AP Chemistry – Practice M/C Exams

So, here we are… March 27th… about to embrace the beauty of Spring Break… one step away from the freedom that two weeks away from school provides! W00t! So that makes me the big, mean teacher that assigns homework over break… the loser that is trying to destroy your youth and crush your spirit. I am sure I deserve that in the same way that clouds are blamed for making it rain, so I at least owe you both rationale and a strategy for approaching the work.

First, let me outlay the details of the assignment:

• You have been given two practice multiple-choice exams, and two Scantron forms.
• There is no penalty on the test for guessing so please guess if you cannot find the answer.
• I am not requiring these as homework. That’s right, this is not a trick nor am I playing games. If you do not complete them your grade will not be lowered. The intent is that for those who have time over the break to look ahead. If you have plans to go to Mexico or ski in Tahoe then I say: “rage on!” The AP Chemistry final is one month away and this is my way of allowing those who wish a head start to get one.
• The two exams are taken from previously released AP Chemistry exams and are publicly available. I have removed the labeling so that you resist the urge to just look up the answers. I know the Internet is awesome but having the answers in front of you is sometimes too tempting to resist. Please resist. I want you to know how well you would perform on your own.
• After completing each exam you should enter your answers on the Scantron form provided. I will grade those that are submitted when you return.
• You will be able to use the results of the practice tests to gauge how well you are doing in the course and start to study for the final.

Now for the coaching part of this… look, I seriously see myself as your chemistry coach and I only want you to do well on the test. Sometimes that requires me to help redirect your work and try new ways of looking at this course. So, please hear this: it is entirely possible that you will be discouraged by your early results. Not only is this natural but I would be surprised if you didn’t think this. It is a hard class and very comprehensive and easy to feel overwhelmed. That stated, when you notice this emotion I invite you to greet it, ask it to sit down and take a seat, and then move on. Spending too much time with this guest is not productive and doesn’t help you towards your final goal: kicking butt on the test. How should you do this? Well, here is a suggested path to approaching the two exams.

• Take the first test as if it is an open-book study guide. Start a notebook for the test and write down your thoughts and ideas for each question in the notebook. Yes, please do this even for the ones you know that you know.
• When you encounter a problem that you don’t know then USE THE TEXTBOOK. This will help give you an idea if it is something that you already have seen or completely new material. So far we have covered through Chapter 16 so anything beyond that is new. The textbook should be your primary source as it is a complete compendium of knowledge needed to understand the material at the level of the course. The Internet is a wild and untamed place at times and I wouldn’t want you to be led astray.
• Take your time, spread out the work and complete every problem.
• The second test should be taken under test circumstances. Use 90 minutes to complete the 75 questions.

For those of you that take the time to complete the assignment I promise it will pay off at the end of April.