The exam is composed of two sections:

1. Multiple choice: 66.7% of score, 1hr and 10 mins time, 100 questions long.

2. Free response questions (FRQs): 33.3% of score, 50 mins time, and 2 questions long.

Multiple Choice

The questions will ask you to…

• Define, describe, and explain content from a range of course topics

• Apply skills related to course concepts, theories, and scientific data and methods

Free Response Questions

This section includes two questions requiring you to answer in essay format. The questions will ensure you can…

• Explain behavior and apply theories using concepts from different theoretical frameworks or subdomains in the field of psychology

• Analyze psychological research studies, including analyzing and interpreting quantitative data

Exam Topics

• Unit 1 - Scientific Foundations of Psychology (10%–14% of exam score):

  • Major historical figures in psychology

  • Theoretical approaches to describing behavior

  • Branches of psychology

  • A variety of research methods used by psychologists

  • The application of research design and statistical analysis in psychology

  • Ethical guidelines

• Unit 2 - Biological Bases of Behavior (8%–10% of exam score):

  • The interaction of inherited traits, environment, and evolution in shaping behavior

  • Structures and functions of biological systems, including the endocrine system and nervous system

  • Brain function, neural firing, and the influence of medication

  • The study of the brain and research techniques for studying its structure and function

  • States of consciousness, including sleeping and dreaming

  • Addiction and drug dependence

• Unit 3 - Sensation and Perception (6%–8% of exam score):

  • Basic principles of how humans experience and process stimuli

  • The role of experience and culture in perception

  • The mechanisms of the 5 senses and sensory disorders

• Unit 4 - Learning (7%–9% of exam score):

  • Influential researchers and theories of learning

  • Results of famous learning experiments

  • Types of learning

  • Types of conditioning and their effects

  • Social and cognitive factors in learning

• Unit 5 - Cognitive Psychology (13%–17% of exam score):

  • The cognitive and physiological processes that make up memory

  • Forgetting and typical memory errors

  • The biological basis of short- and long-term memory

  • Creative thinking and problem-solving strategies

  • Biases and errors in thinking

  • Defining and measuring intelligence

  • The processes of learning and using language

• Unit 6 - Developmental Psychology (12%-16% of exam score):

  • Physical and social development in childhood

  • Theories of cognitive development in childhood

  • Adolescent development and challenges

  • Adulthood and aging

  • Theories of moral development

  • Gender and sexual orientation

• Unit 7 - Motivation, Emotion, and Personality (11%-15% of exam score):

  • Theories of motivation behind human and animal behavior

  • Major theories of emotion

  • The effects of stress

  • Conceptions of personality, including behaviorist, social cognitive, humanistic, and trait

    theories

  • Research and assessments to measure personality

• Unit 8 - Clinical Psychology (12%–16% of exam score):

  • Standards for diagnosing and approaches to explaining psychological disorders

  • Neurodevelopmental and schizophrenic spectrum disorders

  • Bipolar, depressive, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders

  • Dissociative, somatic, and trauma- and stress-related disorders

  • Substance abuse, eating disorders, personality disorders, and related conditions

  • Historical developments in psychological treatment

  • Modern treatment options and methods

• Unit 9 - Social Psychology (8%–10% of exam score):

  • How social and cultural categories like gender and race can impact self-concept and behavior

  • The factors that lead people to form and change attitudes

  • Group dynamics, including conformity, compliance, and obedience to authority

  • Types of behavior caused by the presence of others

  • Bias, prejudice, and discrimination

  • Altruism and aggression

  • The variables that contribute to attraction

Units to Study (by Highest Number of Questions Possibly Being on the Exam)

1. Cognitive Psychology (13%–17%)

2. Clinical Psychology & Developmental Psychology (12%-16%)

3. Motivation, Emotion, and Personality (11%-15%)

4. Scientific Foundations of Psychology (10%–14%)

5. Social Psychology & Biological Bases of Behavior (8%–10%)

6. Learning (7%–9%)

7. Sensation and Perception (6%–8%)

What to Bring on Exam Day

To be continued…