Score Higher on AP Microeconomics 2024: Tips for FRQ 1

FRQ 1 – Long

This guide organizes advice from past students who got 4s and 5s on their exams. We hope it gives you some new ideas and tools for your study sessions. But remember, everyone's different—what works for one student might not work for you. If you've got a study method that's doing the trick, stick with it. Think of this as extra help, not a must-do overhaul.

📌 Overview

• Students make assertions about economic concepts, explain principles or models, make mathematical calculations, and create graphs or visual representations.
• 17% of Exam Score.
• Spend about 30 minutes.

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💭 General Advice

Tips on mindset, strategy, structure, time management, and any other high level things to know

• Honestly, you know the answer to every question! Read the question carefully and underline any key terms that signal you towards a certain approach.
• Have a solid understanding of the base Perfect Comp and Supply & Demand graphs.
• Changes in price don’t shift the curve! (Say it in a pirate voice to remember it)
• When the FRQ asks you to “explain,” make sure to do so coherently and don’t just make assertions without elaborating on why!
• When studying, practicing full length exams are the most helpful in building endurance and preparing you for the circumstances of the real test.
• In terms of time management, try to spend around 16-18 minutes on each FRQ, so you have 5-10 minutes at the end to check and look over your answers.
• Remember to practice, practice, and practice your graphs and shifts. They will always have the same types of graphs on each exam, just with different wording. You already know the material, you just need to implement it in a short period of time with the FRQ.
• Do as many practice FRQs as possible and do them with a pen. This will give you peace of mind during the final exam because you mentally know you have already done it like a real exam!
• When practicing FRQs, make sure you grade them yourself honestly and thoroughly and go over the areas you got wrong. The only way to see your weak areas is by making yourself practice as much as possible in similar situations as the FRQ.
• Verbally explain the shifts and outcomes of those shifts to yourself or a friend. If you can do this, it will prove if you actually understand the concept.
• Make sure when you explain, you cite evidence to further justify yourself in the answer–if you don’t cite evidence, it won’t be considered “legitimate.”
• Bring a watch that’s not connected to any electronic device or phone. That way you can keep track of the time without having to look up at a clock. In some proctoring situations, you’re far away from the clock so it’s hard to keep track of time.
• Keep track of the problems and questions that you consistently keep getting wrong. For example, if you get a bunch of Unit 2 wrong, dedicate a lot of energy to that unit because you know it’s your weak spot.

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✏️ Before you Write

What should a student do in the first few minutes, before they start writing?

• Identify the FRQ you feel most confidently about and make a mental note to start with it.
• First, make sure to read the entire FRQ and the questions before doing anything! It is so easy to make simple mistakes when you rush into it!
• Try and recognize any FRQ topics you saw lots of MCQs on if you don’t know where to start. Think of MCQs like a brain refresher for the FRQ.

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🏛️ Structuring your Response

• Make sure you include key words and correct vocab in your response!
• Create a clear, thought out outline that you can constantly look towards when going through each part. Because you might be nervous, you might want to write everything covered and needed for each response in the outline to look at once you start your final FRQ response.
• Follow the basic Claim, Evidence, Reasoning format. This will make sure your response is clear and concise.

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➗ Most Common Equations

• Percentage Change- (New-Old / Old)
• price elasticity of demand = % quantity demanded% price
• coefficient = 0 -> perfectly inelastic demand
• coefficient = 1 -> unit elastic demand
• coefficient = -> perfectly elastic demand
• cross price elasticity of demand = % quantitiy of good A% price of good B
• CPED is positive -> good A and B are substitutes
• CPED is negative -> good A and B are complements
• income elasticity of demand = % quantitiy% income
• IED is positive -> the good is a normal good
• IED is negative -> the good is an inferior good
• Utility Maximization Rule: MUxPx =MUyPy
• MC = MR, firms (of all market structures) always produce at the profit-maximizing quantity!
• Multiplier = (1 / 1 MPC) OR (1 − MP), very important

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📊 Drawing Graphs

• Remember to always label your graphs clearly, correctly, and fully! Points can be lost from an incorrect graph even if you have the right “idea.”
• Draw the graph on your scratch paper BEFORE you begin writing in your FRQ paper. This helps you visualize the graph and make sure you don’t forget anything on it. You are using a pen so you don’t want to make a mess by drawing it right away for your final response!
• NEVER forget adding your axis names for every graph!! This is one of the easiest areas to get points that many forget due to stress and feeling rushed.
• Draw very carefully and don’t do too much with your pen because you can’t erase anything. If you mess up a graph, cross it out with your pen and the AP scorers won’t grade that part.