5 Steps to a 5 AP Chemistry

grade on the free-response portion (20% for each question). The second part will account

for the remaining 40% of your free-response grade, with 10% being for the reactions ques-

tions and 15% each for the remaining questions. Each of the Chapters in Part III, after

Chapter 5, covers one of these topics. There will be a question concerning reactions. There

will be a question concerning an experiment.

Who Grades My AP Chemistry Exam?

Every June a group of chemistry teachers gathers for a week to assign grades to your hard

work. Each of these “Faculty Consultants” spends a day or so in training on a question.

Each reader becomes an expert on that question, and because each exam book is

anonymous, this process provides a very consistent and unbiased scoring of that question.

During a typical day of grading, there is a selection of a random sample of each reader’s

scores for crosschecking by other experienced “Table Leaders” to insure that the graders

maintain a level of consistency throughout the day and the week. Statistical analysis of each

reader’s scores on a given question assure that they are not giving scores that are significantly

higher or lower than the mean scores given by other readers of that question. All these measures

assure consistency and fairness for your benefit.

Will My Exam Remain Anonymous?

Absolutely. Even if your high school teacher happens to read your booklet, there is virtually

no way he or she will know it is you. To the reader, 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 chemistry students to avoid common mistakes. If you check this box,

you simply give permission to use your exam in this way. Even if you give permission, no

one will ever know it is your exam.

How Is My Multiple-Choice Exam Scored?

You will place your answers to the multiple-choice questions on a scan sheet. The scan sheet

is computer graded. The computer counts the number of correct responses and subtracts

one-fourth of the wrong answers. A blank response is neither right nor wrong. If N is the

number of answers, the formula is:

Nright−(Nwrong×0.25)=raw score rounded up or down to nearest whole number

How Is My Free-Response Exam Scored?

You are required to answer six free-response questions. The point totals will vary, but there

is an adjustment of the points to match the assigned weighting of the question. For example,

question #1 may be on a scale of 10 points, while question #2 may be on a scale of 7 points,

and question #3 on a scale of 5 points. Since these questions are to count equally, a multi-

plier will be used to adjust the points to the same overall value.

So How Is My Final Grade Determined and What Does It Mean?

This is where fuzzy math comes into play. The composite score for the AP Chemistry

exam is 150. The free-response section represents 50% of this score, which equals 75 points.

The multiple-choice section makes up 50% of the composite score, which equals

75 points.

6  STEP 1. Set Up Your Study Program