<p>Hey all. I've just noticed on this board that out of all the AP tests, the one most of the juniors and seniors in high school seem to be the most scared of is the AP Chem test, the *****-goddess of all AP tests. I don't know if this will help anybody much, but (in my opinion) it's really not that hard. I felt the Calculus test was definitedly harder than the Chem test. Of course, I took the test in 2004 so it might be different this year, but I got a 5 and really BARELY worked for it. Let me tell you what I did.</p>
<p>First of all, I wasn't good at AP Chem in the least. Most of second semester I was STRUGGLING, for a B+ (I got really lucky on the final and got an A, but still - you get the picture.) Maybe my school was just harder, but whatever. And the teacher gave us a few practice tests, but they really weren't all that great. What undoubtedly helped me the most - hands down - was the Princeton Review AP Chemistry booklet. The book even helped with regular tests and stuff, not just the AP test. It was amazing. It's relatively small, but also full of depth. Moreover, the practice tests are wonderful - the first test I took I didn't do that great, maybe a low 4 or something. Then again, I didn't try that hard. But then I seriously studied those questions and understood how they worked and what they were looking for and on the next practice test I did way better. (Of course, this doesn't work if you have no understanding of Chemistry whatsoever. This is for the people within reach of a 5.) And the actual test was remarkably easy compared to either of the practice tests, and I got a 5. This was of course odd, since students who consistently got perfects on school tests received less than me. And I only spent about one whole day studying for the test! It was amazing and wonderful. I love the Princeton Review. And it wasn't like I didn't have other tests to study for, I had AP Physics, Chem, Calc, Literature, Government, and European history to study for two. But the Chem test felt the easiest by far, thanks to the Princeton Review.</p>
<p>Hmmm... this post sounds more like an endorsement of the Princeton Review than anything. I guess the message is, if you're worried about the AP Chem test you highschoolers, just look up this book. It's ridiculously helpful.</p>
<p>Hey, why not sell the PR book if it worked for you? They do some things extremely well (and other things they do, well, I'd better not use that kind o language here...)</p>
<p>I wasn't talking about the Chem book, but their other materials. I honestly don't know much about the Chem book.</p>
<p>For example, PR's SAT I prep materials are spotty at best. Their practice tests aren't very realistic, and they don't go into enough detail. They're targeted at the average student and don't have much to help already high scoring students. I used to teach, design courses and write material for them (SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc.), and was always disappointed with the national office's lack of quality control. For example, errors in their classroom material have remained for more than five years without being fixed...even though thousands of teachers across the country have worked with the materials, and certainly MANY of them have notified the PR SAT department...</p>
<p>And yet, some of their material is GREAT. Chem is probably one of those...</p>
<p>Oh wow. I had no idea. I never used PR for SAT I, so I don't know much about that. Well, I'll keep that in mind in the future, I guess. But AP Chem still was pretty good, there were very few errors. If material coverage seemed slim in some areas, it was because the test genuinely did not delve very deeply in those areas. And I felt that it was designed for higher level students, since its learning curve was STEEP. If you didn't get something early on in the section, you would be pretty lost. But then again, the sections are so small that it's pretty easy to learn with. All I know is that that booklet made me exponentially more ready to take that test, and I don't think I'm an average level student either.</p>
<p>before this wekeend I was SOOOOOOOO confused on in AP Chem and felt like I was going t oget a 2 on the exam. Then I went through the PR book, and it made SOO much more sense. I think it was because the Zumdahl and my teacher were just oo complicated and longwindered and confusing and the PR book was short and concise. Gonna take a released AP test tomorrow (if I can get the test from my teacher). so I guess I'll see how well the the PR really helped me</p>
<p>i think the peeps who are worried are like me...self study ... i don't have AP chemistry at my school i'm in regular chem and taking the AP test lol ... thats why i'm so worried</p>
<p>If you don't have access to the released tests, I heard that the AP Barron's book provides the best sample questions. It has either 4 or 5 full practice tests and the tests are at or slightly above the AP difficulty.</p>
<p>vtran31: i agree, Zumdahl IS really difficult to understand.</p>
<p>i hope that the princeton review helps me out as much as it did to you people here. the only difference between me and all you other posters might be that i never was taught anything in AP Chemistry, besides learning how to think and do labs. Right now, I'm just reading through the Barron's book and after I'm done reading that, I go look at Princeton Review to see the summary of it. I think that'll help...</p>
<p>pr is great for understanding the stuff quickly and getting a good quick review. however, if you don't have a topic down well, u're out of luck with that book. to understand a topic more in depth, you'll have to go with barrons or zumdalh or something.</p>