The 2023 AP Chemistry examination was finally over. Soon after students left the test centre, messages began arriving from classes that included students from middle school through Grade 11.
Most early reactions described the overall paper as manageable, although several students found parts of the free-response section unfamiliar or difficult. These were informal impressions immediately after the exam, not an official assessment of difficulty.
Some students felt confident, while others remained nervous despite strong preparation. A few younger students had taken AP Chemistry unusually early, and several older students were returning to IB coursework as soon as the AP exam ended.
At that point, any prediction of a 5 was only an estimate. The students later reported many scores of 5 when official results were released.
The long preparation period was demanding for everyone. I hoped the students would rest, then approach their next subjects with the same steady focus they had shown in Chemistry.