Exam Overview
Exam questions assess the course concepts and skills outlined in the course framework. For more information, refer to the Exam Overview section in the AP Macroeconomics Course and Exam Description (CED).
Encourage your students to visit the AP Macroeconomics student page for exam information.
Course and Exam Updates
Important updates have been made to the AP Macroeconomics course and exam that take effect with the 2022-23 school year (spring 2023 exam):
- A four-function calculator is allowed on both sections of the exam. Note that this is strictly a change to the calculator policy and does not affect the exam format (number of sections, number of questions), the types of questions students may see on the exam, the course framework, or the skills.
- The Monetary Policy topic of the course (topic 4.6) has been updated to account for monetary policy in a banking system with ample reserves. Teachers who already have a printed copy of the AP Macroeconomics Course and Exam Description can download the updated pages.
- Exam questions will reflect the Federal Reserve's updated measurement of the monetary aggregates designated as M1 and M2. Please refer to the footnotes in the Fed's H.6 statistical release ("Money Stock Measures") for a description of the components. Note that there has been no change to the relevant learning objective (MEA-3.C) and essential knowledge statement (MEA-3.C.3) in the AP Macroeconomics Course and Exam Description.
The following resources have been developed to support teachers and students with these updates:
- A video for teachers explaining the updates
- Updated practice exams, which are available now for secure access by teachers on the Course Audit site and AP Classroom
- Updated progress check questions, topic questions, question bank questions, and AP Daily videos on AP Classroom
Exam Date
Exam Format
The AP Macroeconomics Exam includes two sections. The first section contains 60 multiple-choice questions. The second section is the free-response section, which includes one long question and two short questions. Below is a detailed breakdown of both the multiple choice and free-response sections.
Starting with the 2023 exam, a four-function calculator is permitted for use on both sections of the exam.
Section I: Multiple Choice
60 Questions | 1 Hour 10 Minutes | 66% of Exam Score
Questions require the use of economics content knowledge and reasoning across the range of course topics and skills in skill categories 1, 2, and 3.
Section II: Free Response
3 Questions | 1 Hour (includes a 10-minute reading period) | 33% of Exam Score
- 1 long free-response question (50% of section score).
- 2 short free-response questions (each worth 25% of section score).
- Students will be asked to:
- Make assertions about economic concepts, principles, models, outcomes, and/or effects
- Explain economic concepts, principles, models, outcomes, and/or effects
- Perform numerical analysis
- Create graphs or visual representations
Exam Questions and Scoring Information
Please note: Effective June 1, 2022, some questions from previous AP Macroeconomics Exams may not perfectly align with the course updates that take effect starting with the May 2023 exam. These questions remain available because teachers indicate that imperfectly aligned questions still provide instructional value.
2023: Free-Response Questions
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Scoring |
Samples and Commentary |
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