AP Macroeconomics 7-Day Cram Plan

title: "AP Macroeconomics 7-Day Cram Plan" description: "One-week intensive: daily topic table, two dedicated FRQ days, mock exam protocol, graph mastery, and policy chain reactions. Score up to a 5 in seven focused days." date: "2026-01-15" examDate: "May AP Exam" topics:

• Supply & Demand
• AD-AS Model
• Fiscal & Monetary Policy
• FRQ Practice
• Mock Exam

You have seven days until the AP Macroeconomics exam. This is the deep-dive plan for students who have time to build systematic mastery of all six units and practice full FRQs under timed conditions.

This plan assumes 1.5–2 focused hours per day. Complete every row of the daily table; these are sequenced by concept dependency (foundations first, then integration, then full scenarios).

Daily Study Table

| Day | Topics | Do This | Time | |---|---|---|---| | Monday | Basic Concepts (Units 1–2) | Review: PPC, opportunity cost, comparative advantage, S&D (law, equilibrium, shifters). Draw 3 PPC graphs, 5 S&D scenarios (label shifts, new equilibrium). | 1.5 hrs | | Tuesday | Economic Indicators (Unit 2) | GDP (nominal, real, formula), CPI, inflation rate, unemployment rate. Calculate: 2 real GDP, 2 inflation rates from data. Memorize score boundaries: top 67+ of 90. | 1.5 hrs | | Wednesday | AD-AS Model (Unit 3) | Short-run vs. long-run AS. Demand-side and supply-side shocks. Draw: 4 AD-AS diagrams (expansionary shock, contractionary shock, stagflation, recovery). Label gaps (recessionary, inflationary). | 1.5 hrs | | Thursday | Fiscal & Monetary Policy (Units 3–4) | Fiscal: multiplier = 1/MPS, crowding out, automatic stabilizers. Monetary: money market graph, Fed tools (OMO, discount rate, RRR), money multiplier = 1/RR. Draw: 3 money market diagrams, 1 loanable funds market. | 2 hrs | | Friday | FRQ Day 1: Policy Chain Reaction | Full FRQ: recession scenario. Draw: AD-AS (before/after), money market (Fed response), loanable funds (crowding out), Phillips (short vs. long run). Write 1–2 sentences per graph explaining the mechanism. Time: 30 min. | 1.5 hrs | | Saturday | Phillips Curve & Long-Run Effects (Unit 5) | Short-run Phillips (tradeoff), long-run Phillips (vertical). Crowding out, productivity, money growth and inflation. Draw: 2 Phillips diagrams, 1 crowding-out scenario in loanable funds. | 1.5 hrs | | Sunday | Open Economy & FRQ Day 2 (Unit 6) | FOREX market (supply/demand, equilibrium = exchange rate), capital flows, trade deficit, balance of payments. Full FRQ: capital inflow scenario. Draw: FOREX (before/after), AD-AS (export effect), trade balance. Mock exam: 30 min, 2 short FRQs. Time: 2 hrs |

FRQ Day 1 Worked Example (Friday)

Scenario: "The economy is in a severe recession with real GDP 5% below potential. Unemployment is 8%. Congress passes a $200 billion stimulus package. Analyze the short-run and long-run effects. Draw graphs."

Your response structure:

1. AD-AS diagram (short-run effect):

   • Label axes (price level Y, real GDP X), draw LRAS (vertical at potential GDP), SRAS₁ (upward slope), AD₁ (downward slope) intersecting at recessionary gap.
   • Government spending ↑ → AD shifts right → AD₂ intersects SRAS₁ at higher price level and real GDP.
   • Write: "Expansionary fiscal policy increases aggregate demand. Real GDP rises toward potential; unemployment falls."

2. Money market diagram (if Fed accommodates):

   • If no Fed action: as real GDP ↑, MD for money ↑ → interest rate ↑ (move along original MS curve).
   • If Fed wants to support recovery: Fed buys securities → MS ↑ (shift right) → interest rate ↓.
   • Write: "The increased demand for money from higher income pushes interest rates up, causing private investment to fall (crowding out)."

3. Loanable funds market (crowding out):

   • Government borrows (demand for loanable funds ↑) → demand curve shifts right → interest rate rises → private investment decreases.
   • Write: "Crowding out partially offsets the stimulus effect on long-run growth."

4. Phillips curve (long-run implication):

   • Short-run: inflation ↓, unemployment ↓ (move down-left along short-run Phillips).
   • Long-run: if stimulus persists, inflation rises but unemployment returns to natural rate (vertical Phillips).
   • Write: "In the long run, expansionary policy raises the price level but does not permanently reduce unemployment."

Total time: ~30 min. Partial credit for labeling errors or incomplete shifts — 8+ out of 10 pts possible if you draw and explain each step.

FRQ Day 2 Worked Example (Sunday — FOREX)

Scenario: "Japanese investors rush to buy US Treasury bonds. The US becomes a more attractive investment. Analyze the effects on the FOREX market, aggregate demand, and the trade balance."

Your response structure:

1. FOREX market (demand for US dollars ↑):

   • Y-axis: exchange rate (yen per dollar). X-axis: quantity of dollars.
   • Supply of dollars (US exporters, upward slope) unchanged.
   • Demand for dollars (foreign buyers) shifts right (Japanese want more dollars to buy bonds).
   • Equilibrium: exchange rate rises → dollar appreciates (dollar is now worth more yen).
   • Write: "Capital inflow from Japanese investors increases demand for US dollars, appreciating the dollar."

2. AD-AS: export effect:

   • Stronger dollar → US goods expensive abroad → exports ↓.
   • AD shifts left (net exports ↓) → real GDP ↓, price level ↓.
   • Write: "Currency appreciation reduces exports, decreasing aggregate demand and real GDP in the short run."

3. Trade balance:

   • Weaker currency typically corrects trade deficit (exports ↑), but stronger currency worsens it.
   • Write: "The trade deficit widens as US exports fall and imports remain high."

Total time: ~25 min. Graders check: (a) correct FOREX shift direction, (b) connection to AD, (c) trade balance explanation.

Mock Exam (Sunday evening)

Protocol:

• Simulate exam conditions: 60 min for 30 MCQs (no calculator), 30 min for 25 MCQs (calculator optional).
• Then: 50 min for 3 FRQs (no calculator for all three).
• Grade immediately: compare your work to rubrics on our FRQ practice guide.

Common patterns across all FRQs

| FRQ Type | Structure | Key Graphs | What to Write | |---|---|---|---| | Recession + policy | How does fiscal stimulus affect AD, unemployment, price level long-run? | AD-AS, Phillips, loanable funds | Mechanism for each shift (crowding out, long-run vertical Phillips). | | Capital inflow | How does capital inflow affect FOREX, exports, trade balance? | FOREX, AD-AS, trade account | Why dollar appreciates, why exports fall, trade deficit widens. | | Monetary policy shock | How does Fed action affect money market, AD, real GDP, inflation? | Money market, AD-AS, Phillips | Fed tool (OMO, rate), MS shift, interest rate effect on investment. |

Top scoring tips

1. Label everything: axes, curves, equilibrium points, new curves (AD₂), new points (E₂). One unlabeled graph = -2 to -3 points.
2. Show shifts with arrows: AD₁ → AD₂. If your shift is invisible, the grader assumes no shift happened.
3. Write one sentence per graph: "This policy increases aggregate demand, shifting AD right." Graders want to see your reasoning.
4. Use exact vocabulary: "expansionary," "crowding out," "real interest rate," "capital inflow." Synonyms don't score.
5. Define variables: "Let G = government spending. If G increases, AD = C + I + G + (X − M) increases."

Ready to start?

Browse the AP Macroeconomics topic library →. Start Monday with the 3-day plan basics, or jump to whichever day's topic is your weakest. Good luck — seven days, six graphs, full FRQ mastery.