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AP Psychology Exam Format 2026

19

days until your AP Psych exam

Tue, May 12 · Afternoon session

The exam at a glance

Section I - Multiple Choice

66.7% of score

75 questions90 minutes

Discrete questions plus applied-psych scenarios. Roughly 20% of items come from research methods.

Section II - Free Response

33.3% of score

2 questions70 minutes

The redesigned exam uses one Article Analysis Question and one Evidence-Based Question.

Free-response breakdown

Two 7-point tasks built around research interpretation and evidence-based claim building.

1

Article Analysis Question (AAQ)

Identify variables, explain a study's findings, and evaluate its design.

AAQ7 pts
2

Evidence-Based Question (EBQ)

Build a claim using three provided sources; use and cite psychological evidence.

EBQ7 pts

A 3 means no college credit. A 5 locks it in.

Write one real AP Psych FRQ and see if you're on track.

What the exam covers

Five domains in the redesigned course. Cognition and social psychology lead MCQ volume.

  • U1

    Biological Bases of Behavior

    15–25%
  • U2

    Cognition

    15–25%
  • U3

    Development and Learning

    15–25%
  • U4

    Social Psychology and Personality

    15–25%
  • U5

    Mental and Physical Health

    15–25%

The three science practices

Every question - MCQ or FRQ - ties back to one of these.

  1. 1Concept Understanding and Application
  2. 2Research Methods and Design
  3. 3Data Interpretation

Exam day essentials

2 hr 40 min total

Multiple choice (90 min), short break, then two free-response questions (70 min).

Cite the sources in EBQ

You lose points if you fail to explicitly use and label the provided source passages.

Know your methods language

Independent/dependent variable, operationalization, and research ethics show up on nearly every test.

Where to go next

Past FRQs

Open every released College Board AP Psych prompt and practice with the real rubrics.

Score Calculator

Estimate your 1–5 and see how many points separate you from the next band.

Study Plan

A day-by-day AP Psych plan tuned to your timeline and target score.

Frequently Asked Questions

The redesigned AP Psychology exam uses 75 multiple-choice questions plus two free-response tasks: an Article Analysis Question and an Evidence-Based Question.

Start with the sections that carry the most weight or expose your biggest weakness, then practice under realistic timing.

Match your practice blocks to real section demands so your pacing, accuracy, and task recognition improve together.

Want to know what the real exam feels like?

Start a timed AP Psych practice in the Exam Arena and save yourself ten minutes on exam day.