AP Prep
Last updated: April 2026 | Based on the revised AP Psychology Course and Exam Description
If you have two weeks before the AP Psychology exam, you don't need to relearn everything from scratch. You need to study in the shape of the exam: broad coverage across all five units, active recall of the most testable concepts, and timed practice with both multiple-choice and free-response questions.
Here's the thing most students get wrong. They spend too long on the unit they like and run out of time for the rest. AP Psychology tests you evenly across all five units. Each one is worth 15% to 25% of the multiple-choice section. You can't afford to skip any of them.
The AP Psychology exam is 2 hours and 40 minutes long. It has two sections:
Section 1: Multiple Choice — 75 questions in 90 minutes. All five units are tested. Questions are often scenario-based, meaning you'll read a short description and identify the correct psychological concept.
Section 2: Free Response — 2 questions in 70 minutes. One is an Article Analysis Question where you read a short research summary and answer questions about it. The other is an Evidence-Based Question where you make an argument using psychological concepts and evidence.
Both FRQ types matter. A lot of students only prep for multiple-choice and then freeze on the free response. This plan builds in FRQ practice starting in the first week so you're not scrambling at the end.
The AP Psychology course is organized into five units. Here's what you need to know about each one and where to focus your review time.
This is the most vocabulary-heavy unit. It covers everything from neurons to sleep to how your eyes and ears work. Students who do well here are the ones who drill the terminology until it's automatic. Flashcards are your best friend for this unit.
What to focus on:
📖 Read the full Unit 1 review →
Cognition is one of the most testable units because it combines vocabulary with application. The exam loves to give you a scenario and ask which type of memory or which heuristic is being described. The most common mistakes here are mixing up types of memory and confusing heuristics with each other.
What to focus on:
📖 Read the full Unit 2 review →
Here is a lecture from the StarSpark platform on how information is encoded into memory, and why massed vs. spaced practice changes what sticks. It is an example of the interactive, guided lessons you work through inside StarSpark, where you can pause, ask questions, and practice as you go.
This unit is broad. It covers two big topics: how humans develop across the lifespan and how learning actually works (classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning). The best approach is to split your review into development days and learning days.
What to focus on:
📖 Read the full Unit 3 review →
This unit shows up heavily in scenario-based questions. The exam gives you a story about a person's behavior and asks you to identify which social psychology concept or personality theory explains it. You need to be able to apply these ideas, not just define them.
What to focus on:
📖 Read the full Unit 4 review →
This is where AP Psychology gets practical. You need to know how psychologists classify and treat disorders, what health psychology and positive psychology mean, and how biological, cognitive, behavioral, and sociocultural factors all play a role in mental health.
What to focus on:
📖 Read the full Unit 5 review →
The approach is simple. Each day:
Two more things that matter:
Don't skip the FRQ practice. This plan includes FRQ prompts on Days 6, 9, 11, and 13 so you're building that skill throughout the two weeks instead of cramming it into the last day.
Do a mixed quiz every few days. On Days 7 and 10, the quiz prompts are cumulative on purpose. This catches concepts that are slipping before it's too late.
| Day | Topic | Key Concepts | Flashcards | Quiz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unit 1 - Heredity, environment, and the nervous system | Nature vs. nurture, twin and adoption studies, evolutionary perspective, central vs. peripheral nervous system, autonomic vs. somatic, sympathetic vs. parasympathetic | 20 cards — Nature vs. nurture, twin studies, evolutionary perspective, nervous system subdivisions | 15 questions — Scenario-based questions on heredity-environment interaction and nervous system functions |
| 2 | Unit 1 - Neurons, neurotransmitters & drugs | Neuron structure, action potential, threshold, reuptake, agonists vs. antagonists, the 8 neurotransmitters, the 5 hormones, stimulants vs. depressants vs. hallucinogens vs. opioids | 25 cards — Neuron parts, neural firing, neurotransmitter functions, hormone functions, drug categories, agonists vs. antagonists | 15 questions — AP-style scenarios testing confusions between similar neurotransmitters, hormones, and drug categories |
| 3 | Unit 1 - Brain, sleep & sensation | Brain stem, cerebellum, limbic system, four lobes, Broca's vs. Wernicke's areas, split-brain research, sleep stages, circadian rhythm, activation-synthesis theory, sleep disorders, absolute threshold, Weber's law, sensory adaptation, vision and hearing | 25 cards — Brain structures and functions, sleep stages and theories, thresholds, sensory systems | 15 questions — Mix of identification and application scenarios. Distinguish between similar brain regions and sensory concepts |
| 4 | Unit 2 - Perception & decision-making | Bottom-up vs. top-down processing, Gestalt principles, attention, heuristics, algorithms, framing, cognitive biases, mental set, priming | 20 cards — Gestalt principles, attention, heuristics, algorithms, framing, cognitive biases | 15 questions — AP-style scenarios distinguishing top-down vs. bottom-up, identifying heuristics, recognizing judgment errors |
| 5 | Unit 2 - Memory systems & encoding | Explicit vs. implicit memory, episodic vs. semantic, procedural, prospective memory, working memory model, multi-store model, levels of processing, chunking, mnemonics, spacing effect, serial position effect | 25 cards — Explicit vs. implicit memory, memory models, encoding strategies, spacing effect, serial position effect | 15 questions — Scenario-based questions applying memory models to real-life examples. Distinguish between memory systems |
| 6 | Unit 2 - Retrieval, forgetting & intelligence + FRQ practice | Recall vs. recognition, context-dependent memory, state-dependent memory, forgetting curve, interference, misinformation effect, source amnesia, intelligence theories, IQ, aptitude vs. achievement, reliability vs. validity, Flynn Effect, growth vs. fixed mindset | 20 cards — Recall vs. recognition, interference, misinformation effect, intelligence theories, IQ, reliability vs. validity | 10 questions — Multiple-choice on retrieval and forgetting, plus 1 Article Analysis FRQ on research methodology |
| 7 | Unit 3 - Developmental psychology + cumulative check | Cross-sectional vs. longitudinal research, developmental themes, prenatal development, teratogens, reflexes, motor development, Piaget's four stages, Vygotsky, language development, attachment, puberty, aging | 22 cards — Developmental themes, lifespan changes, Piaget's stages, Vygotsky, language development, attachment | 15 questions — 10 questions on developmental psychology, plus 5 cumulative questions from Units 1 and 2 |
| 8 | Unit 3 - Classical & operant conditioning | Classical conditioning, UCS, UCR, CS, CR, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination, operant conditioning, reinforcement, punishment, positive, negative, shaping, schedules of reinforcement | 25 cards — UCS/UCR/CS/CR, extinction, reinforcement vs. punishment, positive vs. negative, schedules of reinforcement | 15 questions — Scenario questions distinguishing positive/negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction |
| 9 | Unit 3 - Observational & cognitive learning + mixed review + FRQ | Observational learning, Bandura, modeling, vicarious reinforcement, latent learning, insight learning, cognitive factors in learning, neurological factors in learning, connections across learning theories | 18 cards — Bandura, modeling, vicarious reinforcement, latent learning, insight learning, connections across learning theories | 12 questions — 12 mixed questions on development and learning, plus 1 Evidence-Based FRQ using concepts from Units 1-3 |
| 10 | Unit 4 - Attribution, attitudes, & social influence + cumulative check | Attribution theory, fundamental attribution error, self-serving bias, attitude formation and change, cognitive dissonance, conformity, obedience, group polarization, groupthink, social facilitation, social loafing, bystander effect, deindividuation | 22 cards — Attribution errors, cognitive dissonance, Asch conformity, Milgram obedience, group effects, bystander effect | 15 questions — 10 vignette-based questions on social psychology, plus 5 cumulative questions from Units 1-3 |
| 11 | Unit 4 - Personality, motivation & emotion + FRQ | Freud's structural model, defense mechanisms, Rogers, Big Five, Bandura, drive reduction, arousal theory, emotion theories, facial feedback hypothesis, motivation theories, personality theories | 22 cards — Freud's structural model, defense mechanisms, Rogers, Big Five, Bandura, drive reduction, arousal theory, emotion theories, facial feedback | 12 questions — 12 scenario questions comparing theories, plus 1 Article Analysis FRQ on personality or emotion research |
| 12 | Unit 5 - Health psychology, positive psychology, & disorders | Health psychology, stress and coping, positive psychology, biopsychosocial model, disorder classification, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, dissociative disorders, OCD, PTSD, somatic symptom disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders | 22 cards — Stress and coping, positive psychology, biopsychosocial model, disorder categories and distinguishing features | 15 questions — AP-style scenarios identifying disorders and health psychology principles from descriptions |
| 13 | Unit 5 - Treatment approaches + full FRQ practice | Psychotherapy approaches, psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive, behavioral, CBT, biomedical treatments, medication, ECT, TMS, group and family therapy, matching treatments to disorders, integrating perspectives | 18 cards — Psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive, behavioral, CBT, biomedical treatments, matching treatments to disorders | Quiz — 8 MC questions on treatments, plus 2 full FRQs (1 Article Analysis, 1 Evidence-Based) covering Unit 5 and cumulative skills |
| 14 | Full exam review - Cumulative mixed practice | All 5 units. Focus on your weakest areas from the past 13 days. Practice MCQ pacing (75 questions in 90 minutes). Review FRQ structure and scoring expectations. | 30 cards — Most frequently tested vocabulary, theories, researchers, and commonly confused distinctions across all 5 units | Quiz — 25 cumulative scenario-based MC questions across Units 1-5, plus 2 FRQs (1 Article Analysis, 1 Evidence-Based) pulling from multiple units |
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⚠ Last-Minute Prep Strategy
On the night before the exam, stop learning new material. Instead, flip through your StarSpark flashcards one more time, focusing on the ones you've been getting wrong. Read through the AP Psychology Exam page on AP Central for any last-minute details about format and timing.
On exam morning, eat breakfast, bring your pencils, and trust your preparation. Two weeks of active recall and practice testing is more effective than two months of passive rereading.
The Science Behind This Approach
This plan is built on the same principles that AP Psychology teaches you about in Unit 2 (memory) and Unit 3 (learning):
You don't have to wait until tomorrow to start. Open StarSpark, paste the Day 1 flashcard prompt, and start quizzing yourself in under a minute.
The AP Psychology exam rewards students who study smart, not just students who study long. Two weeks is enough if every study session is focused, active, and built around how your brain actually learns.
Good luck. You've got this.
This study plan is aligned with the AP Psychology Course and Exam Description published by the College Board. AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of this guide.
Want more AP study plans? Check back soon for AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Calculus, and AP Statistics cram plans.
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