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100+ Free AP Psychology Practice Questions

Pass your AP Psychology (Advanced Placement Psychology) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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A person attributes their own exam failure to an unfair test but attributes a classmate's failure to laziness. This pattern reflects the:

A
B
C
D
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Key Facts: AP Psychology Exam

75

multiple-choice questions in Section I (90 minutes)

College Board AP Central

2h 40m

total exam time across both sections

College Board AP Central

5 units

in the redesigned course, each weighted 15-25%

College Board CED

66.7%

of the exam score comes from multiple choice

College Board AP Central

1-5

score scale; a 3 or higher typically earns credit

College Board

May 2025

first administration of the redesigned five-unit exam

College Board

The redesigned AP Psychology exam has 75 multiple-choice questions (90 minutes, 66.7% of the score) and 2 free-response questions (70 minutes, 33.3% of the score), for about 2 hours 40 minutes total. The five content units - Biological Bases of Behavior, Cognition, Development and Learning, Social Psychology and Personality, and Mental and Physical Health - are each weighted 15-25% and represented roughly equally. Free-response Question 1 is an Article Analysis Question and Question 2 is an Evidence-Based Question, each scored out of 7 points. The exam is scored 1-5, and a 3 or higher typically earns college credit (source: College Board, apcentral.collegeboard.org).

Sample AP Psychology Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your AP Psychology exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which part of the neuron receives incoming signals from other neurons and conducts them toward the cell body?
A.Axon
B.Terminal buttons
C.Myelin sheath
D.Dendrites
Explanation: Dendrites are the branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages from other neurons and conduct impulses toward the cell body (soma). The axon then carries signals away from the cell body to other cells.
2A neuron fires with the same intensity regardless of how strong the triggering stimulus is, as long as the stimulus reaches threshold. This principle is best described as the:
A.Refractory period
B.Reuptake process
C.Resting potential
D.All-or-none response
Explanation: The all-or-none response means a neuron either fires a full action potential or does not fire at all; a stronger stimulus does not produce a stronger impulse. Stimulus intensity is instead coded by how frequently neurons fire and how many neurons fire.
3Which neurotransmitter is most directly associated with muscle movement and is deficient in people with Alzheimer's disease?
A.Dopamine
B.Serotonin
C.Acetylcholine
D.GABA
Explanation: Acetylcholine (ACh) enables muscle action, learning, and memory. A loss of ACh-producing neurons is associated with Alzheimer's disease, and blocking ACh causes paralysis.
4Damage to which brain structure would most likely disrupt the formation of new explicit (conscious) memories?
A.Hippocampus
B.Cerebellum
C.Amygdala
D.Medulla
Explanation: The hippocampus is critical for forming and consolidating new explicit memories of facts and events. Damage to it can cause anterograde amnesia, in which a person cannot form new conscious memories.
5The endocrine system communicates throughout the body by releasing which type of chemical messenger?
A.Neurotransmitters
B.Antibodies
C.Enzymes
D.Hormones
Explanation: The endocrine system is a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. Hormones travel more slowly than neural signals but can have longer-lasting effects on mood, growth, metabolism, and sexual function.
6Which division of the autonomic nervous system calms the body and conserves energy after a stressful event?
A.Somatic nervous system
B.Sympathetic nervous system
C.Parasympathetic nervous system
D.Central nervous system
Explanation: The parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system conserves energy and calms the body, slowing heart rate and promoting digestion after arousal. The sympathetic division does the opposite, arousing the body for fight or flight.
7During which stage of sleep do vivid dreams, rapid eye movements, and near-paralysis of the body most commonly occur?
A.REM sleep
B.NREM Stage 1
C.NREM Stage 2
D.NREM Stage 3
Explanation: REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is when most vivid dreaming occurs. The brain is highly active while the body's voluntary muscles are essentially paralyzed, which is why REM is sometimes called paradoxical sleep.
8A researcher studies how a child's height is influenced by both inherited genes and nutrition. This focus best illustrates the concept of:
A.Natural selection
B.Evolutionary mismatch
C.Continuity versus stages
D.Nature-nurture interaction
Explanation: The nature-nurture interaction refers to how heredity (nature) and environment (nurture) work together to influence traits and behavior. Modern psychology emphasizes that the two interact rather than acting alone.
9The frontal lobes are most directly involved in which of the following functions?
A.Processing visual information
B.Receiving sensory touch information
C.Processing auditory information
D.Judgment, planning, and voluntary movement
Explanation: The frontal lobes are involved in higher-order functions such as judgment, planning, decision-making, and speech, and they contain the motor cortex that controls voluntary movement. The classic case of Phineas Gage illustrated their role in personality and impulse control.
10The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time is known as the:
A.Difference threshold
B.Sensory adaptation point
C.Just noticeable difference
D.Absolute threshold
Explanation: The absolute threshold is the minimum stimulus intensity a person can detect 50 percent of the time. It defines the lower limit of our sensory sensitivity for a given sense.

About the AP Psychology Exam

AP Psychology is a College Board Advanced Placement course and exam covering the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. The redesigned course, first administered in May 2025, is organized into five units - Biological Bases of Behavior, Cognition, Development and Learning, Social Psychology and Personality, and Mental and Physical Health - each weighted equally on the exam. The exam is delivered digitally in Bluebook and has a multiple-choice Section I (75 questions, 90 minutes) and a free-response Section II (2 questions, 70 minutes).

Questions

75 scored questions

Time Limit

2 hours 40 minutes

Passing Score

Scored 1-5; a 3 or higher typically earns college credit

Exam Fee

About $99 per exam (2025-26 US base fee) (College Board)

AP Psychology Exam Content Outline

15-25%

Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior

Heredity and environment, neurons and neurotransmission, brain structures, the endocrine system, sleep and circadian rhythms, and sensation and perception.

15-25%

Unit 2: Cognition

Perception, thinking, problem solving, heuristics and biases, the three-stage memory model, forgetting and memory distortion, and intelligence and testing.

15-25%

Unit 3: Development and Learning

Lifespan development, Piaget and Erikson, attachment, classical and operant conditioning, and observational learning.

15-25%

Unit 4: Social Psychology and Personality

Attribution, attitudes, conformity and obedience, group dynamics, the major personality theories, and motivation and emotion.

15-25%

Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health

Health and positive psychology, stress, classification and categories of psychological disorders, and biomedical and psychotherapeutic treatments.

How to Pass the AP Psychology Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Scored 1-5; a 3 or higher typically earns college credit
  • Exam length: 75 questions
  • Time limit: 2 hours 40 minutes
  • Exam fee: About $99 per exam (2025-26 US base fee)

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

AP Psychology Study Tips from Top Performers

1Study all five units evenly - because each unit is weighted 15-25%, no single unit can be safely skipped.
2Practice the three multiple-choice science practices: concept application, research methods and design, and data interpretation, not just memorizing definitions.
3Build a vocabulary deck of key terms and the psychologists associated with each theory (Piaget, Erikson, Pavlov, Skinner, Bandura, Freud, Maslow).
4Prepare specifically for the Article Analysis Question by practicing how to identify independent and dependent variables, operational definitions, and ethical concerns.
5Use the Evidence-Based Question format to practice making a defensible claim and supporting it with cited evidence and psychological reasoning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the AP Psychology exam and how long is it?

The redesigned AP Psychology exam has 75 multiple-choice questions (90 minutes) and 2 free-response questions (70 minutes), for a total of about 2 hours 40 minutes. The multiple-choice section is 66.7% of the score and the free-response section is 33.3%.

What are the five units of the redesigned AP Psychology course?

The five units are Biological Bases of Behavior, Cognition, Development and Learning, Social Psychology and Personality, and Mental and Physical Health. Each unit is weighted 15-25% and is represented roughly equally on the multiple-choice section.

What are the AP Psychology free-response questions?

Section II has two free-response questions. Question 1 is the Article Analysis Question (AAQ), which assesses research methods, variables, statistics, ethics, and argumentation. Question 2 is the Evidence-Based Question (EBQ), which requires a claim, evidence from sources, and reasoning. Each is scored out of 7 points.

How is the AP Psychology exam scored?

AP exams are scored on a 1-5 scale. A score of 3 is generally considered passing and a 3 or higher typically earns college credit, though each college sets its own credit policy.

Is the AP Psychology exam digital now?

Yes. Since the 2025 administration, AP Psychology is a fully digital exam taken in the Bluebook testing app, with both the multiple-choice and free-response sections completed and submitted on a computer.

How much does the AP Psychology exam cost?

The standard AP exam fee in the US is about $99 per exam for 2025-26. Fee reductions are available for eligible students, and many schools subsidize part of the cost.