A.P. Macroeconomics

         ... at Klein Oak High School

 

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AP Macroeconomics Test

Format

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60 multiple choice questions - 70 minutes - 2/3 of exam grade

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3 free response questions - 60 minutes - 1/3 of exam grade

 

Scoring

A.P. exams are scored on a 1 to 5 basis:

5 = Extremely Well Qualified

4 = Well Qualified

3 = Qualified

2 = Possibly Qualified

1 = No Recommendation

The American Council on  Education recommends the acceptance of grades of 3 or above. To see what is required by a college you're considering, write to the Director of Admissions.

 

One quarter of a point is subtracted for each incorrect answer on the multiple choice section. [Explanation.] So your score on the multiple choice section is Number Correct - (0.25 x Number Wrong) = Multiple Choice Score. Wisdom, therefore, dictates that you not waste time randomly bubbling questions you cannot answer. However, if you can eliminate one or more answer choices, take your best shot!

 

From The College Board:

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Test Information

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Sample Questions & Scoring Information

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National Grade Distribution

How to prepare:

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Take the course seriously! Klein Oak students who do well in the course also do well on the A.P. exam. Do all the assigned readings and participate in class discussions. Ask questions! Stay current!

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Read the study tips page.

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Attend the review sessions. Don't even think about taking the course in the fall and taking the test in May without a review. Mr. Nelson will announce review sessions - on the morning announcements, via e-mail and on this website. The sessions will begin in March.

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Consider purchasing a review book. I recommend Cracking the AP Economics Macro & Micro Exam (2004-2005 Edition) by David Anderson. The author is one of the leading experts on the AP Economics exams and the book is extremely helpful. You can review Mr. Nelson's copy before you buy.

Bring to the exam:

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Your high school code number.

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A watch to pace yourself.

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Dark blue or black ballpoint pens. You must write your free response answers in pen and only these colors are allowed.

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Number 2 pencils for multiple choice bubbling.

 

Explanation of "guessing penalty": This is common practice. Given that there are five choices for each question, you will get one out of every five questions correct with random guessing. Someone (not you!) who only knew 10 answers and guessed at the other 50 would get a score of 20 - twice what he or she deserved - by virtue of getting 10 answers correct by guessing. The number of wrong answers would be 40. Multiplying the 40 by 0.25 gives us a guessing correction factor of 10. Subtracting the 10 from the number correct (20) yields a score of 10 - exactly what the student in question deserved.


 

 


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©2002 by Gary Nelson. All rights reserved.