysts, reporters, and correspondents gather information and prepare stories for broadcast , print , and online media.
If youre a news junkie — or just someone with insatiable curiosity — a media job may be your calling. But be ready to fly by the seat of your pants, because some days youll feel like youre part of a three-ring circus.
News analysts, also called newscasters, interpret news from outside sources and broadcast it on radio or TV. Reporters gather the facts themselves, writing stories for print or broadcast. Correspondents serve a similar function, but are stationed in specific cities. Whatever your role, youll sweat bullets to gather the facts and deliver on deadline. But if you love the thrill of the chase and have strong communication skills, you may be made for this line of work.
Drama And Dance Teacher Education
If you choose this major, youll learn how to teach drama and/or dance to students of various ages .
When you see an incredible drama or dance performance, you might get the feeling that the performer was just born to be onstage. The fact is that many stars had wonderful teachers who encouraged and motivated them.
Tom Hanks, for example, credits his high school acting teacher for inspiring him. And gifted performers often complete the cycle by themselves becoming teachers. If you love being onstage and enjoy teaching others what you know, consider majoring in drama or dance education.
Also Check: What Is Conditioned Response In Psychology
What Is On The Ap Psychology Exam
So what is on the AP Psychology exam? In short, youll be tested on nine units, from Scientific Foundations of Psychology to Social Psychology.
Like other exams, the Psychology exam consists of two sections: multiple-choice and free-response questions. The multiple choice section, which is allotted one hour and ten minutes, is worth two-thirds of a students score, and contains two distinct types of questions. The first type asks students to define and explain content from the course topics and the second asks them to apply skills of concept understanding, data analysis, and scientific investigation.
Free response questions, on the other hand, consist of two questions that are allotted fifty minutes in total, and are worth 33.3% of the exam score. The first question tests students understanding of psychology concepts, asking students to define, explain, and apply concepts, theories and perspectives. The second is a more holistic test of understanding that includes general concepts but also analyzing and interpreting scientific data and research studies.