A 3-hour-15-minute exam
The AP Chemistry exam has two sections, each worth half the total score:
| Section I: multiple choice | Section II: free response | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 60, each with 4 options | 7: 3 long and 4 short |
| Time | 90 minutes | 105 minutes |
| Weight | 50% | 50% (long questions 10 points each, short questions 4 each, 46 in all) |
| Answering | Click answers in Bluebook | Read the questions in Bluebook; handwrite answers in a paper booklet |
It is a hybrid digital exam混合数字化考试: you read the questions in College Board’s Bluebook app and answer the multiple-choice questions on screen, while answers to the free-response questions自由作答题, FRQ are handwritten in a paper booklet that is sent back for scoring. The 2027 exam is scheduled for May 6 (check College Board for the final date).
- Multiple-choice questions either stand alone or come in sets that share a passage, a data table or a figure.
- Long FRQs have many parts and often combine several units in one scenario; short FRQs have fewer parts and usually focus on one or two ideas.
Calculators and reference material
- Calculators are allowed on both sections. Scientific and graphing calculators are both fine. Bluebook has a built-in Desmos calculator, and you may bring up to 2 approved handheld calculators as well. A four-function calculator is allowed but not recommended. Calculators with QWERTY keypads, internet access, wireless or Bluetooth, or that make noise are not allowed.
- Reference material is provided: an equations and constants sheet and a periodic table, available at any time in Bluebook and on paper (4.1.2 covers how to use them).
Some older practice exams say calculators are not allowed on Section I. That rule is out of date; calculators are now allowed on both sections.
What the exam covers
Questions cover all 9 units, in roughly these proportions (AP Chemistry Course and Exam Description):
| Unit | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 Atomic Structure and Properties | 7–9% |
| 2 Compound Structure and Properties | 7–9% |
| 3 Properties of Substances and Mixtures | 18–22% |
| 4 Chemical Reactions | 7–9% |
| 5 Kinetics | 7–9% |
| 6 Thermochemistry | 7–9% |
| 7 Equilibrium | 7–9% |
| 8 Acids and Bases | 11–15% |
| 9 Thermodynamics and Electrochemistry | 7–9% |
Units 3 and 8 carry the most weight. Beyond content, the questions test the science practices科学实践: reading graphs and tables, drawing particle diagrams, designing experiments, calculating, and arguing from evidence. Later lessons in Stage 4 practice each of these question types.
How scoring works
- Multiple choice: 1 point for a correct answer, 0 for a wrong or blank one. There is no penalty for guessing.
- FRQs are scored against scoring guidelines. Each point is tied to one specific requirement, such as “correct setup and answer” or “reasoning that names a particular force” (4.3.1).
- Each section is scaled to 50 points and the two are added to give a composite score综合分 out of 100, which is converted to an AP score of 1–5. College Board sets the cutoffs each year based on that year’s exam and doesn’t publish them in advance.
Drag the slider to see how the two sections combine into a composite score:
Example 1: estimating a composite score
A student gets 42 multiple-choice questions right and 26 points across the 7 FRQs. Estimate the composite score and the approximate AP score.
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Scale Section I to 50 points. 60 questions correspond to 50 points:
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Scale Section II to 50 points. 46 points correspond to 50:
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Add them for the composite.
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Compare with the conversion table. On the table published with the 2018 practice exam, 60–74 corresponds to about a 4. The cutoffs change every year, so this is only a rough estimate.
Example 2: 3 more multiple-choice questions, or 3 more FRQ points?
Which raises the composite more? And for 3 multiple-choice questions you have no idea about, what’s the difference between leaving them blank and guessing?
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3 more multiple-choice questions right.
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3 more FRQ points.
One FRQ point is worth slightly more than one multiple-choice question: 46 points carry 50% of the score, while it takes 60 questions to carry the other 50%.
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Unknown multiple-choice questions: guess or leave blank? A blank is always 0. With 4 options, a random guess is right 1 time in 4 on average:
With no penalty, guessing can only add points.
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Conclusion. Answer every multiple-choice question, and write something for every FRQ part; even a correct equation and setup can earn some points.
- Section I has 60 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes.
That averages 1.5 minutes per question.
- Calculators aren’t allowed on Section I.
That was the old rule; calculators are now allowed on both sections.
- FRQ answers are typed into Bluebook.
You read the questions in Bluebook but handwrite your answers in a paper booklet.
- Wrong multiple-choice answers lose points.
A wrong answer and a blank both score 0, so answer every question.
- The 3 long FRQs are worth 10 points each and the 4 short ones 4 points each.
3 × 10 + 4 × 4 = 46 points in all.
- Each section is worth 50% of the total.
Composite = MC correct × 50/60 + FRQ points × 50/46.
- An equations and constants sheet and a periodic table are provided.
They’re available in Bluebook and on paper.
- All 9 units carry the same weight on the exam.
Unit 3 is 18–22% and Unit 8 is 11–15%; the others are 7–9%.
Common mistakes
Mistake 1: “You can’t use a calculator on the multiple-choice section.” That rule is out of date; calculators are allowed on both sections. Still, many multiple-choice questions are designed so that a quick estimate picks out the answer, and estimating saves time (4.2.3).
Mistake 2: “Leave multiple-choice questions blank if you don’t know them, to avoid losing points.” Wrong answers cost nothing, and a blank is always 0. Pick an answer for every question.
Mistake 3: “FRQs only look at the final answer.” FRQs are scored point by point, so your method, units and reasoning can each earn credit. If an earlier part is wrong but you use that wrong result correctly in a later part, you can often still earn the later point (4.3.1).
Quick check
How many points is Section II (the FRQs) worth in total?
3 long questions at 10 points and 4 short ones at 4 points: 30 + 16 = 46.
About how much is one correct multiple-choice question worth on the composite scale?
60 questions correspond to 50 points: 50 ÷ 60 ≈ 0.83. One FRQ point is 50 ÷ 46 ≈ 1.09.
How are Section II answers given?
AP Chemistry is a hybrid digital exam: multiple choice in Bluebook, FRQs handwritten.
Near the end of the exam, 3 multiple-choice questions are complete mysteries. What’s the best move?
Guessing can only add points. Fill them in first, then use any remaining time to check.
Which unit carries the most weight on the exam?
Unit 3 (Properties of Substances and Mixtures) is 18–22%, followed by Unit 8 (11–15%).
Which statement about calculators is correct?
Bluebook has a built-in Desmos calculator, and up to 2 approved handheld calculators may also be brought.
AP-style practice
A student finishes a full practice exam with 45 multiple-choice questions correct. The FRQ scores are Q1 7, Q2 6, Q3 5, Q4 3, Q5 2, Q6 4 and Q7 1 (out of 10, 10, 10, 4, 4, 4 and 4).
(a) Find the total FRQ score.
(b) Find the scaled score for each section and the composite score.
(c) Using this lesson’s rough conversion, about what AP score is this?
(d) The student has two weeks left to review. Looking only at point values, in which section does each extra point add more to the composite? Show the calculation.
(e) On Q5 the student earned only 2 points: one calculated answer had no units, and another part gave a conclusion with no reason. Explain why this kind of lost point is worth fixing first.
Model answer and scoring
(a) 7 + 6 + 5 + 3 + 2 + 4 + 1 = 28 points (out of 46).
(b) Section I: 45 × 50/60 = 37.5; Section II: 28 × 50/46 = 30.4; composite = 37.5 + 30.4 = 67.9.
(c) 67.9 is in the 60–74 band, about a 4 (a rough estimate, since cutoffs change each year).
(d) FRQ: 50/46 ≈ 1.09 per point; multiple choice: 50/60 ≈ 0.83 per question. Each extra FRQ point adds more.
(e) Each FRQ point is worth about 1.09 composite points, and writing units and reasons needs no new content, just a habit (4.3.2, 4.3.3). It takes little time and pays off right away.
Scoring: (a) total of 28; (b) both scaled scores and the composite; (c) the matching score band; (d) comparison of 1.09 and 0.83; (e) these points are easy to recover and each is worth about 1.09.
Summary
- Section I: 60 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes, 50%. Section II: 7 FRQs (3 long, 4 short, 46 points), 105 minutes, 50%.
- Hybrid digital exam: questions and multiple-choice answers in Bluebook, FRQ answers handwritten. Calculators are allowed on both sections, and an equation sheet and periodic table are provided.
- No penalty for guessing, so answer every multiple-choice question; one FRQ point (≈ 1.09) is worth slightly more than one multiple-choice question (≈ 0.83).
AP tip: Before exam day, work through the Bluebook test preview so you know how to flag questions and open the calculator and reference material without hunting for them.
Sources: exam format, answering method and exam date from College Board’s AP Chemistry Exam page; calculator rules from the AP Exams Calculator Policy page (2026–27); unit weights from the AP Chemistry Course and Exam Description; score conversion from the table published with the 2018 AP Chemistry practice exam.