AP Psychology — Question of the Day

About the AP Psychology exam

AP Psychology introduces the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, and the course was redesigned beginning with the 2025 exam. The content is now organized into five units: biological bases of behavior; cognition; development and learning; social psychology and personality; and mental and physical health. Students study core psychological theories, research methods and ethics, the biological underpinnings of behavior, sensation and perception, learning, memory, motivation, emotion, developmental stages, personality, psychological disorders and their treatment, and social influences on behavior. A defining feature of the redesigned exam is its stronger emphasis on scientific inquiry and evidence-based reasoning. The two free-response questions are no longer the older application-prompt style; instead, the Article Analysis Question (AAQ) asks students to read a summary of a research study and analyze its design, identify variables, evaluate ethics, and assess the validity of conclusions, while the Evidence-Based Question (EBQ) presents multiple sources and asks students to construct and defend a claim using cited evidence. This shift means students must understand research methodology, operational definitions, independent and dependent variables, sampling, and statistical reasoning deeply, not just vocabulary. The multiple-choice section also moved from five answer choices to four. Students who treat the course as pure terminology memorization often struggle with the new FRQs, which reward the ability to apply concepts to real studies and arguments. The most effective preparation combines mastering the vocabulary of each unit with extensive practice on AAQ and EBQ prompts, paying close attention to how each rubric awards points for methodology analysis and evidence-based claims. The exam is fully digital in Bluebook.