How long is the AP Chemistry exam?
The AP Chemistry exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long. Section I has 60 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, and Section II has 7 free-response questions in 105 minutes. Each section counts for 50% of your score. It is a hybrid digital exam: you answer multiple choice in the Bluebook app and handwrite your free responses in a paper booklet.
In more detail
Section I gives you 90 minutes for 60 questions, about 1 minute 30 seconds each. Some are single questions and some are sets that refer to the same diagram or data table. Only correct answers count toward your score, so a guess always beats a blank. The College Board recommends a scientific or graphing calculator, and reference materials such as an equation sheet and reference tables are available.
Section II has 3 long questions worth 10 points each and 4 short questions worth 4 points each, 46 points in all, in 105 minutes. That is a little over 2 minutes per point, so plan about 20 to 25 minutes for each long question and 8 to 10 for each short one. The questions ask you to explain and interpret models, design experiments, graph data, solve problems with math and back a claim with evidence.
You read the free-response questions in Bluebook but handwrite your answers in a paper booklet, so practice full handwritten answers with your units and your work shown. In 2027 the exam is on Thursday, May 6, in Session 2, usually the afternoon. Check-in and instructions come on top of the 3 hours 15 minutes, and approved accommodations such as extended time make it longer. Your AP coordinator tells you when and where to report.
AP Chemistry exam timing (College Board, October 2026)
| Section | Questions | Time | Share of score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice (in Bluebook) | 60 | 1 h 30 min | 50% |
| Free response (handwritten) | 7: 3 long, 4 short | 1 h 45 min | 50% |
| Total | 67 | 3 h 15 min | 100% |
Step by step
- 1
Take one full practice exam in one sitting: 90 minutes of multiple choice, then 105 minutes of free response.
- 2
Pace multiple choice at about 1 minute 30 seconds per question and flag the ones you guessed.
- 3
Give each long free-response question about 20 to 25 minutes and each short one about 8 to 10.
- 4
Write your free responses by hand and show your setup, units and significant figures.
- 5
Practice with your calculator and the equation sheet from your first practice test, so you know where everything is.
- 6
Score your answers with the official scoring guidelines and review the course units behind your misses.
How StudyPDF helps
Upload your AP Chemistry textbook chapters, lab handouts or lecture slides, and StudyPDF builds a practice exam from them in sections, with a timer if you want one and no feedback until you submit. Short answers are self-graded against a model answer, and the report shows your result per section. Labeled diagrams from your slides can also become flashcards that hide each label. A free account needs no card.
See also
- AnswerHow long are AP exams?
- AnswerHow do you study for AP exams?
- AnswerHow long is the AP Biology exam?
- AnswerHow do you study for an exam?
- Practice testAP Chemistry Practice Test: Units 1 to 9
- Practice testAP Physics 1 Practice Test: Units 1 to 8
- AnswerHow do you study chemistry?
- StudyPDFAI Exam Generator
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More questions
How many questions are on the AP Chemistry exam?
67 in total: 60 multiple-choice questions and 7 free-response questions, 3 long and 4 short.
Can you use a calculator on the AP Chemistry exam?
Yes. The College Board recommends a scientific or graphing calculator on both sections, and reference materials such as an equation sheet and reference tables are available.