<p>I talked to the people at my school and they say sat 800 is easier but I have reasons to doubt them:</p>
<p>AP test has huge curve
AP test gives ample time</p>
<p>There is a much higher percentage of students getting 5 in AP Chem than getting 800 in SAT2 Chem (almost double). I am not sure if we should call it easier for getting 5 in AP though as the questions are more difficult. My D got both top scores while many of her friends got 760+ in SAT2 but still 5 in AP Chem.</p>
<p>AP definitely easier.</p>
<p>I asked my son, he got 800/5. He said it is easier to get a 5, but the AP test is harder, since it is concept vs math.</p>
<p>I think one way of seeing it as is that you do not need to know as much information for the SAT II to get an 800 as you would for the AP Chem test. For the AP test, you would need to know how to do very hardcore (maybe not THAT hardcore) calculations whilst you can sort of wheedle your way toward an 800 in SAT II if you know your stuff. But in terms of curves and scoring is concerned, AP test is easier to get a 5 on.</p>
<p>I got a 790 on the SAT chem with no preparation other than one practice test to get the feeling for the format. I had taken the AP test just a month or so earlier, so I knew the material very well. I felt great on the AP test and got a 5 (with a lot of wiggle room, I’m guessing). There really isn’t any wiggle room on the subject test, so I definitely think an 800 is harder than a 5.</p>
<p>Then again, I think it’d be way easier to get an 800 on the SAT subject test than a 5 on the AP test by self studying. The AP test is a lot of math (in the FR section) but the MC section is very very similar to the subject test. If you’ve taken the AP class, however, I think it’s easier to get the highest score on the AP test.</p>
<p>The AP test is much harder concept-wise. However, the curves are pretty generous so it’s not too difficult to make a 5 (I think you needed to get like 66% of the test correct). </p>
<p>The SAT II test covers a lot less material (no buffer questions, barely any equilibrium or other challenging topics in chem). The curves are also pretty nice, but it’s harder to make an 800 simply because you can’t make as many mistakes as you can on the AP (you can only miss like 3 out of 85).</p>
<p>I haven’t done anything with Chem in highschool, but I do have experience with other corresponding subject tests with AP tests. I feel that subject tests are only easier if you’re good at multiple choice. On AP tests, you don’t have to do amazing on the multiple choice, because you have free responses to prove your smarts and bring your total score up. But on the subject tests, it’s only multiple choice, so you really have to know your multiple choice.</p>
<p>This fact could also make it easier for some people to do better on subject tests, while some people do worse. They may be amazing on multiple choice, but suck at free responses, so they could get the 800 on the subject, test, but not a 5 on the AP test. Other people though, could be relying on the free responses for the 5, and so, may struggle on the subject test, but get a 5 on the ap test. For example, in history, I’m really good at multiple choice, and I got a 770 on the subject test (the 91st percentile of smart history people), but I only got a 4 on the AP test (over 10% got 5s, and that’s out of an overall less-smart group of people than those that take the subject test.)</p>
<p>AP is definitely easier considering the percentages of people who get a 5 compared to an 800. Also I got a 5 on the AP and a 740 on the SAT II.</p>
<p>I guess 5 in AP chem is easier.
Like other posters here, D got 5 on AP but 790 in sat2.
Ap chem is a more difficult test with MC and Free response questions. however, it gets graded generously, 66% correct can still net you a 5.
Sat2 is an easier test, with MC and TTCE questions. But you can only miss (don’t know exactly) say 4 of 85 questions to get a 800, so need approx 95% correct to get a 800.</p>
<p>^ I think 3 mistake (-4) is usually the limit for 800.</p>
<p>Also, how/from what do you guys study the lab stuff (smell, colors in aqueous solution, weird stuff like that)? A few mistakes on those alone is probably enough for me to get 790-</p>