AP Chemistry

Choose an option from the menu above for AP Chemistry practice exams, free response questions, notes, videos, and study guides. These free online resources include everything that you will need to pass this challenging advanced placement exam.

AP Chemistry Exam

The AP Chemistry course was redesigned beginning with the 2013–14 academic year. The curriculum emphasizes conceptual understanding, scientific reasoning, and inquiry-based learning. Topics covered include atomic structure, intermolecular forces and bonding, chemical reactions, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, and electrochemistry.

The course framework is organized around six Big Ideas that encompass the core scientific principles, theories, and processes of chemistry. A major component of the course is laboratory investigation — at least 25% of class time must be devoted to hands-on and guided-inquiry labs, with a minimum of 16 labs completed during the year.

The AP Chemistry Exam Format Is:

Section I: Multiple Choice
60 Questions (90 minutes, 50% of the exam score)

Section II: Free Response
7 Questions (3 long-answer and 4 short-answer, 105 minutes, 50% of the exam score)

Skills Assessed in the Free-Response Section
The free-response section evaluates students’ ability to:
1. Design and describe chemical experiments.
2. Translate between quantitative and qualitative information.
3. Analyze experimental data and identify patterns or relationships.
4. Develop and apply atomic and molecular models to explain observations.
5. Use logical and mathematical reasoning to justify conclusions.

A periodic table and a formula/constants sheet are provided and may be used throughout the entire exam.

When Is the AP Chemistry Exam?
For the 2024–2025 school year, the AP Chemistry Exam will be administered on Monday, May 5, at 8:00 AM local time. The exam is offered once per year during the annual AP Exam administration in May.