AP chemistry exams are perceived as difficult and complex, and researchers often find studying for this exam to be quite intimidating. Whether you are studying on your own and trying to find the right resources, courses and materials, or working with the help of a teacher or a friend, it has been shown to be a stressful experience, especially if you are unfamiliar with the subject and everything seems new and intimidating to you.
Difficult or not?
There are several factors that can determine whether your AP class is hard or not. If you take a look at the data, you will be able to find out which classes have the highest and lowest scores and information on the percentage of students who passed the test. This way you will go through years of data and spot any differences or patterns that are present. However, this is not a clear indicator of difficulty, although you can consider this aspect as well as all the others. Unfortunately, seeing Chemistry at the bottom of the list for a year doesn’t give you any confidence – quite the contrary.
The data indicates that only a few exams have even lower percentages when it comes to grading rate and pass rate, and these are exams such as Physics, environmental science or the history of the world. On the other hand, there are classes at the top of the list that are quite close to 100% and these are languages, arts or design or BC calculus. Sounds scary, doesn’t it?
A demanding exam
If we rule out the difficult factors such as a tough teacher, or the fact that chemistry is not your personal favorite, there are some general factors that need to be taken into account. If we talk about the level of difficulty of the AP exams, the AP classes that are the most difficult according to the majority of schools and students, are those that have great programs, a lot of material to assimilate and understand, as well as final exams. difficult. more tests in between. Based on your personal preferences, you might find history easier than math, or you might find physics easier than languages.
But when it comes to the time and effort it takes to pass these exams at high score rates, as well as the huge amount of memorization to pass, the most difficult AP tests are History, Biology, physics C and finally – Chemistry, which tops the list of nightmares for many students. What is so difficult about AP Chemistry? This test consists of 9 to 10 units. Atomic structure and properties, molecular structure, chemical reaction, thermodynamics or equilibrium are just a few of them. As the person who chose this course, you will need to explain all the chemical processes and memorize a lot of information, as well as differentiate crucial data into tons of material.
Although this test consists of multiple choice and open-ended questions, the long open-ended questions are the most difficult part of the exam, as they require a thorough explanation of a given phenomenon. The fundamentals of why substances act or react the way they act are the focus of the chemistry exams and the course itself. Also be prepared to do a lot of math. That’s why cramming in the night or two nights before the big day is almost never an option. To pass the exam, you need to invest more time in studies and more effort in practice.
What can you do about it?
There are several tips and tricks that can help you tremendously on your AP Chemistry rehearsal journey. We’ve put together a top 5 list to help you reach your end goal:
Go for the logic, not the result
Unless you understand the process of getting the right answer, you shouldn’t go deeper into your studies. The importance of revisiting the concept even until you fully understand it cannot be overemphasized enough, because if you miss something during the process, make sure that it will arise as a problem later. Chemistry is like a large, complex puzzle and if you don’t solve it correctly, there will be pieces that are missing or that are positioned the way they shouldn’t be. Therefore, memorizing certain answers or making lucky guesses shouldn’t be an option for you.
No more memorize
However, when it comes to memorizing it is important to remember everything you need and by that we mean formulas. It is often tempting for students to just read the formulas, especially if you know ahead of time that you will end up with a sheet with all of them, but it’s different when you have a formula in mind and know how to use it. that when you just read it on paper. Memorizing them will also save you time during the test. Even if it seems like you know them pretty well, don’t be afraid to memorize too much until you are really sure you can remember everything you need.
It is practice makes perfect
However, memorizing things and understanding processes and concepts is still not enough. You must repeat until you have mastered the subject. This means going through all of the available test examples and exam material. There are several Internet sources from which you can download and practice questions from previous years. It would be the best option to choose sample exams that also contain answers, so that you can assess your answers and compare them. Another thing you should do is buy a review book, which can be a huge help in organizing your studies and understanding all aspects of a complex course like this.
Rest
A few nights before your exam you should be sleeping well, so not sleeping through the night or staying up late shouldn’t be an option if you want to have the best possible score. When you are tired, you are more likely to make accidental mistakes, misread the question, misunderstand something, or miss a number when calculating, and you certainly don’t need it.
Hire a teacher
Unless you’re a natural talent when it comes to chemistry, there’s a good chance you’ll organize and discipline yourself to figure out everything you’re supposed to do. This is why hiring the teacher is a great option, as advice from teachers can make your study journey less stressful, more efficient, and, lastly, much easier. There are useful platforms such as FineGrades, where you can find many highly qualified tutors, schedule a free demo, and choose the right person to help you. Combined with all the tips we have already mentioned, there is a good chance that you will get the highest score on your exam. Good luck!