How to Prepare for AP Chemistry

by Neil D. Jespersen

This manual offers two diagnostic exams to help students pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses plus three full-length practice exams closely modeled on actual AP chemistry exams. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764104748
• ISBN13: 9780764104749
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series
• Length: 633 Pages
• Weight: 2.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 7.9" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

excellent preparation (esp. psychologically)

I'd actually rather give it 4.5 because it had too many typos (just like the answer key saying it was B and then the actual answer in the explanation would be D and stupid mistakes like that which really irritated me). However, yes, this book does go into quite a bit of depth which is great when my textbook skimped out on information. And their organic chem section was way too detailed.And yes, the tests are MUCH MUCH MUCH harder than the actual AP exam. Which is why I liked it so much! I hate Princeton Review's AP books which are sooo incredibly easy and then the real AP exams are several times harder. That does NOT prepare you at all for the AP exam. That's fooling you into a delusional comfort only to kill you viciously on the AP exam day.Never so with Barron's. Sure, they give you lots of extraneous material, but believe it not, a lot of that, particularly their Experimental Chemistry section can come amazingly in handy on AP exam day. And plus, just surviving the horrifically hard Barron's tests will make you think that the AP exam is a joke.Between Barron's brutal but very efficient preparation and my beloved, absolutely genius of a TF at Harvard Extension, I, who put hardly any effort into Chem class, got a 5 on the AP.

Great, Comprehensive Review and awesome practice tests!

I admit that this book makes the AP seem a lot harder than it actually is. However, the diagnostic tests, practice tests, practice questions, answers to tests and questions, and chapters were incredibly useful in preparing for the test. I realized after buying the book that it was an incredible suplement to my chemistry textbook and teacher - subjects that I never totally understood became incredibly clear once reading the book. I suggest skimming through the book and marking important sections to review in the last 3 days before the exam - good luck!

good review book but don't plan on finishing it in a week

to whoever said that this book is too basic: this book is waaay better than other ap chem review books (i have a couple). my teacher doesn't even recommend this book because he says there is too much information in it. i thought this book was more clear than my textbook in explaining most of the concepts, and, there *are* free response questions in the practice ap test section. the multiple choice questions are well written as well, like most of the other barron books.

No AP Chem Student Should Be Without This Book

I'm serious too. The guy who found this book tediously long is only saying that 'cause he hadn't taken the test before he wrote his review. But for me, the test is over, and as a reflection, I don't know what I would have done without this book. Seriously, I had an awesome AP Chem teacher. I mean, his homework and test questions were harder than the ones on the actual AP exam, but this book helped so incredibly much.As I was working through this book, I quelled my dissapointment of missing about half the questions at the end of each chapter and in the sample tests by assuring myself of the fact that Barron's is known for its harder than actual thing type simulations. Not this book. The test was totally hard, but luckily, not harder than the sample tests in this book. If you want an accurate representation of the actual AP test, I strongly recommend this book. And, if you're thinking of getting the Princeton Review, DO NOT buy it without buying this book as well. I was hardely missing a question at the end of the chapters with that book and the sample tests were assuring me of high fives. It was just insanely easy. Also, it screwed me over on one of the free response questions(I wrote like a page for part i of part a and ran out of the time for the rest of the question). For some miraculous reason, I still ended up with a five, but now that I look back, it wasn't so much of a miracle. I was just prepared because I bought this book at the beginning of the year and I recommend that you do the same. It doesn't work miracles unless you use it, but if you do, I think that you'll find it a very helpful guide for the incredibly hard AP test(and yes, it is a VERY hard test).

Don't have an authentic Chemistry teacher?

GET THIS BOOK! I AM SOOOOOOOO SERIOUS GET THIS BOOK! (that's if you are taking AP CHEM). My teacher (including all the chemistry teachers in my school are by far the WORST TEACHERS IN THE WORLD! ). My AP Chem teacher is sooooooooooooo bad. She hasn't taught me a thing...and for sure I know I'm going to fail the AP exam...until I found this book...I found some hope. This book explains EVERYTHING! And I mean EVERYTHING. My teacher really never emphasized the conceptual aspects of chemistry and just concentrated on the calculation parts ~ she gave us problems that she couldn't even configure. WORDS CAN NOT EXPRESS THE VALUE OF THIS BOOK. BEFORE EVEN TAKING AP CHEMISTRY GET THE BOOK AND READ THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS AND YOU WILL BE AHEAD! I'm telling you now.....get this book. I would give this book 10 stars if I could but I can't. Also get the AP Chem Cliffs by Gary S. Thorpe...that one concentrates on the calculations. Barron explains LUCIDLY the concepts and the AP Cliffs should give you a STRONG basis on the Chemistry calculations. Those two are the only books you are going to need. THANK YOU Mr. Jespersen (author)! With this book I don't need to pay attention in class anymore.