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2022 AP Macroeconomics Exam Guide

6 min read•december 3, 2021

AP Macroeconomics 💶

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Your guide to the 2022 AP Macroeconomics exam

We know that studying for your AP exams can be stressful, but Fiveable has your back! We have created a study plan that will help you crush your AP Macroeconomics exam. We will continue to update this guide with more information about the 2022 exams, as well as helpful resources to help you score that 5. Create a Fiveable account and join Hours 🤝to stay involved in all things AP exams! 😁

Format of the 2022 AP AP Macroeconomics exam

This year, all AP exams will cover all units and essay types. The 2022 AP Macroeconomics exam format will be:

Section I: Multiple Choice—66% of score

You will have an hour and ten minutes to answer 60 questions.

Section II: Free Response—33% of score

1 hour to respond to three FRQs

1 long free response question (50% of section score)
2 short free response questions (50% of section score)

When is the 2022 AP Macroeconomics exam and how do I take it?

The test is on paper at your school on Thursday, May 5, at 8 am your local time.

You will have 2 hours and 10 minutes to take the exam. Create a Fiveable account to get updates on the latest 2022 exam news.

How should I prepare for the exam?

First, download the AP Macroeconomics Cram Chart PDF - a single sheet that covers everything you need to know at a high level. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses!
Review every unit and question type, and focus on the areas that need the most improvement and practice. We’ve put together this plan to help you study between now and May. This will cover all of the units and essay types to prepare you for your exam
Join Hours 🤝to talk to real students just like you studying for this exam!

Pre-work: set up your study environment

Before we begin, take some time to get organized. Remote learning can be great, but it also means you’ll need to hold yourself accountable more than usual.

🖥 Create a study space.

Make sure you have a designated place at home to study. Somewhere you can keep all of your materials, where you can focus on learning, and where you are comfortable. Spend some time prepping the space with everything you need and you can even let others in the family know that this is your study space.

📚 Organize your study materials.

Get your notebook, textbook, prep books, or whatever other physical materials you have. Also create a space for you to keep track of review. Start a new section in your notebook to take notes or start a Google Doc to keep track of your notes. Get yourself set up!

📅 Plan designated times for studying.

The hardest part about studying from home is sticking to a routine. Decide on one hour every day that you can dedicate to studying. This can be any time of the day, whatever works best for you. Set a timer on your phone for that time and really try to stick to it. The routine will help you stay on track.

🏆 Decide on an accountability plan.

How will you hold yourself accountable to this study plan? You may or may not have a teacher or rules set up to help you stay on track, so you need to set some for yourself. First set your goal. This could be studying for x number of hours or getting through a unit. Then, create a reward for yourself. If you reach your goal, then x. This will help stay focused!

🤝 Get support from your peers.

There are thousands of students all over the world who are preparing for their AP exams just like you! Join Hours 🤝 to chat, ask questions, and meet other students who are also studying for the spring exams. You can even build study groups and review material together!

AP Macroeconomics 2022 Study Plan

Unit 1: Basic Economic Concepts

Big Takeaways

Unit 1 is an introductory unit that delves into basic economic concepts such as equilibrium, supply and demand, and opportunity costs. Additionally, this unit introduces models and graphs that come up often in FRQs and will prepare students for further analysis in the later units!

Definitely do this:

🎥 Watch these videos:

Complete Unit 1 Review by Jacob Clifford
How to Draw a PPC by Khan Academy: learn how to draw production possibility curves

Opportunity Cost Tables by Khan Academy: learn how to use production possibility curves to create a table and determine comparative advantage

📰 Check out these articles:

Unit 1 Basic Economic Concepts

✍️ Practice:

Unit 1 Video Quiz by Jacob Clifford
2019 Free-Response Questions: Question 3, parts a-d address unit 1 topics
Unit 1 Practice FRQs by Ms. Lopiccolo and key

If you have more time or want to dig deeper:

Check out this Quizlet for vocab review!

Unit 2: Economic Indicators and the Business Cycle

Big Takeaways

The majority of this unit deals with how economic phenomena are measured. In this unit, students will be exposed to topics such as GDP, unemployment, inflation, and business cycles. Finally, students will learn how to differentiate between real and nominal GDP.

Definitely do this:

🎥 Watch these videos:

Complete Unit 2 Review by Jacob Clifford

Unit 2 FRQ Video Quiz by College Board: review key terms and practice unit 2 FRQs

📰 Check out these articles:

Unit 2: Economic Indicators and the Business Cycle

✍️ Practice:

Unit 2 Practice FRQs by Ms. Lopiccolo and key

If you have more time or want to dig deeper:

Unemployment Rate by Year: dig into how recessions and business cycles impact unemployment rates

Unit 3: National Income and Price Determination

Big Takeaways

This unit focuses on the concepts of aggregate demand, short and long-run aggregate supply, and how changes in the economy can affect employment and national income. This unit contains a lot of important concepts that will show up on the FRQ section of the AP exam!

Definitely do this:

🎥 Watch these videos:

Complete Unit 3 Review by ReviewEcon
Aggregate Demand Models by Jacob Clifford

📰 Check out these articles:

Unit 3: National Income and Price Determination

Lesson summary: aggregate demand (Khan Academy)

✍️ Practice:

Unit 3 Practice FRQs by Ms. Lopiccolo and key
2019 Free Response Questions: Question 1 addresses unit 3 topics

Unit 4: Financial Sector

Big Takeaways

This unit dives into the financial sector which encompasses financial assets, interest rates, monetary policies, banking, and the loanable funds market.

Definitely do this:

🎥 Watch these videos:

Complete Unit 4 Review by ReviewEcon
Functions of Money by Jacob Clifford

📰 Check out these articles:

Unit 4: Financial Sector

✍️ Practice:

Unit 4 Practice by Jacob Clifford

Unit 5: Long-run Consequences of Stabilization Policies

Big Takeaways

Learn how economic conditions can be improved through fiscal policies. Students will also learn how to examine the Phillips Curve, money growth, and other types of economic growth.

Definitely do this:

🎥 Watch these videos:

Complete Unit 5 Review by ReviewEcon
Phillips Curves by Khan Academy: learn how to draw and interpret Phillips Curves.

📰 Check out these articles:

Unit 5: Long-Run Consequences of Stabilization Policies

✍️ Practice:

Unit 4/5 Practice FRQs by Ms. Lopiccolo

Unit 6: Open Economy- International Trade and Finance

Big Takeaways

Building on concepts from units 1-5, this unit dives into the idea of an open economy which is when one country interacts with other countries. Additionally, this unit introduces the concept of foreign exchange markets.

Definitely do this:

🎥 Watch these videos: