title: "AP Psychology 1-Month Study Plan" description: "A 4-week deep-dive into AP Psychology: unit mastery, cumulative review, mock exams, FRQ practice, and refinement. Build unshakeable confidence before exam day." date: "2026-01-15" examDate: "May AP Exam" topics:
- Complete Unit Mastery
- Cumulative Practice
- FRQ Proficiency
- Full-Length Mocks
You have four weeks until the AP Psychology exam. This plan builds mastery unit by unit, introduces cumulative MCQs starting Week 2, and front-loads FRQ practice by Week 3. By Week 4, you'll have taken 2 full-length mocks and refined weak spots.
Commit 5 hours per week minimum (weekday: 45 min, weekend: 2.5 hrs). If you have more time, add extra practice MCQs and scenarios, not new units.
Week 1: Biological Bases + Cognition Foundation
Monday–Tuesday: Biological Bases of Behavior (5 hrs total)
Topics: neurons, neurotransmitters, brain structures, endocrine, sensation, perception, consciousness, sleep, drugs.
| Day | Task | |---|---| | Mon 1.5 hrs | Read: neurons, action potential, synapse. Diagram + label 3×. Video: neurotransmitter animation. | | Mon 1.5 hrs | Neurotransmitter table (7 major). Create index cards. Match to disorders + drugs. 20 MCQs. | | Tue 2 hrs | Brain structures (15 key structures). Labeling quiz 2×. Location + function for each. 30 MCQs. Mistakes → re-read. |
By end of Tuesday: You should name any brain structure + its function from a scenario.
💡 Spaced repetition: Review neurotransmitter cards every morning this week (5 min). Repetition is memory.
Wednesday–Friday: Cognition (7.5 hrs total)
Topics: memory (sensory, short-term, long-term), encoding/storage/retrieval, forgetting, interference, language, intelligence.
| Day | Task | |---|---| | Wed 2.5 hrs | Memory: Atkinson-Shiffrin model. Diagram the flow. Read about encoding strategies (visual, acoustic, semantic). Practice: label memory system from 10 scenarios. | | Thu 2.5 hrs | Forgetting: Ebbinghaus, decay, interference (proactive vs retroactive — 15 MCQs focused on this). Retrieval cues, context-dependent memory. | | Fri 2.5 hrs | Language (Broca's/Wernicke's), problem-solving, intelligence, IQ testing. 25 MCQs. Mix in neurotransmitter review (5 more MCQs). |
By end of Friday: Define encoding, storage, retrieval with examples. Distinguish proactive from retroactive interference. Name IQ test types.
Weekend: Review + Unit Test
- Saturday (2 hrs): Create a 1-page summary for each unit (Biological Bases, Cognition). Brain structures cheat sheet + neurotransmitter table.
- Sunday (1.5 hrs): Take a 35-question MCQ cumulative quiz (Weeks 1 focus). Mistakes → re-read that section.
Week 2: Development, Learning, and Unit Integration
Monday–Tuesday: Lifespan Development (4.5 hrs total)
Topics: Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg, Vygotsky, Ainsworth, attachment.
| Day | Task | |---|---| | Mon 2.25 hrs | Piaget: 4 stages, conservation task, object permanence. Diagram the stages. Watch a conservation demo video. | | Tue 2.25 hrs | Erikson (8 stages), Vygotsky (ZPD, scaffolding), Ainsworth (attachment types). Compare theories: which focuses on cognitive development (Piaget)? Psychosocial (Erikson)? Social context (Vygotsky)? 20 MCQs. |
By end of Tuesday: Identify which theory explains a child's behavior in a scenario.
Wednesday–Friday: Conditioning & Learning (7.5 hrs total)
Topics: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, reinforcement/punishment, schedules, observational learning, modeling.
| Day | Task | |---|---| | Wed 3 hrs | Classical conditioning: Pavlov's experiment. UCS, UCR, CS, CR, acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination. Diagram: before conditioning → during → after. 30 MCQs (focus on pairing concepts). | | Thu 2.5 hrs | Operant conditioning: Skinner, positive/negative reinforcement + positive/negative punishment (not the same as classical!). Schedules (fixed/variable ratio/interval). Distinguish from classical. 25 MCQs. | | Fri 2 hrs | Observational learning, mirror neurons, Bandura, Bobo doll, self-efficacy. Compare all three learning types on a chart (classical vs operant vs observational). 15 MCQs. |
By end of Friday: Given a scenario (child learning, dog training, habit formation), identify the learning type, label the components (UCS/CS/CR for classical; reinforcer/punisher/schedule for operant).
Weekend: Cumulative Review + First FRQ
- Saturday (2 hrs): Cumulative MCQ quiz (40 questions, all units so far). Then 1 timed FRQ on development or learning (60 min). Define theory + apply to scenario.
- Sunday (1.5 hrs): Review FRQ rubric. Identify weak points (e.g., "I forgot to define the term" or "I didn't cite Vygotsky by name"). Fix one FRQ section and retake.
🎯 FRQ checkpoint: Your FRQ should have 3 parts: (1) Theory name + definition. (2) Apply to scenario. (3) Why/how it works (mechanism).
Week 3: Social Psychology, Personality, Health Disorders + FRQ Mastery
Monday–Wednesday: Social Psychology (6 hrs total)
Topics: attitudes, persuasion, conformity, obedience, group dynamics, prejudice, stereotypes.
| Day | Task | |---|---| | Mon 2 hrs | Attitudes + persuasion (central vs peripheral route). Cognitive dissonance. Video: Asch line study. 15 MCQs. | | Tue 2 hrs | Asch conformity, Milgram obedience, Zimbardo (Stanford prison). Situational vs dispositional explanations. Read these studies cold. 20 MCQs. | | Wed 2 hrs | In-group bias, out-group homogeneity bias, stereotypes, stereotype threat, deindividuation, social facilitation, social loafing. 25 MCQs. Match terms to scenarios. |
Wednesday–Friday: Personality Theories (4.5 hrs total)
Topics: Freud (id/ego/superego), humanistic (Rogers, Maslow), trait (Big Five), social-cognitive (Bandura), assessment.
| Day | Task | |---|---| | Wed 1.5 hrs | Freud: id/ego/superego, defense mechanisms, psychosexual stages (know criticisms). Humanistic: Rogers (unconditional positive regard), Maslow (hierarchy). | | Thu 1.5 hrs | Trait theory (Big Five: OCEAN). Social-cognitive: Bandura, reciprocal determinism, self-efficacy. Compare all four approaches. 20 MCQs. | | Fri 1.5 hrs | Personality assessment: MMPI (objective), projective (Rorschach, TAT). Reliability/validity. 15 MCQs. |
Friday–Sunday: Mental Health & Treatment + FRQ Practice
Topics: stress, disorders (anxiety, mood, psychotic, dissociative, eating, substance, personality), treatments (CBT, psychodynamic, humanistic, biomedical).
| Day | Task | |---|---| | Fri 2 hrs | Stress: Selye (GAS), coping, PTSD, acute stress. 20 MCQs. | | Sat 3 hrs | Disorders: GAD, panic, phobias, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, dissociative, eating, substance. Organize by DSM category. Match 3 symptoms + 1 treatment per disorder. 40 MCQs. | | Sat 2 hrs | Treatments: CBT (identify irrational thoughts), psychodynamic (unconscious), humanistic (client-centered), biomedical (SSRIs, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines). Pair drug class to disorder. 20 MCQs. | | Sun 2 hrs | 2 timed FRQs: (1) article-based (you're given a study; identify variables, interpret findings, apply concept). (2) evidence-based (cite 2+ concepts to support an argument about mental health treatment). 60 min each. |
⚠️ Disorder trap: Do NOT diagnose ("This person has schizophrenia"). Instead, explain symptoms and neurotransmitter dysfunction ("Elevated dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway is associated with positive symptoms...").
Week 4: Full-Length Mocks, Refinement, and Exam Prep
Monday–Wednesday: Full-Length Mock #1
Tuesday: Take a full-length mock exam (60 min MCQs + 50 min FRQs, proctored if possible).
Wednesday: Review mistakes. Tally by unit (e.g., "12 wrong in Cognition, 5 wrong in Social"). Identify patterns (e.g., "I always confuse negative reinforcement with punishment").
Thursday–Friday: Targeted Drill on Weak Spots
Based on Mock #1 mistakes:
- If Cognition weak: re-drill 30 MCQs on memory encoding, interference, retrieval.
- If Conditioning weak: 20 MCQs on classical vs operant, schedules, observational.
- If Disorders weak: re-read definitions, pair each disorder to neurotransmitter + 1 therapy.
- If FRQ weak: re-do 1 FRQ per day, focusing on structure (define → apply → mechanism).
Saturday: Full-Length Mock #2
Take a second full-length mock. Aim for 5+ points higher than Mock #1. If not, identify the remaining gaps and drill those Sunday.
Sunday: Last-Minute Prep
- Morning: Skim last-minute review. Review neurotransmitter table, conditioning vocabulary, key researchers.
- Afternoon: Take a 30-question MCQ confidence quiz (all units). Mistakes → quick re-read (not deep study).
- Evening: Read exam morning tips. Get 8+ hours sleep.
Study tips for 4-week success
- Spaced repetition: Review neurotransmitters + brain structures 3× per week all month.
- Active recall: Quiz yourself; don't re-read textbooks.
- Scenario practice: Read real AP questions; answer before looking at choices.
- Error tracking: Keep a list of mistakes by unit. By Week 4, you should see patterns (e.g., "I miss all schizophrenia MCQs because I confuse positive and negative symptoms").
Expected score trajectory
- After Week 1: 50–55% on Unit 1–2 MCQs.
- After Week 2: 60–65% on cumulative MCQs (Units 1–3).
- After Week 3: 65–72% on cumulative MCQs + first FRQ attempts (5–7 pts out of 7).
- After Week 4 Mock #2: 70%+ on MCQs + 6–7 pts on FRQs = likely score of 4–5.
Let's go. Start with Unit 1 resources. Track your progress in a spreadsheet (MCQ % by unit, FRQ scores). By exam day, you'll be confident. 🎯