The following exam tips were written by Sanderson Smith of the Cate School, Carpinteria, California, and Daren Starnes of The Webb Schools, Claremont, California, and are used with permission.

The Exam Itself To maximize your score on the AP Statistics Exam, you first need to know how the exam is organized and how it will be scored.

The AP Statistics Exam consists of two separate sections:
|Section 1 |40 Multiple-Choice |90 minutes |Counts 50% of the exam score. |
| |questions | | |

SCORING: 1 point for each correct answer 0 points for each question left blank NO PENALTY for each incorrect answer

|Section 2 |6 Free-Response |90 minutes |Counts 50% of the exam |Questions are designed to test your statistical |
| |questions | |score. |reasoning and your communication skills. |

SCORING: Five open-ended problems @ 13 minutes; each counts 15 percent of free-response score One investigative task @ 25 minutes; counts 25 percent of free-response score

Each free-response question is scored on a 0 to 4 scale. General descriptors for each of the scores are:

|4 |Complete Response |NO statistical errors and clear communication |
|3 |Substantial Response |Minor statistical error/omission or fuzzy communication |
|2 |Developing Response |Important statistical error/omission or lousy communication |
|1 |Minimal Response |A "glimmer" of statistical knowledge related to the problem |
|0 |Inadequate Response |No glimmer; statistically dangerous to himself and others |

Your work is graded holistically, meaning that your entire response to a problem is considered before a score is assigned.

Exam preparation begins on the first day of your AP Statistics class. Keep in mind the following advice throughout the year: • Read your statistics book. Most AP Exam questions start with a paragraph that describes the context of the problem. You need to be able to pick out important statistical cues. The only way you will learn to do that is through hands-on experience. • Practice writing about your statistical thinking. Your success on the AP Exam depends on how well you explain your reasoning. • Work as many problems as you can in the weeks leading up to the exam. Your biggest challenge will be determining what statistical technique to use on each question.

On the night before the exam • Get a good night's sleep. • Make sure your calculator is functioning properly. Insert new batteries, and make sure all systems are "go." Bring a spare calculator if possible.

During the Exam
General Advice

Relax, and take time to think! Remember that everyone else taking the exam is in a situation identical to yours. Realize that the problems will probably look considerably more complicated than those you have encountered in other math courses. That's because a statistics course is, necessarily, a "wordy" course.

Read each question carefully before you begin working. This is especially important for problems with multiple parts or lengthy introductions. Suggestion: Highlight key words and phrases as you read the questions.

Look at graphs and displays carefully. For graphs, note carefully what is represented on the axes, and be aware of number scale. Some questions that provide tables of numbers and graphs relating to the numbers can be answered simply by "reading" the graphs.

About graphing calculator use: Your graphing