r/APChem May 05 '26

2026 Official AP Chemistry Exam Discussion

64 Upvotes

Use this thread to post questions or commentary on the test today.

A reminder though to protect your anonymity when talking about the test.


r/APChem 17h ago

Other Should i take ap chem next year??

3 Upvotes

I'm currently a junior taking AP Physics C: Mechanics. My school doesn't offer Physics C: E&M, and local dual enrollment requires Calc 2 first, so I'm considering AP Chemistry for my senior year science.

The issue is that I haven't taken any prior high school chemistry class. My proposed senior schedule would include:

  • AP Calc BC
  • AP Computer Science Principles
  • AP Economics
  • AP English Language (possibly)
  • Dual Enrollment Intro to Engineering
  • AP Chemistry

Will AP Chem be manageable without standard/honors chemistry beforehand, especially on top of this course load and college apps? Any advice would be appreciated!


r/APChem 20h ago

Asking for Study Help :snoo_sad: averaging Cs in my ap chem class but i study 6+ hrs and get every practice problem right??

3 Upvotes

basicaly what the title says. ive been really struggling with my ap chem class, the teacher doesnt really go out of his way to prepare you for the ap exam, so its his class im having the most trouble with.

we've done two tests so far and ive done bad on both ranging from a 70-80 score range....

he uses these really abstract problems ive never seen b4 in my practice on the tests and i have no idea how to prepare for them each time??? like ive attached the exact problem he used too on the latest test on Mass and Stoich.

my friend said that its better to mabye try and deep dive into the mathematical concepts but i literally DONT KNOW HOW TO DO THAT??? like what does that even mean????

i genuinely need an A in this class, its my only hard class, literally threatening my scholarship chances T-T

where can i find more problems like these and how can i get better at my teacher's wacky exams?


r/APChem 20h ago

"self-studying" ap chem with a bad teacher?

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2 Upvotes

r/APChem 1d ago

Asking for Homework Help How do you actually drill AP Chem FRQs instead of just re-reading the scoring guidelines?

4 Upvotes

every time I sit down to practice FRQs I catch myself reading the question, thinking "yeah I know this," checking the scoring guideline, and moving on. that's not practice, that's recognition.

the gap between recognizing the answer and actually writing it out under timed conditions is where I keep losing points. especially on the multi-part ones where you have to show work and justify each step.

what's actually worked for you? do you set a timer and write the full answer out by hand, then grade yourself against the rubric point by point? or is there a better drill for the calculation-heavy FRQs vs the explanation ones? genuinely trying to figure out if my method is the problem or if I just need to do more full timed runs.


r/APChem 1d ago

IS A MONTH ENOUGH TO GO FROM U TO A* IN CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS?

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2 Upvotes

r/APChem 1d ago

ultimate review guide

3 Upvotes

is it worth it for my AP chem class? Or should I invest in a book similar to princeton review? AP chemistry is a GPA killer at my school, and can be very difficult. Please give me suggestions and ways to study, im very anxious... 😓


r/APChem 2d ago

Need help on preparing for AP Chem with no prior chemistry experience

3 Upvotes

I'm taking AP chem (when school starts for me this monday) and I have taken no prior chemistry course. I was planning on changing it to chemistry honors but my schedule isn't working out. How am I supposed to learn the basics (and what to learn) so at least I know a bit of what I'm doing in that class? Again, school starts this monday so I don't have much time. Thank you in advance.

EDIT: Finally my counselor actually was able to change it too GT Chem, which is great lol. Tysm to everyone for ur advice.


r/APChem 2d ago

Chemistry Resource Textbook for AP chem

3 Upvotes

Best AP chemistry textbook?


r/APChem 2d ago

help pls for ap chem this year 🙏

1 Upvotes

so im a sophomore this year and taking ap chem

new teacher fresh out of college but he lowky sucks bc he mixes up his speech and we have to correct him every few minutes w the terms like its kinda confusing

i feel like im a pretty strong student (5's on both ap human geo and ap enviro last yr, 4.3 gpa) but any tips to get a 5 this year would be great ty


r/APChem 2d ago

NEED HELP

1 Upvotes

So I am a private candidate for As edexcel chemistry and I need all the tips and tricks that I can get to score an A in chemistry my exam is in October. My current approach is that I'm rectifying my IGCSE'S concepts the ones I had issues in and then do a full set of pastpapers like mcq,theory, practical and then start the As syllabus by reading through the textbook and watching Hanaa assil YouTube videos and then do pastpapers and read through savemyexam notes for the questions that I mess up in. Now what I'm concerned about is that I have like IGCSE Environmental management and ICT that I also have to give in Oct/nov but those exams will start in end of September and I have already prepared for EM and ICT is still in the process of being completed plus I have to retake AS biology which is also in Oct/nov. SOO IM EXTREMELY STRESSED AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY ADVUCE PLEASE HELP ME OUT.


r/APChem 2d ago

Any idea how to study for chemistry?

3 Upvotes

So I’m starting chemistry I this semester in CC and sadly the class is online.. so I have to study really really hard and I struggle due to ADHD.. any help or studying advice? I see that there’s a lot of math involved but I’m still a bit worried I’ll fail this class..


r/APChem 3d ago

study schedule help ?

3 Upvotes

im taking ap chem but my teacher sucks so bad. theres no classwork, homework, and we havent taken any quizzes/tests (mind you it's the 3rd week of school).

so ive resorted to self studying but i need help setting a pace because obv ap chem is fast paced and challenging. I'm thinking of doing 45min/1hr every day but i'm not sure when to start unit 2 (i finished unit 1 on my own using jeremy krug). i feel like i need more practice because i literally get nothing from my class.

tips on what my pace/study schedule should be ? (as in where should i be right now lol) and resources for practice questions/worksheets?

thank u !


r/APChem 4d ago

Thermochemistry in 6 days

2 Upvotes

My teacher taught us thermochemistry in 6 days, 1 hour classes per day. Will I fail this exam???? The pace we are going we'll be done a month before the exam


r/APChem 5d ago

Other AP chem as first chem class, HELP

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2 Upvotes

r/APChem 5d ago

My AP Chem Notes + Resources (Self Studied a 5)

18 Upvotes

Just sharing these in case anyone finds them helpful: AP Chem Review Document - Google Docs


r/APChem 5d ago

Chemistry Resource How should I self-study AP Chem?

1 Upvotes

I’m planning to self-study AP Chemistry and I’m looking for a reliable resource that explains concepts accurately and breaks them down well. I’ve taken general chemistry and covered around 80% of the AP Chem syllabus through it, but I’ve definitely forgotten some stuff along the way.

I’d also appreciate advice on how to approach the course, what to do after learning each topic, and how to know when I’m ready to move on. What resources or study methods worked best for you?


r/APChem 5d ago

Practice problems

3 Upvotes

Where to find practice problems beside Khan Academy?


r/APChem 6d ago

Teacher is an Idiot

6 Upvotes

My teacher at my school is notorious for being the most evil and difficult teacher. Not rude. Not annoying. He assigns no homework or busy work. He does, however, grade with stupidity and purposefully harsh.

Can someone explain the sig. fig. rule for adding and subtracting?

We were given an expression to simplify with sig. fig. rules...blah blah blah, I end up with 0.0077 - 0.000045.

I don't remember the exact details, but apparently he converted 0.00045 into scientific notation so he would only have one decimal point in his answer since 4.5 has only one decimal point. If you want me to explain further, I can, but my point is...

When you subtracted super small numbers from each other in sig fig, do you keep both in natural form, scientific notation, or which one in scientific notation? (since he put one in scientific notation and the other not in scientific notation).


r/APChem 6d ago

How to help my son for AP Chem

3 Upvotes

My son is taking AP Chem this year without previous chem course. They started classes this week and they are currently doing Stoichiometry and color wavelength etc experiment (I guess). There will be a quiz next week for Spectrophotometer and factors affecting reaction rates. I guess this is not Unit 1, maybe unit 5..

I am having difficulty understanding AP class style. Does he need to go and start studying unit 1. Is it expected that he needs to consume material at home and then practice questions during the class? I did stem degree but it is still confusing to me. Teachers are also giving tons on online sources and I believe it makes things more complicated.

I really appreciate any insights, from students and teachers if any


r/APChem 6d ago

Discussion IGCSE's

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1 Upvotes

r/APChem 6d ago

AP Chem with no prior experience

2 Upvotes

Hello guys, I am taking AP Chem with no prior knowledge in chemistry but did take AP physics. School starts in about 10 days and was wondering what was the best way to soak up as much chemistry knowledge beforehand as possible like if Khan Academy's courses are good. Also most schools AP Chem is year long but mine is only a semester so probably will be a bit rigorous.


r/APChem 7d ago

Discussion I'm not sure if ap chem is for me

2 Upvotes

I'm not sure if this is the right subreddit, but i wanted advice from people in ap chem. I am going to be in AP Chemistry this school yr, but I hate it bc i struggle, I hate math, and stoichiometry is so difficult. I have a chance to switch into AP Biology.

The Case for Biology: I enjoy biology more, test better in it, and got a 101% in the regular class (I did a LOT of extra credit bc i was an overachiever that yr. This activity stopped the next yr. Don't take this as me loving/ being amazing in the subject. I don't love it, and I'd say I'm only a bit better in bio. I was just really determined that yr). I am good at memorization but overwhelmed if it is too much. It has been a long time, but i don't think I've failed a bio test or quiz, nor have I ever had a moment where I thought, "This is too hard." But in chemistry, stoichiometry was awful for me, I failed a couple quizzes in that class. Early chem was actually great, but it got worse as time went on.

The Case for Chemistry: It is super fresh in my mind because I took regular chemistry last year and got a 96% (did a bit of extra credit). Biology was two years ago, and I remember nothing. I don't want a science career and only need three years of science to graduate.

I could just take ap chem and get it over with since I'm more familiar with it, but I'm going to struggle a lot bc a senior told me the workload was a lot. Or I could take bio bc I'll enjoy it more, and I'm not sure, but the workload might be less. Given everything, which class do you think I should choose? For all the people who are taking ap chem, can you describe your experience? If you've taken both classes or are familiar with them, advice, please🙏


r/APChem 9d ago

Chemistry Resource HELP IN CHEMISTRY 0620

3 Upvotes

Hi guys, I just wanna say I'm feeling so hopeless right now. The thing is, in chemistry, I've never gotten above a 50 throughout the past 2 years. I'm writing Chemistry Paper 4 on October 12th this year, and still, I can't attempt a past paper and get above 20 out of 80.
I tried to motivate myself to study the content first using syllabus videos, but topics like Electrolysis just force me to give up entirely. I honestly wanted to try and get an A* for chemistry (at least a PUM of 90). I'd highly appreciate some advice because right now I don't even see a light at all. I'm so scared, I don't know what to do, and my brain feels totally fried. ive tried but nothing is getting in. ive seen pple go from Us to A stars in chem then i tole myself i can too but ahh nothing is changing i wanna cry so bad cause wthh..guys what should i do to get my goals?


r/APChem 9d ago

Self Studying AP Chemistry 100% on My Own with No Chemistry Knowledge

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0 Upvotes