Answering a unique chemistry aptitude test exam

The AP Chemistry Exam has two main parts, that contribute equally (50 percent each) toward the final grade. The first section consists of multiple choice questions that cover a broad range of topics. The second section consists of free response questions, multipart quantitative questions, question on writing balanced chemical equations and answering a short question for three different sets of reactants, and two multipart questions that are essentially non quantitative. A period of about 90 minutes is allotted for Section I of the exam whereas section II is divided into two parts of 55 minutes and 40 minutes such that no calculators are permitted in the exam.

The purpose of the multiple-choice section is to assess the breadth of students’ knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts of chemistry. Such questions emphasize conceptual understanding as well as qualitative and simple quantitative applications of principles. As we know that many chemical and physical principles and relationships are quantitative by nature that can be expressed
as equations so the knowledge of the underlying basic definitions and principles, that can be expressed as equations, is a part of the content of chemistry that should be learned by chemistry students. However, any numeric calculations that require use of these equations in the multiple-choice section
will be limited to simple arithmetic so that they can be done quickly, either mentally or with paper and pencil. in some questions the answer choices differ by several orders of magnitude so that the questions can be answered by estimation.

It is very critical that laboratory work be an important part of an AP Chemistry course so that the course is comparable to a college general chemistry course. Analysis of data from AP Chemistry examinees regarding the length of time they spent per week in the laboratory shows that increased laboratory time is correlated with higher AP grades. Furthermore, it is important that the AP Chemistry laboratory program be adapted to local conditions, even while it aims to offer the
students a well-rounded experience with experimental chemistry. The school faculty and administration must make an appropriate commitment for successful implementation of an AP Chemistry course that is designed to be the equivalent of the first-year college course in laboratory chemistry. Students in AP Chemistry should have access to computers with software appropriate for processing laboratory data and writing reports. A laboratory assistant can also be provided in the form of a paid or unpaid aide. Flexible and modular scheduling must be implemented in order to meet the time requirements identified in the course outline. Certain schools may also be able to assign daily double periods so that laboratory and quantitative problem-solving skills may be fully developed.

Because of the nature of the AP Chemistry course, the teacher also needs extra time to prepare for laboratory work, so an adequate time must be allotted during the academic year for teacher planning and testing of laboratory experiments. AP Chemistry teachers need to stay abreast of current developments in teaching college chemistry which is done through contacts with college faculty and with high school teacher colleagues. Additional opportunities in the form of one-day workshops, weekend retreats, or summer courses are often provided by local colleges or universities. As we know that chemistry is an experimental science that is most effectively learned through direct experience, so computer simulations may be useful to extend or reinforce chemical concepts. An ideal program should not only allow students to gain experience with traditional laboratory exercises, but also provide opportunities for students to carry out novel investigations.

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