5 Steps to a 5 AP Psychology 2019

(Marvins-Underground-K-12) #1

6 ❯ STEP 1. Set Up Your Study Plan


Who Grades My AP Psychology Exam?
The multiple-choice questions are scored by computer, but this is not possible for essay
questions. These free-response questions are scored by a select group of experienced col-
lege professors of introductory psychology and AP Psychology teachers who gather at the
AP Reading for several days in June to assess the papers. Each of these faculty consultants
spends a day or so getting trained on one question and one question only. Because each
Reader becomes an expert on a single question and because each essay booklet is anony-
mous, this process provides a very consistent (reliable) and unbiased scoring of that ques-
tion. During a typical day of grading, a random sample of each consultant’s scored papers is
selected and cross-checked by other experienced “Table Leaders” to ensure that consistency
is maintained across all scorers throughout the Reading. Each Reader’s scores on a given
question are also statistically analyzed to make sure that he or she is not giving scores that
are significantly higher or lower than the mean scores given by other Readers of that ques-
tion. All measures are taken to maintain consistency and fairness for your benefit. Your
answers to the two questions will be scored by at least two different consultants.
AP Psychology exams are administered to college psychology students at the end
of their introductory psychology course so that their performance on the AP Exam can
be compared to their performance in the college course (as measured by their test and
course grades). This information is used to guide the assignment of the AP exam grades
1–5 to raw scores.

Will My Exam Remain Anonymous?
Absolutely. Even if your high school teacher were to randomly rate one of your
free-response questions at the Reading, there is virtually no way he or she would recognize
that the paper belongs to you. To a faculty consultant, each student is a number, and to
the computer, each student is a bar code.

What About That Permission Box on the Back?
The College Board uses some exams to help train high school teachers so that they can help
the next generation of psychology students avoid common mistakes. If you check this box,
you simply give permission to use your exam in this way. Even if you give permission, your
anonymity is still maintained.

How Is My Multiple-Choice Answer Sheet Scored?
The multiple-choice section of the psychology exam is 100 questions and is worth
two-thirds of your final score. Your answer sheet is run through the computer, which adds
up your correct responses. The total number of right answers is your Section I Raw Score.

How Is My Free-Response Exam Scored?
Your performance on the free-response section is worth one-third of your final score. Two
required essays comprise this section. Although the two questions are typically given equal
weight (25 each), they may be scored on different point scales. As a result, if Essay #
has nine points that are scored, the number of points earned toward the total exam score
for that essay would be Score #1 × 2.778. The multiplier for each free-response question
is determined by dividing 25 by the maximum number of points in the scoring rubric
or scoring guide. Table 1.2 indicates multipliers for essay questions with different point
maximums.
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