Your Guide to the 2024 AP Psychology Exam
We know that studying for your AP exams can be stressful, but Fiveable has your back! We created a study plan to help you crush your AP Psychology exam. This guide will continue to update with information about the 2024 exams, as well as helpful resources to help you do your best on test day.Unlock Cram Modefor access to our cram events—students who have successfully passed their AP exams will answer your questions and guide your last-minute studying LIVE! And don't miss out on unlimited access to our database of thousands of practice questions.
Format of the 2024 AP Psychology Exam
This year, all AP exams will cover all units and essay types. The 2024 exam format will be:
Section 1: Multiple Choice
You will have 70 minutes to answer 100 questions.
This section counts as 66.7% of your total exam score.
Section II: Free Response
You will have 50 minutes to answer two FRQs.
This section counts as the remaining 33.3% of your total exam score.
When is the 2024 AP Psychology Exam and How Do I Take It?
How Should I Prepare for the Exam?
First, download the AP Psychology Cheatsheet PDF - a single sheet that covers everything you need to know at a high level. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses!
We've put together the study plan found below to help you study between now and May. This will cover all of the units and essay types to prepare you for your exam. Pay special attention to the units that you need the most improvement in.
Study, practice, and review for test day with other students during our live cram sessions viaCram Mode. Cram live streams will teach, review, and practice important topics from AP courses, college admission tests, and college admission topics. These streams are hosted by experienced students who know what you need to succeed.
Pre-Work: Set Up Your Study Environment
Before you begin studying, take some time to get organized.
🖥 Create a study space.
Make sure you have a designated place at home to study. Somewhere you can keep all of your materials, where you can focus on learning, and where you are comfortable. Spend some time prepping the space with everything you need and you can even let others in the family know that this is your study space.
📚 Organize your study materials.
Get your notebook, textbook, prep books, or whatever other physical materials you have. Also, create a space for you to keep track of review. Start a new section in your notebook to take notes or start a Google Doc to keep track of your notes. Get yourself set up!
📅 Plan designated times for studying.
The hardest part about studying from home is sticking to a routine. Decide on one hour every day that you can dedicate to studying. This can be any time of the day, whatever works best for you. Set a timer on your phone for that time and really try to stick to it. The routine will help you stay on track.
🏆 Decide on an accountability plan.
How will you hold yourself accountable to this study plan? You may or may not have a teacher or rules set up to help you stay on track, so you need to set some for yourself. First, set your goal. This could be studying for x number of hours or getting through a unit. Then, create a reward for yourself. If you reach your goal, then x. This will help stay focused!
AP Psych 2024 Study plan
🔎Unit 1: Scientific Foundations of Psychology
According to the College Board, Unit 1 is about the basis of psychological theory as the study of human and animal behavior and mental processes and how psychologists design and conduct research.
Topics that are included in this unit are:
Major historical figures in psychology
Theoretical approaches to describing the behavior
Branches of psychology
A variety of research methods used by psychologists
The application of research design and statistical analysis in psychology
Ethical guidelines
Definitely check these out:
📚 Read these study guides:
Unit 1 Overview
Introducing Psychology: The Historical Progression of Psychology
Research Methods in Psychology
The Experimental Method
Selecting a Research Method
Statistical Analysis in Psychology
Ethical Guidelines in Psychology
If you have more time or want to dig deeper:
💻 Learn about the best resources so you can start studying early:
Best Resources for AP Psych
🧠Unit 2: Biological Bases of Behavior
Unit 2 of the AP Psychology exam covers behaviors and mental processes from a biological perspective and the effects of the interaction between human biology and our environment. This has to do with the large nature vs nurture debate!
Topics that are included in this unit are:
The interaction of inherited traits, environment, and evolution in shaping behavior
Structures and functions of biological systems, including the endocrine system and nervous system
Brain function, neural firing, and the influence of medication
The study of the brain and research techniques for studying its structure and function
States of consciousness, including sleeping and dreaming
Addiction and drug dependence
Definitely check these out:
📚 Read these study guides:
Unit 2 Overview
Interaction of Heredity and Environment
The Endocrine System
Overview of the Nervous System and the Neuron
Neural Firing
Influence of Drugs on Neural Firing
The Brain
Tools for Examining Brain Structure and Function
The Adaptable Brain: Neural Fluidity
Sleep and Dreaming
If you have more time or want to dig deeper:
💻 Here are the best AP Psych Quizlet Decks!
Best AP Psych Quizlet Decks by Unit
👀Unit 3: Sensation and Perception
Unit three is all about how we perceive and process our environment on a daily basis through our senses. You will learn all about how we convert those observations into perceptions that influence how we think and behave.
Topics that are included in this unit are:
Basic principles of how humans experience and process stimuli
The role of experience and culture in perception
The mechanisms of the 5 senses and sensory disorders
Definitely check these out:
📚 Read these study guides:
Unit 3 Overview
Principles of Sensation
Principles of Perception
Visual Anatomy
Visual Perception
Auditory Sensation and Perception
Chemical Senses
Body Senses
If you have more time or want to dig deeper:
💻 Here are some AP Psych Self-Studying and Homeschooling tips to check out:
AP Psychology Self-Study and Homeschool
📚Unit 4: Learning
Unit 4 of AP Psych is all about the field of psychology that studies how humans and other animals learn as well as how learning changes over a lifetime. You will learn all about classical and operant conditioning and how incentives affect our learning! You’ll probably even learn a thing or two that could help you adjust your studying habits!
Topics that are included in this unit are:
Influential researchers and theories of learning
Results of famous learning experiments
Types of learning
Types of conditioning and their effects
Social and cognitive factors in learning
Definitely check these out:
📚 Read these study guides:
Unit 4 Overview
Introduction to Learning
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Social and Cognitive Factors in Learning
🤔Unit 5: Cognitive Psychology
According to the College Board, in this unit, you will examine the complex nature of how memory, intelligence, and other mental processes impact human behavior.
Topics that are included in this unit are:
The cognitive and physiological processes that make up memory
Forgetting and typical memory errors
The biological basis of short- and long-term memory
Creative thinking and problem-solving strategies
Biases and errors in thinking
Defining and measuring intelligence
The processes of learning and using language
Definitely check these out:
📚 Read these study guides:
Unit 5 Overview
Introduction to Memory
Encoding
Storing
Retrieving
Forgetting and Memory Distortion
Biological Bases of Memory
Introduction to Thinking and Problem Solving
Biases and Errors in Thinking
Introduction to Intelligence
Psychometric Principles and Intelligence Testing
Components of Language and Language Acquisition
If you have more time or want to dig deeper:
💻 Here are some steps to succeed on the AP Psych Multiple Choice Questions!
Psychology Multiple Choice Questions
👶Unit 6: Developmental Psychology
This unit is all about developmental psychology, which studies how physical and social changes over humans’ lifespans can influence behavior and mental processes. You will learn about several theories in this unit regarding our development in childhood, as teenagers, and as adults.
Topics that are included in this unit are:
Physical and social development in childhood
Theories of cognitive development in childhood
Adolescent development and challenges
Adulthood and aging
Theories of moral development
Gender and sexual orientation
Definitely check these out:
📚 Read these study guides:
Unit 6 Overview
The Lifespan and Physical Development in Childhood
Social Development in Childhood
Cognitive Development in Childhood
Adolescent Development
Adulthood and Aging
Moral Development
Gender and Sexual Orientation
If you have more time or want to dig deeper:
💻 Here are some tips on how to succeed on the AP Psych FRQ Questions!
Psychology Free Response Questions
🤪Unit 7: Motivation, Emotion, and Personality
According to the College Board, in this unit, you will study personality through the lens of behavior and mental processes and how these processes interact to produce an individual’s personality. You will also dive deep into the different theories of motivation and why we, as humans, do certain things. Additionally, you will study stress and emotion in this unit and several theories regarding them as well.
Topics that are in this unit:
Theories of the motivation behind human and animal behavior
Major theories of emotion
The effects of stress
Conceptions of personality, including behaviorist, social cognitive, humanistic, and trait theories
Research and assessments to measure personality
Definitely check these out:
📚 Read these study guides:
Unit 7 Overview
Theories of Motivation
Specific Topics in Motivation
Theories of Emotion
Stress and Coping
Introduction to Personality
Psychoanalytic Theories of Personality
Behaviorism and Social Cognitive Theories of Personality
Humanistic Theories of Personality
Trait Theories of Personality
Measuring Personality
If you have more time or want to dig deeper:
💻 Here are some AP Psych note taking tips!
Reading and Note Taking Skills
🤪Unit 8: Clinical Psychology
Unit 8 is all about how psychologists evaluate, study, and treat a range of psychological disorders.
Topics that are in this unit:
Standards for diagnosing and approaches to explaining psychological disorders
Neurodevelopmental and schizophrenic spectrum disorders
Bipolar, depressive, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders
Dissociative, somatic, and trauma- and stress-related disorders
Substance abuse, eating disorders, personality disorders, and related conditions
Historical developments in psychological treatment
Modern treatment options and methods
Definitely check these out:
📚 Read these study guides:
Unit 8 Overview
Introduction to Psychological Disorders
Psychological Perspectives and Etiology of Disorders
Neurodevelopmental and Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders
Bipolar, Depressive, Anxiety, and Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
Trauma- and Stressor Related, Dissociative, and Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
Feeding and Eating, Substance and Addictive, and Personality Disorders
Introduction to Treatment of Psychological Disorders
Psychological Perspectives and Treatment of Disorders
Treatment of Disorders from the Biological Perspective
Evaluating Strengths, Weaknesses, and Empirical Support for Treatment of Disorders
If you have more time or want to dig deeper:
💻 Here are some common misconceptions in psychology that are good to review for May!
Common Misconceptions in Psychology
👫Unit 9: Social Psychology
Congrats, you made it to the final AP Psychology unit! In this last unit, you’ll study how humans interact in groups and social situations, as well as how others can affect an individual’s behavior and mental processes. You will probably learn a lot of the psychology behind some historical events in this unit too.
Topics that are in this unit include:
How social and cultural categories like gender and race can impact self-concept and behavior
The factors that lead people to form and change attitudes
Group dynamics, including conformity, compliance, and obedience to authority
Types of behavior caused by the presence of others
Bias, prejudice, and discrimination
Altruism and aggression
The variables that contribute to attraction
Definitely check these out:
📚 Read these study guides:
Unit 9 Overview
Attribution Theory and Person Perception
Attitude Formation and Attitude Change
Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience
Group Influences on Behavior and Mental Processes
Bias, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Altruism and Aggression
Interpersonal Attraction
If you have more time or want to dig deeper:
💻 Here are some time management and study tips! Time Management and Study Skills
