Exam Day
What to Bring
- Several sharpened No. 2 pencils (with erasers) for all multiple-choice answer sheets.
- Black or dark-blue ballpoint pens for free-response questions in most exams.
- Your school code. (If you are a homeschooled student, you will be given a code at the time of the exam.)
- A watch (in case your exam room does not have a clock that you can see easily).
- Your social security number for identification purposes. (If you provide it, the number will appear on your AP Grade Reports.)
- An AP-authorized calculator if you're taking an AP Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Physics, or Statistics Exam.
- A ruler or straightedge if you're taking an AP Physics Exam.
- A photo I.D. if you do not attend the school where you are taking the exam.
What Not to Bring
- Books, compasses, correction fluid, dictionaries, highlighters, or notes.
- Rulers and straightedges (except as noted above).
- Scratch paper (notes can be made on portions of the exam booklets).
- Typewriting equipment, computers (except as noted for students with disabilities), or calculators (except as noted above).
- Watches that beep or have an alarm.
- Portable listening or recording devices -- even with headphones -- or photographic equipment.
- Beepers, cellular phones, MP3 players, or personal digital assistants (PDAs).
- Clothing (t-shirts, for example) with subject-related information.
Guessing on the Exams
Scores on the multiple-choice sections of the AP Exams are based on the number of questions answered correctly minus a fraction of the number of questions answered incorrectly. No points are awarded or deducted for unanswered questions. For questions with five answer choices, one-fourth of a point is subtracted for every wrong answer. For questions with four answer choices, one-third of a point is deducted for every wrong answer. Thus, random guessing is unlikely to raise or lower your grade. However, if you have SOME knowledge of the question, and can eliminate one or more answer choices, informed guessing from among the remaining choices is usually to your advantage.
