AP Macroeconomics - Course at a Glance - Skill Categories, Big Ideas, and Unit Progressions

Sep 20, 2026

The AP Macroeconomics Course at a Glance provides a visual overview for organizing the curricular components across the full semester. It maps a sequence of units with approximate weighting and suggested pacing based on 45-minute class periods, and shows how topics progress within each unit. The guide highlights the spiraling development of the big ideas and skills, and includes Personal Progress Checks with formative multiple-choice and free-response questions, using feedback to indicate where students should focus.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Plan

Skill Categories and Big Ideas

Teach

Personal Progress Checks

Unit Sequence and Topics

Course ata Glance | Plan
The Course at a Glance provides a useful visual organization of the AP Macroeconomics curricular components, including:
§ Sequence of units, along with approximate weighting and suggested pacing. Please note, pacing is based on 45-minute class periods, meeting five days each week for a full academic semester.
§ Progression of topics within each unit.
§ Spiraling of the big ideas and skills across units.
Teach
SKILL CATEGORIES
Skill categories spiral throughout the course. | | | --- | --- | | 1 Principles and Models
2 Interpretation | 3 Manipulation
4 Graphing and Visuals | | BIG IDEAS
Big ideas spiral across topics and units. | | MEA Economic MOD Macroeconomic Measurements Models MKT Markets POL Macroeconomic Policies Assess Assign the Personal Progress Checks—either as homework or in class—for each unit. Each Personal Progress Check contains formative multiplechoice and free-response questions. The feedback from the Personal Progress Checks shows students the areas where they need to focus. MOD 1 1.1 Scarcity MOD 4 1.2 Opportunity Cost and the Production Possibilities Curve (PPC) MKT 1 1.3 Comparative Advantage and Gains from Trade MKT 4 1.4 Demand | MKT
4 | 1.5 | Supply | | --- | --- | --- | MKT 4 1.6 Market Equilibrium, Disequilibrium, and Changes in Equilibrium Personal Progress Check 1 Multiple-choice:~20 questions Free-response: 2 questions § Short § Short MEA 1 2.1 The Circular Flow and GDP MEA 1 2.2 Limitations of GDP MEA 1 2.3 Unemployment MEA 2 2.4 Price Indices and Inflation | MEA

3 | 2.5 | Costs of Inflation | | --- | --- | --- | | MEA
1 | 2.6 | Real v. Nominal GDP | MEA 1 2.7 Business Cycles Personal Progress Check 2 Multiple-choice:~20 questions Free-response: 2 questions § Short § Short V.1 | 20 © 2019 College Board | MOD
4 | 3.1 | Aggregate Demand (AD) | | --- | --- | --- | | MOD

3 | 3.2 | Multipliers | | MOD | 3.3 | Short-Run Aggregate | | 4 | | Supply (SRAS) | MOD 1 3.4 Long-Run Aggregate Supply (LRAS) MOD 4 3.5 Equilibrium in the Aggregate Demand– Aggregate Supply (AD–AS) Model | MOD
4 | 3.6 | Changes in the AD–AS Model in the Short Run | | --- | --- | --- | | MOD | 3.7 | Long-Run | | 3 | | Self-Adjustment | | POL

2 | 3.8 | Fiscal Policy | POL 1 3.9 Automatic Stabilizers Personal Progress Check 3 Multiple-choice:~25 questions Free-response: 2 questions § Short § Short | MEA

1 | 4.1 | Financial Assets | | --- | --- | --- | | MEA | 4.2 | Nominal v. Real | | 1 | | Interest Rates | | MEA | 4.3 | Definition, | | 1 | | Measurement, and Functions of Money | 4.4 Banking and the Expansion of the Money Supply MKT 4.5 The Money Market 4 POL 4.6 Monetary Policy 2 MKT 4 4.7 The Loanable Funds Market Personal Progress Check 4 Multiple-choice:~20 questions Free-response: 2 questions § Short § Short POL 5.1 Fiscal and Monetary Policy Actions in the 2 Short Run MOD 5.2 The Phillips Curve 4 POL 3 5.3 Money Growth and Inflation POL 3 5.4 Government Deficitsand the National Debt | POL

3 | 5.5 | Crowding Out | | --- | --- | --- | | MEA | 5.6 | Economic Growth | | MOD
2 | | | POL 2 5.7 Public Policy and Economic Growth Personal Progress Check 5 Multiple-choice:~20 questions Free-response: 1 question § Long V.1 | 21 © 2019 College Board | MEA

1 | 6.1 | Balance of Payments Accounts | | --- | --- | --- | | MKT

1 | 6.2 | Exchange Rates | | MKT | 6.3 | The Foreign Exchange | | 4 | | Market | MKT 4 6.4 Effect of Changes in Policies and Economic Conditions on the Foreign Exchange Market | MKT | 6.5 | Changes in the Foreign | | --- | --- | --- | | 3 | | Exchange Market and Net Exports | MKT 3 6.6 Real Interest Ratesand International Capital Flows Personal Progress Check 6 Mult

FAQs

How does the course pacing work in the AP Macroeconomics overview?

Pacing is based on 45-minute class periods, meeting five days each week for a full academic semester, and it is tied to the sequence and weighting of units.

What are Personal Progress Checks used for?

Personal Progress Checks are assigned as homework or completed in class for each unit. They include formative multiple-choice and free-response questions, and the feedback indicates areas where students should focus.

How do big ideas and skills develop across units?

Big ideas and skill categories spiral throughout the course, with progression shown within each unit so students revisit and deepen concepts over time.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Maya Linwood