Economics Micro & Macro (CliffsAP)

Free-Response Section

Make sure to read the free-response question twice before attempting to organize your answer. Also, be sure to prepare

an outline that includes all initial and detailed thoughts that come to mind when looking over the question. Both initial

and “thought out” answers should be documented because sometimes these thoughts can give you a broader perspective

of the answer. Describe, illustrate, graph, and list any thoughts that come to mind to ensure a stronger answer. When

answering free-response questions, remember these five points:

■ Answer this section directly and clearly. You will need to have a direct and precise answer with an illustration of

how you got to this point. Graders of the exam are looking for appropriately labeled graphs, clear main points,

and thorough explanations.

■ Be sure to structure your response in the same fashion the test question is structured. If the essay question has

roman numerals, then stick to the same format with your answers.

■ Rank the difficulty of each question. With the difficulty assessed, you can focus on the easier questions to make

sure you won’t be cheated by time.

■ Any graphs you use should be drawn in a clear and precise manner. The ability to draw graphs is usually learned

in your AP economics test preparation class. While answering a question, although a graph might not be required,

you may feel like adding one to further solidify your answer. This is a good idea as an accurate graph can only

help the graders understand your answer.

■ Use the test booklet as a thought pad. Feel free to mark up the booklet with any thoughts of price changes, shifts,

or any other question-related thoughts. This is a great external way of thinking through the problem.

Check Your Numbering

Getting thrown off track is often a problem for test takers. Be sure to double-check the question number you’re reading

with the question number that was just completed on your answer document. Do this periodically, because if a problem

isn’t caught early, you may spend valuable time looking back to figure out where you lost your numbering.

Keep an Eye on the Clock

It’s important to develop a sense of time as you are answering questions. Taking practice exams will help you develop

this sense. The practice exams allow you to see how long you can afford to spend on a difficult question before having

to move on.

In the multiple-choice section you’ll have 70 minutes to answer 60 questions. In the free-response section you will have

10 minutes at the start to organize and outline your answers for all of the questions. You will then have 50 minutes to

write your responses. Plan on spending about 25 minutes on the long free-response question while dedicating about

10 minutes each to the shorter questions.

Do Not Cheat

In economics terms, the short-run benefits are outweighed by the long-run costs. Cheating on AP exams is dealt with

quite severely, so don’t do it.

CliffsAP Economics Micro & Macro

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