AP Chemistry - Exam Study Plan - Course Coverage

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Mali

Study guidance for AP Chemistry and AP Physics with emphasis on what students must know, what is covered in class, and what requires outside review. Chemistry requires completing textbook chapters 1–20, while Physics compares AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 scope and notes which topics need additional self-study. College Board exam overviews are included: exam duration, section structure, question types, calculator rules, and the specific skills assessed in multiple-choice and free-response sections.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

AP Chemistry

Required textbook chapters

Exam format and scoring

Section I: Multiple choice

Section II: Free-response

AP Physics

Eligibility notes for AP Physics C

AP Physics 1 scope

AP Physics 1 exam format

AP Physics 2 scope

AP Physics 2 exam format

Physics exam categories (A/B/C)

AP Chemistry A St. Ambrose Academy student who has performed well throughout the entire Advanced Chemistry class will be prepared to take the AP exam provided he or she studies some extra chapters of the textbook. The student must cover chapters 1-20 of the textbook. Most of these chapters will be covered in class, but the student will have to study outside of class. [https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-chemistry/about-the-exam](https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-chemistry/about-the-exam) The following description is taken from the College Board AP Website: The exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long and has two sections: multiple-choice and free-response. Section I: Multiple Choice | ~60 Questions | 1 hour and 30 minutes | 50% of Exam Score • Questions are either discrete questions or question sets, in which you are provided with astimulus or a set of data and a series of related questions. • A calculator is not permitted on Section I. Section II: Free-Response | 7 Questions | 1 hour and 45 minutes | 50% of Exam Score • There are three long-and four short-answer questions. • The questions assess the following skills: experimental design; quantitative/qualitative translation; analysis of authentic lab data and observations to identify patterns or explain phenomena; creating or analyzing atomic and molecular views to explain observations; and following a logical/analytical pathway to solve a problem. • You will be allowed to use a scientific or graphing calculator on the entire freeresponse section of the exam. (A four-function calculator is allowed but not recommended. ) See this course’s calculator policy and the list of approved graphing calculators. • Additionally, you will be supplied with a periodic table of the elements and a formula and constants chart to use on both the multiple-choice and free-response sections of the exam. AP Physics Students at St. Ambrose who have taken Physics are not equipped to take either of the AP Physics C exams. AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 differ in their content. AP Physics 1 covers mechanics, work, energy, power, mechanical waves, and simple circuits. AP Physics 2 covers fluids, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, and optics. The Physics class at St. Ambrose covers all of the material on the AP Physics 1 exam (with the exception of circuits) and some of the material on the AP Physics 2 exam. Therefore, if a student wishes to take the AP Physics 2 exam, he or she must study some topics outside of class. The following description is taken from the College Board AP Website: AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based The exam is three hours long and has two sections—multiple-choice and free-response. You can use a four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator throughout the exam, and you will be provided with tables of commonly used physics equations and formulas. See this course’s calculator policy and the list of approved graphing calculators. Section I: Multiple Choice | 50 Questions | 1 hour and 30 minutes | 50% of Exam Score • Individual questions • Questions in sets • Multi-select questions (two options are correct) Section II: Free-Response | 5 Questions | 1 hour and 30 minutes | 50% of Exam Score • Experimental Design (1 question): pertains to designing and describing an investigation,analysis of lab data, and observations to identify patterns or explain phenomena. • Quantitative/Qualitative Translation (1 question): requires you to express a justification or reasoning quantitatively (using numbers, equations, diagrams, etc.) andqualitatively (in words) • Short Answer (3 questions, one requiring a paragraph-length argument) AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based The exam is 3 hours long and has two sections—multiple-choice and free-response. You can use a four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator throughout the exam, and you will be provided with tables of commonly used physics equations and formulas. See this course’s c

FAQs

What chapters must be completed for AP Chemistry preparation?

Students must cover chapters 1–20 of the textbook. Most material is covered in class, but the student must study outside of class for remaining parts.

How is the AP Chemistry exam structured and timed?

The exam lasts 3 hours 15 minutes and includes two sections: multiple-choice and free-response, each contributing 50% of the total score. Section I is about 1 hour 30 minutes with ~60 questions, and Section II is about 1 hour 45 minutes with 7 questions.

What calculators are allowed on AP Physics exams?

For AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2, students can use a four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator throughout the exam. Tables of commonly used physics equations and formulas are provided.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Mali