***OFFICIAL Psychology Thread 2013-2014***

<p>@Firemeter‌ You just have to memorize the normal distribution curve. If 70 is mean and 10 is standard deviation, 60 is one standard deviation away (to the left). Therefore ~16% of people scored below 60, while ~84% scored above. I’d recommend just looking at the curve and memorizing the numbers (~34% away for 1 standard deviation to the left or right, 47% for 2 away). So the answer should be D (84.13%).</p>

<p>@constantstress thank you!!</p>

<p>I just started self studying last month (lol) and I realized I had the 2012 Barron’s book – no real difference for this year’s exam right? Or is there any significant changes in this year’s edition of Barron’s </p>

<p>@pringles97‌ I have been doing the practice tests and yeah I’m getting several wrong like you said you were… The questions are so insanely specific like the newborn reflexes and exact stages someone is fixated on and stuff. I’ll just keep practicing I guess.</p>

<p>Are the barrons practice tests harder than the actual exam or not?</p>

<p>Hi everyone! I’m taking the Psych exam tomorrow too. What books are you guys using to study? My school has a program where if you’re taking the Psych exam there is a review course available to you as well. But a lot of you are saying that you guys are getting several wrong on the practice tests? If you get anything above 75 out of 100 I don’t think you need to worry too much. </p>

<p>Yeah most of the time, the prep book practice tests for any AP test are usually slightly harder than the actual exam. Not a difference of like 50% more like 5% maaayyybe 8% at most from what you’ll probably get.</p>

<p>So failing this test, but I have nothing to lose, especially since I didn’t have to pay.</p>

<p>Ive been more or less following along the class but not really devoting 100% of my effort (I don’t think I’ve ever devoted 100% to a class). Maybe around 60%, I’ve read some chapters, copied most notes off the internet and payed attention to lectures. Never really cared enough to study and rehearse the information. </p>

<p>We had several off days this weekend (Thursday - Monday are off here) so I took advantage of these to study. Thursday I took the Diagnostic Exam on the Barron’s review book (5th edition) and got 59/100 on the multiple choice. It shook me back into reality. I went through each topic that I did poorly in (for example I had 6/6 in Research Methods, 7/8 in Perception, but 1/9 in Developmental Psych, 5/9 in Cognition, 4/8 in Social Psychology etc) I read those chapters off the review book, did the 15 questions at the end of the section, then went back into the diagnostic exam and re-did the questions regarding the topic. Keep in mind I hadn’t gone over which question I had wrong, what my answer was and what the correct answer was. I just marked off letters. I noted HUGE improvement. Went from 1/9 in Developmental Psychology to 8/9. Stuff like that. I was really happy with these results. </p>

<p>Today my teacher held a small review session at school and she gave us the 2012 International Multiple Choice Practice exam. So these were actual legit questions. I felt really good throughout the Multiple Choice and I got 92/100. Basically, in 4 days I jumped from 59/100 to 92/100</p>

<p>As for comparing Barrons to the actual exam, the questions are a bit different in nature. The real exam tends to have a wider range of hard to easy questions, while barrons tends to stay in the Medium difficulty section more. I think around 20 wrong in Barrons is around 10 wrong in the actual exam</p>

<p>Lol I just started studying three days ago… test tomorrow!
I get about 80 out of 100 right (strong 4 with ok FRQ scores) on practice tests but FRQs are rough. </p>

<p>Any tips for FRQs? How to BS the terms? Haha I’ve memorized about half of the 600 flash cards (5 steps to a 5) and have read the Princeton book once. </p>

<p>Self studying the days before is crazy haha I’m doing it for human geo next week too… </p>

<p>I shouldn’t have said practice tests because it implies I’ve taken a lot. I’ve only taken 2. Good news is that the test isn’t till 12 tomorrow and I don’t have school in the morning. Nothing like last minute crunching </p>

<p>@thesoxpride10‌ That’s amazing! Also so helpful about the difficulty information. In using Barron’s and just got 82/100 so hopefully that means I can get a 5 with good essays!</p>

<p>@dster77‌ Just review the big terms and ideas of each chapter (conditioning, memory, motivation, etc) and the FRQs should get easier! I had a hard time too but that’s because I kept getting terms mixed up in my head.</p>

<p>Good luck tomorrow guys! We can do this! Remember if you are lost on a question just use common sense because it’ll probably be right!</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>I hope barron’s is sufficient. 1st practice test I got 35 mc wrong but on the 2nd I only got 15 mc wrong. Just a little worried since the 2nd test did seem easier but idk if it was because I knew the material better.</p>

<p>Are FRQs the same nationwide? </p>

<p>Sorry that was a noob question but is anyone on here on the east coast taking the psych test? Dm me</p>

<p>Barron’s is a bit harder, as you guys have been saying. I got a 79 on the 2011 (I think) released exam, took the Barron’s one after hard core studying for a week and only got a 68. Hopefully I got at least 70-80% on the real one. </p>

<p>FRQs were easy, very bullshitable. Probably got a weak/borderline 5, but I’d still be happy with a 4</p>

<p>MC was ok. frq’s were easy except I didn’t know what elaborative rehearsal was because it wasn’t in the barron’s. Hoping I got a 4 or 5. I would be surprised if I got a 3 or lower, and THANK YOU BARRON’S FOR A SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL ONE WEEK CRAM.</p>

<p>I think I got a shaky 5, Definitely at least a four. FRQs were so easily bullshitabble </p>

<p>i definitely agree on the FRQ’s, generally super easy. the multiple choice though…there were some that i was really uncertain of. I honestly thought that the multiple choice was a lot harder than the 2008, 2004 and 1999 exams that I took. on the previous exams, I got about 83% right everytime, so I’m really hoping for a 5</p>