AP Statistics FRQ Guide: The New 4-Question Exam

The AP Statistics exam changes for the 2026-27 school year: the free-response section now has four questions worth 10 points each, down from six questions worth 4 points each, and the whole exam is taken in College Board's Bluebook app. Those four AP Statistics FRQs make up half of your score, so each one counts for 12.5% of the exam. The first exam on this format is Tuesday, May 11, 2027. (This guide has been updated for the 2026-27 academic year.)

How the AP Statistics Exam and FRQ Section Work

The 2026-27 Course and Exam Description describes an exam that is 3 hours long, with 42 multiple-choice questions and four 10-point free-response questions. The two sections are weighted equally:

Section	Questions	Time	Share of exam score
Section I, multiple choice	42 questions	90 minutes	50%
Section II, free response	4 questions, 10 points each	90 minutes	50% (12.5% per question)

Free-response questions are scored on an analytic scale, which means each question is divided into separate scoring points that are earned independently of one another, except where the scoring guidelines say otherwise. A wrong answer in one part does not automatically cost you the points in the next part. That is good news if you get stuck, and it is the main reason to attempt every part.

The exam is fully digital. You answer in Bluebook, and the paper free-response booklet no longer exists for this exam. A graphing calculator with statistical capabilities is expected for both sections, and formulas and tables are provided for both sections. College Board also states that students can still use an approved handheld graphing calculator, in addition to the built-in Desmos calculator in Bluebook. Our guide to what changes when AP exams go digital covers what test day looks like on screen.

Each question has a different job, and knowing the pattern lets you plan before you open the exam. Tell us what you need help with → if you would like an AP Statistics tutor to walk through the four question types with you.

The Four AP Statistics FRQs, Question by Question

College Board lists the four question types in the order they appear on the exam:

Question	Type	Practices assessed	What it mainly tests
Question 1	Multi-Focus	Practices 1 and 2	A multi-part question on formulating questions and collecting data
Question 2	Multi-Focus	Practices 3 and 4	A multi-part question on analyzing data and interpreting results
Question 3	Inference	Practices 2, 3 and 4	A hypothesis test or a confidence interval
Question 4	Multi-Focus	Practices 2, 3 and 4	A multi-part question that spans several content areas of the course

What the four practices mean

The practices are the skills behind every part. In the Course and Exam Description, Practice 1 (Formulate Questions) is about determining a valid investigative question for a study. Practice 2 (Collect Data) is about identifying and justifying ethical data collection methods, and also choosing inference methods, writing null and alternative hypotheses and identifying types of errors. Practice 3 (Analyze Data) is about constructing graphs and tables, calculating summary statistics and running the calculations for inference. Practice 4 (Interpret Results) is about describing and comparing distributions and justifying claims, including verifying conditions and interpreting inference results.

Question 1: sampling, data collection and the investigative question

The sample Question 1 in the Course and Exam Description describes three regions surveying commuters in different ways, and asks you to identify the sampling methods, explain why results can be generalized, choose and justify a graph, describe a distribution's likely shape from summary statistics, and write an investigative question. The College Board materials treat the investigative question as a skill in its own right. A valid one has three components: the first guides data collection and names the variables of interest, the second guides the analysis choice (for a hypothesis test, it makes clear the parameter and the direction of the alternative hypothesis), and the third indicates the type of conclusion, including the population the conclusions apply to. The sample question tells you to ensure all three components are included, so practice writing all three every time.

Question 2: reading summary statistics and justifying a choice

The sample Question 2 gives a table of summary statistics for two groups and asks you to identify the type of study, apply the 1.5 x IQR outlier rule and show your work, compare the distance from Q1 to the median with the distance from the median to Q3, and decide whether the median is the right measure of center. Its scoring guidelines show the standard College Board expects: a bare answer such as "the medians are better" does not earn the justification point, while a response that links outliers or skew to the fact that medians are resistant to outliers does.

Question 3: The Inference Question

Question 3 has a fixed focus: College Board's exam table lists it as the inference question, either a hypothesis test or a confidence interval. That makes it the question you can prepare for most directly, and the one where skipping a step you already know costs points. The sample Question 3 asks you to complete a two-sample test about proportions at the 0.05 level of significance, and breaks the task into four parts:

1. Identify and classify the variables. Name the explanatory and response variables and say whether each is categorical or quantitative.
2. Identify the appropriate inference procedure. The model solution names a two-sample z-test for the difference between two population proportions.
3. Complete the procedure. State the hypotheses with parameters defined in context, check the conditions, and calculate the test statistic and p-value. The model solution checks the randomization condition and the normality condition using expected counts of successes and failures.
4. Justify a conclusion in context. Compare the p-value with the significance level, decide about the null hypothesis, and state what that means about the population in the study.

The task verb "Complete" in the Course and Exam Description means exactly this bundle: identify parts, justify conditions, and calculate the results for the appropriate method. Treat every inference question as a four-step checklist and write each step even when it feels obvious. The course also covers chi-square tests for homogeneity and independence, and inference for means and for regression, so any of those procedures could appear in the inference question, as well as in Question 4. If you want a second pair of eyes on your write-ups, a tutor can mark them against the scoring guidelines line by line. Get matched with an AP Statistics tutor →

Question 4 and the Task Verbs That Set Your Answer Length

The sample Question 4 mixes content from several units. It starts with a probability and a mean calculated from a table, asks whether a claim is supported without running an inference procedure, then asks you to identify an inference procedure, calculate its results, interpret a conclusion and decide whether there is sufficient statistical evidence. Because it spans units, Question 4 rewards students who can switch between probability, distributions and inference without a warning label.

College Board lists the task verbs used in free-response questions, and reading them closely stops you from writing too little or too much:

• Identify/Classify: indicate the answer in words without elaboration or explanation.
• Calculate: perform the mathematical steps to reach a final answer.
• Compare: describe similarities and differences; with numbers, this requires a quantitative comparison.
• Explain: say how or why something occurs, using evidence or reasoning.
• Interpret: describe what a value or result means within the realistic context of the problem.
• Justify: provide evidence for a claim and the statistical reasoning that shows how the evidence supports it.

"Identify" needs no elaboration, while "Interpret" asks for meaning within the realistic context of the problem and "Justify" asks for the statistical reasoning behind your claim. The other verbs in the list are Complete, Construct, Describe, Determine and Estimate.

How to Prepare for the New AP Statistics FRQs

The new format is only being used for the first time in May 2027, so there are no released exams on it. The 2026-27 Course and Exam Description, available on AP Central, includes sample multiple-choice and free-response questions with scoring guidelines, and these are your most reliable format practice. College Board notes the samples do not represent the full range of items on an official exam, so treat them as a guide to style, not a prediction.

Questions from earlier years are still useful for content, but remember what changed. College Board's revision notes list the move from six free-response questions to four, and from 4 points to 10 points per question. They also list removed topics, including the geometric distribution, chi-square goodness of fit and inference for slopes, so skip those when you work through older papers.

Build your plan around the units. The multiple-choice section covers all five: Exploring One-Variable Data and Collecting Data (20 to 30%), Probability, Random Variables and Probability Distributions (15 to 25%), Inference for Categorical Data: Proportions (15 to 25%), Inference for Quantitative Data: Means (10 to 20%), and Regression Analysis (10 to 20%). Those are approximate weightings for the multiple-choice section only; the free-response questions are organised by practice instead. A simple weekly rhythm works well: one timed FRQ, then score it strictly against the guidelines, then rewrite any part that lost points. Our guide to getting real score gains from AP practice exams explains how to review mistakes so they do not repeat, and the 6-week AP rescue plan helps if time is short.

Get Expert Help With Your AP Statistics FRQs

Knowing the four question types is the first step; writing complete, context-rich answers under a 90-minute clock is the next. ++tutors works with 240+ certified teachers and examiners, and an AP Statistics tutor can practice all four FRQ types with you, from writing a three-part investigative question to a clean four-step inference write-up. Start within 48 hours. Find your tutor →

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