1. Cracking the Free Response in AP Macroeconomics and Microeconomics
Patricia Brazill
Co-Chair, Macro Test Development
Irondequoit High School
Rochester, NY
Sandra Wright
Micro Test Development
Adlai Stevenson High School
Lincolnshire, IL

2. How to help students move beyond prescribed questions or previously asked FRQs…
Emphasize the concepts and skills so they know how to drive the AP Econ Car and read the Map (FRQ Questions) so that no matter what question is asked they can rely on their knowledge of how to drive and read the map to go where ever the question asks…

3. The FRQ in both exams is worth 1/3 of the test Grade

4. Each Exam cut score changes
2010 Macro
53% 3 or above

5. Students scores can improve with FRQ scores -

6. Instructional planning report
You want your students FRQs to exceed average scores!

7. Advice from Chief Reader
When answering the Macroeconomics or Microeconomics free response questions, a student should respond clearly and concisely. Including paragraphs or even full-sentence responses is not always necessary; however, it is important to address the verb prompts appropriately (as explained below). A written response that presents conflicting answers is likely to lead to the loss of points.

8. Verbs: What do students need to do?
“SHOW” means use a diagram (graph). Correct labels are critical!
“EXPLAIN” means to take the reader through all the steps or linkages in the line of reasoning. Often a formula or graph will work.
“IDENTIFY” means provide a specific answer, a list, a point on a graph, without explanation
“CALCULATE” means use math to determine a specific numerical answer and show work

9. Good news from 2012 Macro Correctly drawn and labeled AD/AS models
Correctly drawn Production Possibilities model
Showing a recession on a PPF

10. Good news from Macro 2011 Content Areas: Foreign Exchange Market
Fiscal Policy Effect on AD

11. Bad News from 2011 Less than ~25% of Students Correctly Answered
Content Areas:
The Mechanics of Money Creation
Categories of Unemployment
Classical Adjustment to Recession

12. Bad News from 2012 Macro General Content Areas: Money and Banking
Real vs. Nominal Distinction
International Economics

13. Good News from Micro 2011 Determining Pe and Qe on a Monopoly graph
Firm Graph in PC market
Price ceiling on a PC market graph
Finding Allocative Efficienct Quantity when an externality exists

14. Bad News from Micro 2011 Elasticity
Consumer surplus when price discrimination
PC Labor market graphs
finding DWL when externality exists

15. Good news from Micro 2012 Monopoly Graph
Marginal Revenue and Demand Curves
Profit Max Quantity where MR = MC
Price on Demand Curve above Q*
Finding Total Utility by Summing MU
Identifying Domestic Production Level in Situation with Imports and a Tariff

16. Micro Trouble Spots
9. Optimal Consumption Rule 7. Effect of Subsidy on Quantity Produced 6. Effect of Lump-Sum Subsidy on Deadweight Loss
5. Tariff Revenue
4. Value of Consumer Surplus
3. Cross-price Elasticity
2. Effect of Price Increase on Total Revenue
Surplus-maximizing Tariff
Special Mention: Labels!

17. What you can do to help your students…
Ask students to show their work for calculation problems.
They should include both the formula used and the numbers used in their calculations. This will help you find the errors in their thinking
GO BACK TO THE BASICS AT THE END OF THE COURSE
Use the notes from the Chief Reader (Scoring plus Samples and Commentary
Use your Instructional Planning Report from College Board
Teach the VERBAGE
GRAPH GRAPH GRAPH!!!!!
Score FRQs from a grid

18. What should students do?
Take frequent timed FRQ TESTS -
Short FRQs are 12 minute questions
Teach students to grade from rubric
Mini white boards – look at their models!
Sidewalk chalk – muscle memory
Presentations of Macro and Micro 1 to class

19. Macro models students must know
Production Possibilities
Supply and Demand
Aggregate Supply and Demand with vertical Long Run Aggregate Supply
Phillips Curve
Money Market Model
Loanable funds
Currency market with simple Supply/Demand

20. Micro Models Students Must know
Production Possibilities
Supply and Demand – Include tariffs, tax incidence, and world prices in your analysis
Perfect Competition side-by-side graphs
Monopoly
Monopolistic Competition
Payoff matrix in Game Theory
Labor market – side by side graphs
Monopsony

21. Frequently Tested Concepts in Macro FRQ’s 1995-2011
Fiscal Policy, discretionary and automatic
1995 #1
2009 B#1
1995 #2
2010 #1
auto
1997 #3
2010B #1
2000 #1
2011 #1
2001 #1
2011/B#1
2002 #1
2003 #1,2
2003B #3
2005#1
2005 #3
AD/AS Model
2003B-1
2010 B-1
1996 #1
2004 #1
2010B #3
2004B-1
1998 #1
2005 #1
2011B #1
1999 #1
2006 #1
2012 #3
2007#1
2006B #1
2007B #1
2002B #1
2009B#1
2003 #1
Money Market Model
2000 #3
2209 #1
2009 #3
2009B #2
2010 #2
2005B-1
2010B#2
2012#1
2006 #2
2006B #2
Interest rate effects (on I or growth or 4-x)
2009#2
1997 #1,3
2009B #3
2003 #3
2011 #2
2003B #1
2007#2
2007B #4
Monetary Policy
1996 #2
1997 #1
2009 #1
2010B #2
2011 #3
2011B #2
2004B #1
Crowding Out
Keynesian v. Classical thought
2011B#1
Inflation impact
2002B-1
2011B #3
Long run growth
2002 #2
2006 #3
2008 #1
2009 #2
4-X
1998 #3
2000 #2
2007B #3
2001 #2
2012#3
2002 #3
2002B #3
2010 #3
2004 #2
2005B #3
Balance of Trade
2008 #2
2001 #3
2002B-3
Multiple Expansion of $
1996 #3
2004 #3
2006#2
2011#3
2012#2
Elasticity
Loanable Funds
2011B 1
2007B #2
Circular Flow
1997 #2
Nominal – real interest rates
2012#1,3
1999 #2
2005B-2
PPF/comp. adv.
2003 #2
2003B-2
2004B-3
2008#3
2102#1
Phillips Curve
2003B-3
2006B #3
2009B #1
GDP
2007 #3
2011B#3
Inf Expectations
Bond prices/rates
2010#2

22. Frequently Tested Concepts in Micro FRQ’s 1995- 2011
Supply and Demand Grapsh
1995 #1
2010 #1
1998 #!
2010B #2
1999#1
2000 #3
2003#2
2004B#3
2004 #2
2005B#3
2005#2
2006B #3
Externalities
1995 #2
2011 #3
1992 #3
2001 #2
2002B #2
2002#2
2003 #1
2004 #1
2006 #3
2009 #1
2009 #2
Allocative (economic) efficiciency (MSC=MSB)
2004#1
2005 #1
2011B #2
2008#2
2009B#1
2010 #2
2010B #1
2011 #1
Relationship of P and MR
1995 #3
1996 #3
1999 #3
2003 #2
MR = MC rule
2004B#1
1996 #1,3
2004 #1,3
1997 #2
2005B #1,2
1998 #1,3
2006B #1
2000 #1
2006 #1
2001 #1
2007B #1
2002B #1
2008#1
2002 #1
2003B #3
2003 #1,2
2011 #1,2
2102 #1
Monopoly Model
1996#1
2006B#1
Natural
2007A
1998 #3
2008 #2 natural
2003B #1
2012#1
2004B #1
2005B #1
Price Discrimination
Elasticity/TR test
*cross elasticity*
Income elasticity
1996#2
2004B #2
2005B #3
2008 #1
2009B2*
2010B#3
2012#2
Perfect Competition
Product market and firm, side by side
2006B #2
1996 #1
2007 #2
Labor
2011 #2
2011B#1
2005B #2
Monopolistic Competition
2009B #1
Market power
Price Ceilings/Floors
1996 #2
1998 #1
2002B #3
2011B #3
Labor Market
MRP=MRC rule
1997 #1
2006B#2
1998 #2
2000 #2
2001 #3
2003B#3
2003#3
2005B#1
2005#3
S & D analysis of tariff/world market
2003B #2
2004 #3
2012#3
Consumer/producer surplus
2002B#1
2003B#2
2010 #3
Tax incidence
2005 #2
Deadweight loss
Equimarginal principal
2002 #3
2003
2009B#2
Oligopoloy/game theory
2007B #2
2007 #3
2009 #3
2009B #3
Lump sum,
Per unit tax/subsidy
Economies of scale
Income effect
2009B #2
Substitution effect
MONOPSONY
2011B3