Important Updates
Support for Students and Schools Impacted by Coronavirus
In response to school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re providing free, live AP online classes and review lessons. We’ll also offer at-home testing for 2020 AP Exams. Note that any related adjustments to 2020 AP Exams, such as length or content covered, may not be reflected on all AP Central pages. Visit at Taking Online AP Exams for the latest exam information.
AP Macroeconomics Updates and New Resources for 2019-20
To help more students prepare for—and succeed on—the AP Macroeconomics Exam, we’ve clarified the course’s focus starting with the 2019-20 school year and are introducing new resources for your classroom. We’ve also moved exam registration to the fall, a best practice that improves students’ chances of earning college credit and placement.
Download the new course and exam description (CED)
New AP Resources
AP Classroom is now available. Designed with AP educators, it helps you provide students daily practice and personalized feedback throughout the year. Sign in to access AP unit guides with aligned resources, topic questions, personal progress checks, the progress dashboard, and your question bank.
Course Overview
AP Macroeconomics is an introductory college-level macroeconomics course. Students cultivate their understanding of the principles that apply to an economic system as a whole by using principles and models to describe economic situations and predict and explain outcomes with graphs, charts, and data as they explore concepts like economic measurements, markets, macroeconomic models, and macroeconomic policies.
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AP Macroeconomics Course at a Glance
Excerpted from the AP Macroeconomics Course and Exam Description, the Course at a Glance document outlines the topics and skills covered in the AP Macroeconomics course, along with suggestions for sequencing.
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AP Macroeconomics Course and Exam Description—Fall 2019
This is the core document for this course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and the AP Program in general. It now reflects the new unit structure for 2019-20.
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AP Macroeconomics CED Scoring Guidelines
This document details how each of the sample free-response questions in the 2019-20 CED would be scored.
Course Content
Based on the Understanding by Design® (Wiggins and McTighe) model, the course framework provides a clear and detailed description of the course requirements necessary for student success. The framework specifies what students must know, be able to do, and understand, with a focus on big ideas that encompass core principles and theories of the discipline. The framework also encourages instruction that prepares students for advanced economics coursework.
The AP Macroeconomics framework is organized into six commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. As always, you have the flexibility to organize the course content as you like.
Unit |
Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section) |
| Unit 1: Basic Economic Concepts | 5%–10% |
| Unit 2: Economic Indicators and the Business Cycle | 12%–17% |
| Unit 3: National Income and Price Determination | 17%–27% |
| Unit 4: Financial Sector | 18%–23% |
| Unit 5: Long-Run Consequences of Stabilization Policies | 20%–30% |
| Unit 6: Open Economy—International Trade and Finance | 10%–13% |
Course Skills
The new AP Macroeconomics framework included in the course and exam description outlines distinct skills that students should practice throughout the year—skills that will help them learn to think and act like economists.
Skill |
Description |
| 1. Principles and Models | Define economic principles and models. |
| 2. Interpretation | Explain given economic outcomes. |
| 3. Manipulation | Determine outcomes of specific economic situations. |
| 4. Graphing and Visuals | Model economic situations using graphs or visual representations. |
AP and Higher Education
Higher education professionals play a key role developing AP courses and exams, setting credit and placement policies, and scoring student work. The AP Higher Education site features information on recruitment and admission, advising and placement, and more.
This chart shows recommended scores for granting credit, and how much credit should be awarded, for each AP course. Your students can look up credit and placement policies for colleges and universities on the AP Credit Policy Search.
Meet the Development Committee for AP Macroeconomics.