AP Chemistry

Last updated

Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry (also known as AP Chem) is a course and examination offered by the College Board as a part of the Advanced Placement Program to give American and Canadian high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn college-level credits at certain colleges and universities. The AP Chemistry Exam has the lowest test participation rate out of all AP Courses, with around half of AP Chemistry students taking the exam. [1] [2]

Contents

Course

AP Chemistry is a course geared toward students with interests in chemical biologies, as well as any of the biological sciences. The course aims to prepare students to take the AP Chemistry exam toward the end of the academic year.

AP Chemistry covers most introductory general chemistry topics (excluding organic chemistry), including:

Exam Weighting

Exam Weighting
UnitExam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section)
Unit 1: Atomic Structure and Properties 7%–9%
Unit 2: Molecular and Ionic Compound Structure and Properties7%–9%
Unit 3: Intermolecular Forces and Properties18%–22%
Unit 4: Chemical Reactions 7%–9%
Unit 5: Kinetics 7%–9%
Unit 6: Thermodynamics 7%–9%
Unit 7: Equilibrium 7%–9%
Unit 8: Acids and Bases 11%–15%
Unit 9: Applications of Thermodynamics7%–9%

Exam

The annual AP Chemistry examination, which is typically administered in May, is divided into two major sections (multiple-choice questions and free response essays).

Old test (2013 and earlier)

The old test was composed of two sections: a multiple-choice section consisting of 75 questions with five answer choices each, and a free-response section consisting of six essay prompts that required the authoring of chemical equations, solution of problems, and development of thoughtful essays in response to hypothetical scenarios. [3]

While the use of calculators was prohibited during Section I and Section II Part B, a periodic table, a list of selected standard reduction potentials, and two pages of equations and conventions are available for use during the entirety of Section II. [4]

New test (2014 and later)

The 2014 AP Chemistry exam was the first administration of a redesigned test as a result of a redesigning of the AP Chemistry course. The exam format is now different from the previous years, with 60 multiple choice questions (now with only four answer choices per question), 3 long free response questions, and 4 short free response questions. The new exam has a focus on longer, more in depth, lab-based questions. The penalty for incorrect answers on the multiple choice section was also removed. More detailed information can be found at the related link. [5]

Topics

Grade distribution

The score distributions since 2007 were: [6]

Score2007 [7] 2008 [8] 2009 [9] 2010 [10] 2011 [11] 2012 [12] 2013 [13] 2014 [14] 2015 [15] 2016 [16] 2017 [17] 2018 [18] 2019 [19] 2020 [20] 2021 [21] 2022 [22] 2023 [23] 2024 [24]
515.3%18.4%18.0%17.1%17.0%16.4%18.9%10.1%9.2%10.5%10.1%13.4%11.5%10.6%11.2%12.5%16.0%17%
418.0%17.5%17.9%18.5%18.4%19.3%21.5%16.6%16.1%15.6%16.2%17.6%16.6%18.6%16.4%17.0%27.1%27%
323.0%20.0%20.2%19.3%19.5%20.1%18.8%25.7%28.1%27.5%26.1%24.9%27.5%26.9%23.7%24.5%32.0%31%
218.5%14.3%14.2%12.7%14.6%15.0%14.9%25.8%24.9%24.8%26.2%23.5%23.0%24.0%24.7%23.6%16.9%17%
125.3%29.9%29.8%32.3%30.4%29.2%26.0%21.8%21.7%21.6%21.4%20.6%21.4%19.9%23.9%22.5%8.0%7%
% of Scores 3 or Higher56.3%55.9%56.1%54.9%54.9%55.8%59.2%52.4%53.4%53.6%52.4%55.9%55.6%56.1%51.3%54.0%75.1%75%
Mean2.802.812.802.752.772.792.932.672.662.692.672.802.742.762.662.733.26
Standard Deviation1.401.491.481.491.471.461.471.261.241.261.261.311.281.261.301.321.15
Number of Students97,136100,586104,789115,077122,651132,425140,006148,554152,745153,465158,931161,852158,847145,540135,997124,780139,448

Prerequisites

The College Board recommends successful completion of high school chemistry and Algebra 2; [25] however, requirement of this may differ from school to school. AP Chemistry usually requires knowledge of Algebra 2; however, some schools allow students to take the course concurrently with this class. The requirement of regular or honors level high school chemistry may also be waived, but usually requires completion of a special assignment or exam, or completion of high school chemistry alongside AP Chemistry.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced Placement</span> American program with college-level classes offered to high school students

Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board. AP offers undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Colleges and universities in the US and elsewhere may grant placement and course credit to students who obtain qualifying scores on the examinations.

Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus is a set of two distinct Advanced Placement calculus courses and exams offered by the American nonprofit organization College Board. AP Calculus AB covers basic introductions to limits, derivatives, and integrals. AP Calculus BC covers all AP Calculus AB topics plus additional topics.

Advanced Placement (AP) European History, is a course and examination offered by the College Board through the Advanced Placement Program. This course is for high school students who are interested in a first year university level course in European history. The course surveys European history from between 1300-1450 CE to the present, focusing on religious, social, economic, and political themes.

Advanced Placement (AP) Biology is an Advanced Placement biology course and exam offered by the College Board in the United States. For the 2012–2013 school year, the College Board unveiled a new curriculum with a greater focus on "scientific practices".

Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.

Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography is an Advanced Placement social studies course in human geography for high school, usually freshmen students in the US, culminating in an exam administered by the College Board.

Advanced Placement (AP) Physics B was a physics course administered by the College Board as part of its Advanced Placement program. It was equivalent to a year-long introductory university course covering Newtonian mechanics, electromagnetism, fluid mechanics, thermal physics, waves, optics, and modern physics. The course was algebra-based and heavily computational; in 2015, it was replaced by the more concept-focused AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2.

Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology and its corresponding exam are part of the College Board's Advanced Placement Program. This course is tailored for students interested in the field of psychology and as an opportunity to earn Advanced Placement credit or exemption from a college-level psychology course. It was the shortest AP exam until the AP Physics C exam was split into two separate exams in 2006.

Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish Language and Culture is a course and examination offered by the College Board in the United States education system as part of the Advanced Placement Program.

Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics is a college-level high school statistics course offered in the United States through the College Board's Advanced Placement program. This course is equivalent to a one semester, non-calculus-based introductory college statistics course and is normally offered to sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school.

Advanced Placement (AP) United States History ) is a college-level course and examination offered by College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.

Advanced Placement (AP) World History: Modern is a college-level course and examination offered to high school students in the United States through the College Board's Advanced Placement program. AP World History: Modern was designed to help students develop a greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts as well as interactions between different human societies. The course advances understanding through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills.

Advanced Placement (AP) Chinese Language and Culture is a course and exam offered by the College Board as a part of the Advanced Placement Program in the United States. It requires proficiencies throughout the Intermediate range as described in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines. The course interweaves language and culture learning and is conducted mostly in Mandarin Chinese. The first AP Chinese courses were offered worldwide in the fall of 2006, followed by the exam in May 2007.

Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish Literature and Culture is a high school course and examination offered by the College Board's Advanced Placement Program.

Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science is a course and exam offered by the American College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program to high school students interested in the environmental and natural sciences. AP Environmental Science was first offered in the 1997–1998 school year.

Advanced Placement (AP) Japanese Language and Culture is a course offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program in the United States. It is intended to give students a thorough background in the Japanese language and Japanese social customs. The class was first given as a certified College Board program in the 2006–07 school year. Preparations for the corresponding test were made, but the complex computer and internet requirements were not fully sorted out by administration time, and the exam was not given in some areas.

Advanced Placement (AP) Music Theory is a course and examination offered in the United States by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program to high school students who wish to earn credit for a college-level music theory course.

Advanced Placement (AP) Physics C: Mechanics is an introductory physics course administered by the American College Board as part of its Advanced Placement program. It is intended to serve as a proxy for a one-semester calculus-based university course in mechanics. Physics C: Mechanics may be combined with its electricity and magnetism counterpart to form a year-long course that prepares for both exams.

Advanced Placement (AP) Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism is an introductory physics course administered by the College Board as part of its Advanced Placement program. It is intended to serve as a proxy for a second-semester calculus-based university course in electricity and magnetism. Physics C: E&M may be combined with its mechanics counterpart to form a year-long course that prepares for both exams.

Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles is an AP Computer Science course and examination offered by the College Board to high school students as an opportunity to earn college credit for a college-level computing course. AP Computer Science Principles is meant to be the equivalent of a first-semester course in computing. Assessment for AP Computer Science Principles is divided into two parts, both an end of course exam as well as the creation of artifacts throughout the course.

References

  1. Warne, Russell T. (2017). "Research on the academic benefits of the Advanced Placement program: Taking stock and looking forward". SAGE Open. 7 (1): 9. doi: 10.1177/2158244016682996 .
  2. Sadler, Philip M.; Sonnert, Gerhard; Hazari, Zahra; Tai, Robert (Summer 2014). "The role of Advanced high school coursework in increasing STEM career interest". Science Educator . 23 (1): 6.
  3. "AP® Chemistry 2013 Free-Response Questions" (PDF). 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Content of the 2014 AP Chemistry Exam" (PDF). weebly.com. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  5. "Exam Content". The AP Chemistry Exam. The College Board. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  6. "AP Data | Research and Development". Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  7. "2007 Score Distributions". Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  8. "2008 Score Distributions" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  9. "2009 Score Distributions" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  10. "2010 Score Distributions" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  11. "2011 Score Distributions" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  12. "2012 Score Distributions" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  13. "2013 Score Distributions" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  14. "2014 Score Distributions" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 19, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  15. "STUDENT SCORE DISTRIBUTIONS" (PDF). Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  16. Total Registration. "2016 AP Exam Score Distributions". www.totalregistration.net. Archived from the original on July 4, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  17. "STUDENT SCORE DISTRIBUTIONS" (PDF). Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  18. "Student Score Distributions, AP Exams - May 2018" (PDF). The College Board. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  19. "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  20. "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  21. "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  22. "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  23. "STUDENT SCORE DISTRIBUTIONS" (PDF). Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  24. Total Registration (June 17, 2024). "2024 AP Exam Score Distributions". www.totalregistration.net. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  25. "AP Chemistry at collegeboard.com". Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2006.