Every summer, AP teachers gather for the annual AP exam reading, a week where educators grade thousands of exams, sharpen their understanding of the rubric, and trade stories about what helps students succeed. During a recent Vernier Trendsetters Coffee Chat, AP science teachers Sarah Shaw, Chris Coker, and Diane Vrobel, who teach across chemistry, physics, biology, and environmental science, shared their biggest takeaways from exam reading and offered practical tips to bring back to the classroom.

As Sarah put it, “If you teach an AP course and have an opportunity to go read, it is really helpful in understanding how things are graded. And the connections and professional development you get there with the people are amazing.”

What’s Changing with AP Exams?

One of the biggest shifts in the 2024–2025 school year was the move to point-by-point scoring across AP science exams. 

In previous years, each part of a multi-part question was recorded with a single score that included multiple rubric expectations. Now, each point in a response is scored individually. For example, in a graphing question, there might be one point for labeling axes, another for plotting data correctly, and another for drawing a best-fit line, instead of three points for the construction of the graph as a whole. 

This change provides much clearer data about student misconceptions. Teachers now get insights about which exact skill or concept each student missed, not just the overall score for the task or problem.

For examples of previous exams, chief reader notes, student responses, and more, check out the College Board’s AP teacher resources.

5 Tips from AP Graders to Share with Your Students

1. Mirror the Language of the Prompt

With point-by-point rubrics, precise wording matters more than ever. Sarah noted that in AP Physics, “The language students use should reflect the scenario or the specific details in the prompt.” Encourage students to mirror key vocabulary terms in their responses.

2. Answer the Question Directly

While students should use the prompt’s language, one of the clearest messages from the panel is: Avoid restating the prompt. “It doesn’t earn points,” Chris emphasizes. “Instead, dive straight into reasoning or calculations. Restating the question just wastes precious exam time.”

3. Pay Attention to Task Verbs

Every AP exam uses task verbs like calculate, justify, describe, or derive. Students need to know what each verb requires. For example, “derive” means starting with a provided equation from the reference (like Newton’s second law) and showing substitutions step by step.

These are five verbs every AP science student should master:

Task Word	Environmental Science	Biology	Chemistry	Physics (all)	Notes
Calculate	✓	✓	✓	✓	Physics, Chemistry, and Biology require correct units and significant figures, but Environmental Science does not emphasize significant figures.
Describe	✓	✓	✓	✓	This verb always means “provide the relevant characteristics.”
Explain	✓	✓	✓	✓	This verb always involves evidence and reasoning. “How” requires analysis of processes or relationships, while “Why” requires analysis of reasons or motivations.
Identify / Indicate	✓	✓	✓	✓	Chemistry sometimes requires circling or selecting information in addition to naming it.
Justify	✓	✓	✓	✓	In Physics, “justify” specifically requires qualitative reasoning beyond just math. In the other subjects, it can include data, math, or written evidence.

Beyond these, each subject tends to lean in slightly different directions: Biology emphasizes explanation and reasoning, Chemistry emphasizes precision, Physics includes both math- and data representation-heavy tasks and qualitative analysis and explanations, and Environmental Science focuses on applied reasoning.

4. Show All Work and Label Units

Even when students don’t know Part A of a question, they should write something and carry that answer into Part B. “Each part is scored independently,” Sarah points out. “Even if their Part A is wrong, they can still earn points in Part B.”

5. Graphs and Diagrams Count

In all subjects, but for AP Physics questions especially, a well-labeled graph can earn multiple points. The panel developed the following recommendations:

• Clearly label axes with variables and units.
• Use a reasonable scale that fills the graph.
• Draw a best-fit line with a ruler, not freehand.
• Use open circles for points used in slope calculations.

Using Vernier Technology to Help Prep AP Students

Data-collection technology can play an important role in AP prep. As the panel discussed, Vernier technology helps students quickly collect and graph data so they can focus on analysis, interpretation, and building confidence with the kinds of skills they’ll need on exam day.

Using Vernier sensors and analysis apps, AP students are able to

• Recognize mathematical trends (linear, inverse, parabolic) in real time.
• Repeat experiments efficiently, creating more opportunities to practice sensemaking.
• Develop familiarity and confidence with experimental design and analysis.
• Justify claims with quantitative evidence across multiple investigations.
• Evaluate good versus bad data quickly, without getting stuck on the mechanics of graphing.

At the same time, graders emphasized that students will need to demonstrate these skills without technology on exam day. As one panelist noted, “The software is great for recognizing patterns quickly, but students still have to know how to scale a graph, label axes, and draw a best-fit line by hand.” A balanced approach—using Vernier tools for hands-on learning and carving out time for manual practice—gives students the best of both worlds.

AP Chemistry teacher Chris Coker shared that when he looks back at past AP free-response questions, “I can almost always find a Vernier experiment that mimics that. And if there’s not, I can usually adapt one pretty quickly.” A few experiments he highlighted that closely align with recent chemistry exam questions include the following:

• Electrochemistry: Voltaic Cells 
• Electroplating 
• Determining the Enthalpy of a Chemical Reaction
• Acid-Base Titration

Building Community, Sharing What Works

One of the themes Diane emphasized was how valuable it was to connect with colleagues in person at the AP Reading. “I’m so glad I did it in person. The question I was reading for the AP Chemistry exam caused a lot of student confusion, and being able to talk through those responses with other teachers at my table was so valuable.”

That kind of professional connection is exactly what makes both the AP Reading and the Vernier Trendsetters Community so powerful. It’s a space for passionate STEM educators to swap strategies, highlight classroom wins, and stay in the loop on changes in science standards and assessments.

AP Resources

Looking for more support for your AP coursework? Check out the following resources:

• Lab Books for Advanced Placement
• AP Chemistry Exam 2024 Question 1 Breakdown: Titration, Calorimetry, and Common Student Mistakes
• AP Chemistry Exam 2024 Question 3 Breakdown: Electrochemistry, Alloys, and Common Mistakes
• Top Three Topics That Students Miss in AP Chemistry Prep and How to Tackle Them

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Want more peer-to-peer insights like these? Join the Vernier Trendsetters Community, where educators share teaching strategies, experiments, and technology tips and get access to new professional development opportunities. 

AP and Advanced Placement Program are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the production of and does not endorse these products.