1. How to Write for the AP Exam
AP Psychology
How to Write for the AP Exam

2. Just the facts… The writing portion of the AP Psych exam…
Consists of 2 Free Response Questions (FRQ)
Has a 50 minute time frame
Counts for 1/3 of your overall score

3. Getting Started The first 5 minutes… Write for 20 minutes…
Choose the question you are more comfortable with
Read the question carefully
Develop a quick outline
Write for 20 minutes…
Write as much as possible
Remember to pace yourself for the next question

4. DON’T… write a thesis write an introduction write a conclusion
write lists or bullet points
cross anything out, unless you KNOW it’s wrong
write fluff (there’s no time to get fancy)

5. Think… T.D.A Term Define Answer the question
Use the term to answer the question
Define
Define the term so that the reader knows you know it
Answer the question
Explain with enough detail for someone to understand
Use paragraphs to separate points

6. Other tips Guess the rubric Write to explain Write for points!
Generally the number of bullet points equates to the number of points on the rubric (7-10)
Write to explain
Your reader is an idiot… that’s probably a college professor
Be Specific (B.S.) and give examples
Write for points!

7. Example Question
Define each of the following concepts and explain how each contributes to the phenomenon of prejudice.
Stereotyping
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Fundamental attribution error
Projection
Schema

8. Analysis How many points is this question worth?10
How might you start your answer?
“Stereotypes are…”
How long should you spend writing this answer?
20 minutes

9. Sample Answer
Stereotypes are overgeneralizations about a person or group. They can contribute to prejudice in that a person may oversimplify a concept such as all Asian are intelligent. This is an oversimplification resulting in undo prejudice, as it has been shown that Asians show a similar bell curve in intelligence as the rest of the population. A self-fulfilling prophecy can lead to prejudice by predicting how people behave in a given situation. If a guy believes that women are bad drivers, he will tend to only see accidents where women are at fault, resulting in prejudice.

10. How many points? 3
Stereotypes are overgeneralizations about a person or group. They can contribute to prejudice in that a person may oversimplify a concept such as all Asian are intelligent. This is an oversimplification resulting in undo prejudice, as it has been shown that Asians show a similar bell curve in intelligence as the rest of the population. A self-fulfilling prophecy can lead to prejudice by predicting how people behave in a given situation. If a guy believes that women are bad drivers, he will tend to only see accidents where women are at fault, resulting in prejudice.

11. Remember… This is NOT English!
Put the answer in Black and White, don’t make the reader search for it.
Write in the order of the question.
Use the words given to you.

12. Discuss one advantage of each research method listed above.
Psychologists use a variety of research methods to study behavior. Three of the main research methods used are
Case study
Correlational study
Experiment
Discuss one advantage of each research method listed above.
Discuss one disadvantage of each research method listed above.
Pretend you are a psychologist who will used each of the three research methods— case study, correlational study, and experiment—to determine the effect of taking vitamin J on improving memory.
For each methods listed above, explain a key characteristic of the basic approach you could use to reach a scientific conclusion about the relationship between taking vitamin J and improving memory. You need not design a complete study.