Multiple-Choice Strategy
Practice AP Psychology multiple choice with vocabulary precision, scenario reading, elimination, and pacing.
A lesson of AP Psychology, in AP Psych Exam Readiness, about 10 minutes.
AP Psychology: Multiple Choice Strategy
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to apply targeted strategies for the AP Psychology multiple choice section, identify and avoid common question traps, and practice the process of elimination on psychology concept questions.
The AP Psychology Multiple Choice Section
Format: 100 questions, 70 minutes = 42 seconds per question
Score: 66.7% of the total AP exam score
Content distribution: All 9 content units are represented; Units 5 (Cognitive) and 8 (Clinical) typically have the most questions.
Two Types of AP Psych MC Questions
Type 1: Knowledge Recall
Tests whether you know a specific concept, definition, or fact.
"Which of the following is the neurotransmitter most associated with the reward pathways of the brain?" (A) Serotonin (B) GABA (C) Dopamine (D) Acetylcholine (E) Norepinephrine
Strategy: Eliminate wrong answers systematically. GABA is inhibitory; acetylcholine = muscle movement and memory; serotonin = mood; norepinephrine = arousal. Dopamine is the reward neurotransmitter.
Answer: C
Type 2: Scenario Application
Tests whether you can apply a concept to a new situation.
"Maria was in a car accident and sustained damage to her hippocampus. Which of the following would most likely result?" (A) She would lose all memory of her childhood. (B) She would be unable to form new explicit memories. (C) She would have difficulty recognizing faces. (D) She would lose her language abilities. (E) She would be unable to feel fear.
Strategy: What does the hippocampus do? Memory FORMATION (not storage of old memories). That eliminates (A). Face recognition = fusiform face area = temporal lobe → eliminates (C). Language = Broca's/Wernicke's → eliminates (D). Fear = amygdala → eliminates (E). Answer: B
Elimination Strategies
Step 1: Look for Extreme Language
Answers with "always," "never," "only," "all," "none," or "solely" are often wrong in psychology, where most findings are probabilistic.
Exception: Some knowledge-recall questions have definitively correct answers. "Which lobe is primary for vision?" has a correct answer (occipital). But for behavior questions, watch for extremes.
Step 2: Eliminate the Clearly Wrong
Even when you don't know the correct answer, you usually know 2-3 wrong ones. Narrow the field before guessing.
Step 3: Watch for "Two Correct" Traps
Sometimes two answers seem correct — look for the or answer. The question usually specifies what kind of answer it wants ("most likely," "primarily," "best describes").