Hi everyone, I'm in AP Psychology and the FRQs are really tripping me up. I feel like I understand the material, but when it comes to the open ended questions, I'm lost. Any advice for how to approach these, or does anyone have any good practice FRQs? Thanks so much!
Responding to AP Psychology Free Response Questions (FRQs) can indeed be challenging since they require critical thinking and an ability to articulate your understanding in your own words. Here are some strategies that might help:
Firstly, it is important to read the FRQs diligently, take your time to understand what exactly are they asking. The thesis of your response should align with what the question is asking. AP Psychology FRQs often ask you to apply certain concepts to a scenario, to explain how a concept can manifest in a certain behavior, or to compare/contrast different psychological concepts. Identify these instruction verbs before you answer the question.
Secondly, keeping your answers organized is key. You might want to use a paragraph for each concept you explain, to keep your thoughts clear and organized. This can also make it more readable, which can help graders follow your line of thinking.
Now, on to practicing these skills. It's a good idea to take a look at materials provided by the College Board itself. They have published the FRQs of previous exams along with the rubrics they use for grading. Other AP Psychology students might have posted their own responses online that you can look at, just be careful about not plagiarizing anyone's work.
Lastly, the most essential part of the AP Psychology FRQs is demonstrating a thorough understanding of the concepts or theories the question is asking about. You will get points for each concept you correctly explain and apply. Therefore, mastering the class material is the most fundamental aspect of success on the FRQs.
On the flip side, don't ever lose points for excessive writing and embellishing your answers with extra-unnecessary information, remember you get points for correct application of the psychological principle. Overstuffing of terms might give an impression of you not being sure about your answers and just putting out everything in hopes of marks.
Review, practice, and don't forget to relax your mind. You're already halfway there, understanding the materials. Keep going!
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