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AP Psychology Drilling Guide: Section I Multiple Choice, Section II Free Response, Pacing and a 12-Week Plan
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · AP PSYCHOLOGY (COLLEGE BOARD)
AP Psychology is two sections only: Section I, 75 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes (66.7%); Section II, two free-response questions (AAQ and EBQ) in 70 minutes (33.3%). This page is the drilling method only – structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, the usual mark losses and the error log. For questions and answers use the original mock paper below.
How is AP Psychology assessed, and what does each part carry?
Section II (Free Response): 2 questions: AAQ + EBQ (33.3%); Section I (Multiple Choice): 75 questions (66.7%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section II (Free Response) | 2 questions: AAQ + EBQ | 33.3% | 70 min |
| Section I (Multiple Choice) | 75 questions | 66.7% | 90 min |
AP Psychology drilling technique: free responses need definition, example and application. 75 multiple choice in 90 min is about 1 min 12 s each – judge quickly.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Section II (Free Response) | definition + example + application | Writing phenomena without citing studies; one answer frame shared by AAQ and EBQ; EBQ answers without a research evidence base |
| Section I (Multiple Choice) | eliminate clearly wrong options | Not finishing 75 questions in 90 minutes, stalling on biological and statistical items; negative stems such as EXCEPT or NOT read too fast |
What is each AP Psychology paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Section II (Free Response): definition + example + application; Section I (Multiple Choice): eliminate clearly wrong options
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Twelve weeks run multiple choice first, free response second: six weeks of two Section I sets a week (45 questions in 54 minutes, restricted to biological, cognitive and developmental psychology), then weeks 7-9 on Section II with two AAQ and one EBQ a week, each answer written as concept, evidence, application before checking the scoring guidelines, and weeks 10-12 on whole papers – 90 minutes of multiple choice, a ten-minute break, then 70 minutes of free response – ending with the question types that appeared three times in the error log.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Section II (Free Response) | 70 min | about 35 min per question |
| Section I (Multiple Choice) | 90 min | about 1 min 12 s per question |
How should the time be split inside each AP Psychology paper?
Section II (Free Response): about 35 min per question; Section I (Multiple Choice): about 1 min 12 s per question
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| STM capacity | 20 items | Miller’s 7±2 items | about 7±2 items |
| Attachment types | Only secure | Three: secure, avoidant, ambivalent | secure + avoidant + ambivalent |
| Conditioning terms | Neutral as unconditioned | Neutral becomes conditioned after pairing | neutral -> conditioned |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns, never copied-out questions: concept (which key term the definition missed), evidence (whether a study and its researcher are named), application (whether the scenario answer returns to the case in the stem). For multiple choice log only two things: negative stems (EXCEPT, NOT) read too fast, and neighbouring theories confused, such as operant and classical conditioning. Three entries in one column in a week means drill only that column next week.
How many years should you drill?
The current AP Psychology course raised the weight of research methods from 2024-25, and College Board releases only a small number of free-response questions, so by-year drilling has limited mileage. Work the released questions once against the scoring guidelines, fill the volume with original mock papers, and rewrite every answer in the concept-evidence-application shape.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The current AP Psychology course raised the weight of research methods from 2024-25, and College Board releases only a small number of free-response questions, so by-year drilling has limited mileage. Work the released questions once against the scoring guidelines, fill the volume with original mock papers, and rewrite every answer in the concept-evidence-application shape.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the AP Psychology drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the AP Psychology mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
How do I finish 75 questions in 90 minutes?
Two passes: answer everything recognised at a glance first (about 50 questions in 45 minutes), then return to the reasoning items, keeping the last eight minutes for the answer sheet and negative stems. That is 1 minute 12 seconds a question, so anything over 90 seconds gets skipped.
How should AAQ and EBQ be practised differently?
The AAQ is three short answers, one concept each, two or three sentences apiece. The EBQ is an evidence-based essay: take a position, support it with two or three studies, then return to the case in the stem. Drill them separately and never with one shared frame.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| College Board AP Psychology exam page | Confirm the format and question counts |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ap-biology-mock-2027/ | AP Biology drilling mock |
Related: practice area · AP Biology drilling mock
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
After drilling, the hard part is telling a conceptual error from a writing error. Tell us the year group, the school and your available times, and TutorZone will match you with a tutor who knows the HKEAA assessment requirements.
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