Cinematography in Bollywood and Hollywood Research Paper

Cinematography in Bollywood and Hollywood - Research Paper Example The research is aimed at comparing the cinematography techniques in Bollywood and Hollywood. The research will compare the various shooting methods used in the two film industries, especially in regards to the similarities and differences. This research is aimed at discovering the effect of the cinematography techniques on the final product of the film industry, which in turn provides the justification for the stiff competition in the industries. It is evident that the cinematography techniques used in film production goes a long way in affecting the culture of the final consumer. Quantitative research has indicated that culture in many countries is usually affected by the depictions in the movies, and this qualitative research will emphasize the effect of the cinematography techniques on the movie itself. Research Design As already stated, this research is a quantitative study that aims to compare the cinematography techniques of Bollywood and Hollywood. This comparative study will compare the techniques used by film directors to depict their movies, and thus affect the audience. The qualitative research design methodology that will be used is historical research design. In this process, two historical movies, one each from the Bollywood and Hollywood film production industry will be analyzed. As already stated, the research problem is the difference between the movies produced in Hollywood and those produced in Bollywood. The research will rely on inductive and logical reasoning to determine the differences between the two movie productions. After the identification of the research problem, the next step is the collection and evaluation of primary source data. The source data in this case will be the two movies being analyzed for the differences in cinematography styles. Scope and Sample The scope of research usually identified the areas that the researcher is trying to study and the expected conclusions, analyses and results. In this case, the broad research scope for this study is to find the differences and similarities between the two movie industries mentioned above. This research will focus on the cinematography styles used in the two industries, which will be a representative of the whole industry. As already stated in the research proposal, the research will focus on the following questions that will set out the scope of the paper. 1) What are the preferred shooting methods and techniques in Hollywood? 2) What are the preferred shooting and techniques in the Bollywood film Industry? 3) What are the effects of the shooting techniques and methods on the final products of the Bollywood films and Hollywood films? As already mentioned, the sample that will be used in this research is a cross-section of movies and films from the two movie industries. The movies will each be analyzed in terms of their cinematographic techniques and the effects of the techniques on the final product. Research Instruments Qualitative research based on hi storical or past events or procedures is usually evaluated differently from other kinds of research. As already stated, the two movies that will be analyzed will be analyzed in terms of their cinematography techniques. This means that the movies will be analyzed using inductive and logical reasoning. Since the research is historical, the two main techniques that will be used are external and internal criticism. This means that

Schools Killing Creativity Essay Example for Free

Schools Killing Creativity Essay In this â€Å"TED talk† segment by Ken Robinson, an English born professor explains why the educational system in the U.S. is remaining stagnant and unfulfilling to students needs. Robinson begins his arguments by stating, â€Å"The educational system of the United States has been accompanied by the same curriculum for the past 125 years†. Schools are unknowingly turning creative minds into memorizing machines to meet the criteria of acceptance for colleges across the nation. The educational system has labeled failure as inexcusable; in return generations of children become afraid to take a risk. Robinson implies, â€Å"Failure is essential to success, when a student looks at failure as no option, they neglect their ability to grow and think for themselves†. In many parts of the nation, high school dropouts exceed the number of graduates by a 60% margin. Robinson also states that, â€Å"the current educational system is robbing students of the creative minds we are all born with†. Research proves your brain’s imaginative and creative lobes are most active during childhood years. Replacing this creativity with standardization, results in a disengaged classroom. Standardized testing produces a false evaluation of a child’s capabilities, only basing statistics on the core subjects of math, science, and literacy. The average high school dropout rate in the United States remains a staggering 60% in the majority population. Within minority populations as much of 80% of students will fail to obtain a high school diploma. Unaccounted for in these statistics are students who are disengaged in the classroom, and will get nothing out of it. America stands as a global leader in money spent on education, yet we are displacing this investment of would-be graduates within our economy, to even more money spent on repairing the result of a dropout generation. An estimated one trillion dollars of revenue within our economy could be salvaged if we could take the nationwide 60% and reduce this number to 30%. Professor Robinson touches on the fact that we as humans are instinctively creative. Creativity is essential for a child to achieve something that is  new, distinct, and imaginative. Education professionals are being forced to follow specific guidelines of standard testing, resulting in a conclusion of what a child is capable of conforming to. Without a broad spectrum of testing we are limiting the student to his or her adaptability rather than what they naturally excel at. Good teaching habits, such as engaging students to think for themselves and motivating them to be creative, are being jeopardized by core curriculum. Robinson refers to education as a result of learning. Educating the students on how to learn, creates any environment the student is capable of thriving in. The system is lacking a variety of studies that engage creativity. Subjects such as the arts, humanities, social sciences and even things such as dance are not being recognized as crucial to a well rounded educ ation. Studies show overall test scores are substantially lower in schools that lack a variety of exploratory classes. Robinson argues, â€Å"to fully understand math science and literacy, one must explore a diverse culture of learning. Without a variety of knowledge and creativity the information taught in these core classes becomes meaningless†. The subjects focused on by standard testing cannot be accurately measured as a generalization of a child’s capabilities. He tells a story of girl who couldn’t focus in school. She was unable to sit still long enough to do any work she was being assigned. This behavior resulted in her being clinically classified as suffering from ADHD. While doing homework alone one afternoon, her parents examined her behavior unknowingly to her. After just minutes of sitting at her desk she would get up and begin to move around in a dancing fashion. Her parents then realized that there was nothing wrong with her at all, she was meant to be a d ancer. She went on to have one of the most successful dance careers of her generation. Robinson reinforces this story with the notion that all of us are created differently with unique talents; here stands the flaw of standardization. In all of the world’s greatest educational systems, there are similarities within the education culture that America has lacked. In these countries educators are being held to a higher standard and looked at as an investment. Here in the United States teachers are often looked at as a transportation of information. Throughout countries that thrive in education, it is realized that students are only as good as the teachers. Teaching curriculum is acknowledged at the school level where learning is actually taking place; in  comparison to state and government regulated districts, which are essentially disengaged with what is going on inside the classroom here in the US. Without the pressure to meet the demands of a set curriculum, students are able to become engaged in interests and talents individually. Throughout the entire lecture, Robinson invokes the point that Americas educational system is in need of reform. Our system of testing should accompany an overall goal of learning and not be held as primary evidence of a student’s potential. There are many variables that accompany a student’s capabilities besides what is being focused on as a means of evaluation. The standard testing should be held as partial review of capabilities, not as an entirety. Subjects that individual stud ents find spark their interests are being deemed unimportant, leaving the student to feel as though they are incapable of success. Courses that students find passion in will create a sense of curiosity in learning. When the light of curiosity becomes a student’s motivation is when true self learning takes place. The tragedy is that more than 60% of Americans drop out of high school feeling that they are unable to meet the requirements of life. Robinson makes clear of the fact, â€Å"Not any-one human is built the same; we are a world full of individuals†. School systems should give students the tools necessary to find what they are best at and pursue those areas they excel in. The lecture is ended by a request that we start changing the way we approach education. Begin to put learning before standards; with this movement we can tap into brilliant minds that otherwise would be ignored. Once this movement has begun we can in turn, start a revolution. Works Cited Robinson, Ken. Ted Talks.Ken Robinson: How to Escape Educations Death Valley.YouTube. YouTube, 10 May 2013. Web. 17 Sept. 2013. Robinson, Ken. Ted Talks. Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity? YouTube. YouTube, 06 Jan. 2007. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.

Benefits of childcare robots

Benefits of childcare robots In todays ever-changing world, the rampant use of various technology and robots have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Since the Industrial Revolution, robots have been used in manufacturing and automotive industries. With the rapid advancement in technology, the use of robots is increasing at an exponential rate. From the graph above, it is evident that the world robot population has increased by almost 2 folds from 4.49million in 2006 to 8.37million in 2010. Domestic service, educational and leisure robots have contributed to the large increase in the use of robots in the 21st century. International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has forecasted a USD$17 billion in sales for the robot market worldwide by 2013. (http://www.ifr.org/) Hence, with the multi-faceted use of robots currently existing in our daily lives, one can expect robots specialising in childcare to be a part of reality in the near future. Children have always been fascinated by robots. This is reflected in the increasing number of students taking part in robotics competitions. Moreover, when a bomb disposal robot was deployed in a village of Iraq, it caught the attention of the village children who surrounded it with great interest. Studies have also shown that the interaction between robots and children have yielded positive effects. As a result, robots have also been used as tools for educational purposes. Advantages With the current population trend moving from single-income to dual-income families, there is an increasing need for parents to provide the necessary childcare services for their children while they are both busy at work. This trend coupled with the evolving use of robots has sparked the research on childcare robots as a means to resolving the issue of juggling with raising a child concurrently with providing for the family. The potential of childcare robots is immense and has thus generated a lot of hype. Not only can it have a huge impact on society but it also has the potential to bring about radical changes in our everyday lives. The concept of childcare robots has existed for decades. Proto-types of childcare robots are already available in the world today due to technological advancements which have minimised the cost of building and assembling a robot. Currently, there are 14 companies in Japan and Korea that have developed childcare robots. The PaPeRo is an example of a childcare robot which has been developed by NEC, a leading Japanese electronics company who is a pioneer in the development of childcare robots. It has been designed to live and interact with people through its autonomous and communication functions. One of its primary functions is to protect a child and prevent him from harms way. This can be done through mobile monitoring whereby the robot has cameras installed in its eyes which allow working parents to monitor their childs movement at home through their laptops while they are at work. The parent will have full control of the robot and can navigate it around the house to ensure that his or her child is under constant supervision even if he or she is not physically there. The PaPeRo can also be programmed to look out for potential hazardous situations and consequently prevent the child at home from becoming a victim of it. Its autonomous function and obstacle avoidance capability thereby allow working parents to focus on their work due to its nature of independent mobility. Disadvantages Although childcare robots may solve the woes of modern working parents, one cannot help but ask how credible is the robot in ensuring the safety of the child at home? Who should be responsible in the case whereby the child still gets hurt under the care of the robot? Childcare robots may have dire consequences on the child if they are not employed with caution. Previously, parents had to juggle between their family and work. As the concept of childcare robot surfaced, it liberated parents as the primary caregivers from choosing between their work commitments and looking after their child. This would result in less time spent together and the mutual bonding between parent and child will be lost in the process. The primary upbringing of a child thence no longer rests upon the shoulders of the parents but in the hands of a childcare robot instead. From a societal perspective, a parents primary responsibility is to provide for their offspring and protect them from harms way. Parents should also impart the necessary knowledge and skills to survive in their later years during the developmental stages of their children in their adolescence. Parents may thus be shirking their primary responsibilities by passing on their role as caregivers to childcare robots. Instead of breastfeeding, which is natural and healthy for a child and also aids in psychological bonding, a robot is created to breastfeed with powdered milk. This is physically not healthy for a baby and would be a worrying trend to society. The role of caregivers is no longer clearly defined between humans and robots. One can only wonder what kind of psychological impact this may potentially have on a child when he is brought up by an autonomous robot made of steel instead of his own warm-blooded biological parents. As robots become increasingly popular and available, should we devise international ethics guidelines for their use? -Manfred Werner The issue of formalised guidelines also arises with the extensive use of childcare robots in the future. To protect a child from negligence and abuse, there will be a need for governmental and international bodies to regulate and lay down ethical guidelines ensuring the fair and just use of childcare robots. By regulating its use, it could reiterate the fact that parents are still the primary caregivers of their child and childcare robots should only be a tool to assist them and not replace them. One should not hold the robots totally liable to the care of ones child. Children playing with robots Studies have shown that leaving a child with minimal human contact would retard the mental and intellectual development of the child. (http://www.education.umd.edu/EDHD/faculty/Fox/publications/94.pdf) Although the child may develop an emotional attachment to the robot, his cognitive development may be impaired as he may be spending most of his childhood with a childcare robot. Furthermore, the bonding between a child and robot may mislead the child into thinking that such a relationship is real and identical to that with human beings. The impairing of his cognitive abilities coupled with the inability to distinguish between human and robotic relationships may thus lead the child to face problems interacting with other children. Consequently, the child may alienate himself from the rest of society in response to the ostracising he potentially faces from his peers. Ultimately, robots are machines that face the usual technical problems of malfunctioning and may become obsolete over time. The child may outgrow the robot as his needs change at such a rapid rate. The childcare robot may only be programmed to handle toddlers and infants instead of school going children and hence it may become inadequate in looking after a child as they grow older. A child raised by machines may be detrimental to society and contribute to the degradation of healthy human relationships in the generations to come. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that childcare robots are largely beneficial to enhancing childcare. Even without the existence of robots, there are still cases of child abuse and negligence by parents who have shirked their responsibility in caring for their child. In such cases, a robot may actually do an even better job in ensuring that the child is well taken care of. As research on childcare robots intensifies, the robot can be programmed to perform more sophisticated tasks, inter alia, expressing emotions and reacting differently to a wide vocabulary of words and range of feelings. However, in spite of the hype and benefits of childcare robots, I personally feel that it would be of best interest to society that they should only be used as a tool to assist in childcare and not replace the quintessential role of parents. Conclusion In conclusion, although the potential and benefits of childcare robots are limitless in the future, it is critical for us human beings to take a step back and ponder over the underlying ethical and legal issues that arise from their use. There should be a concerted effort by governments and a regulatory body to create a set of common and concrete guidelines to regulate the use of childcare robots. However, I feel that these are but mere infant steps to a realm of human co-existing with artificial intelligence. I care about our young people, and I wish them great success, because they are our Hope for the Futureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Dave Barry Youths are the key to our future. It is imperative then that children ought to be moulded in the footsteps of a human being than that of a cold piece of metal work.

An Investigation of Latino Participation in Politics Essay -- Politica

An Investigation of Latino Participation in Politics This research examines the disjuncture between Hispanic strength in population and Hispanic participation in politics. I examine the nature of this disjuncture: its severity, its causes, and its consequences. Hispanics currently comprise 11.2% of the U.S. population, but the Hispanic vote in the 1998 elections comprised only 4.7% of all ballots cast. The situation is even bleaker when considering Hispanic representation in Congress. Currently, less than four percent of U.S. House members are Latino. Add to that clear disjuncture the fact that two of the Hispanic Congressmen do not even possess the ability to vote and that there is not a single Hispanic Senator, and we see that Hispanics lack a substantial voice in lawmaking.[1] Surely, the scarcity of Hispanic voters who vote accounts for much of this under-representation in Washington, D.C. Since the number of Hispanic voters severely understates recent Hispanic population increases in the last two decades, an in-depth investigation into the possible explanations of this disjuncture is needed in order to ensure Hispanics achieve a more active voice in American government. Yet, the causes of this disjuncture are not easily collapsed into a single explanation. Why do Latino participation levels not reflect relative strength in population? Is the discrepancy due mainly to the traditionally low socioeconomic characteristics of many minority adults, or is it due more to Latino-specific issues of language barriers and non-citizenship statuses? In this work, I investigate these central questions in an analysis of Hispanic political behavior. Previous Research A contemporary explanation of political participation is perha... ... [3] Question #43 from LNPS (ICPSR survey #6841) 4 Respondents were asked if they speak more Spanish than English, are equally bilingual, or speak more English than Spanish. Question #46 from LNPS: â€Å"How strong is your love for the U.S.? Is it: extremely/very/somewhat or not very strong?† 7 For a demonstrative case study, see coverage of the 1996 & 1998 congressional race between Loretta Sanchez and Bob Dornan for California’s 46th District seat. 8 Negative values in the beta weights and t-score values of â€Å"support bilingual† and â€Å"support immigration† may reflect the phraseology and response coding of survey questions 163 and 167b, in which responses are coded from strong support to low support. 9 I refer here to the anti-immigration referendums of the late 1990s, like Proposition 187 and 209 in California. 10 U.S. Census Bureau projections (1999)

Patients With Cerebrovascular Disorders Health And Social Care Essay

Stroke made alterations to the life or societal wellbeing of a individual. Defects may be physical, psychological and even emotional. It could take to failing or reduced strength for physical activities and palsy of one side of the organic structure. Mental alterations include decreased in memory. Depression and alterations in personality could impact a patient who experienced shot. Compare and contrast a cerebrovascular accident with a transient ischaemia onslaught in footings of direction. CVA and TIA both affects the neurologic map, both are caused by life style and diet. They differ in the continuance which the CVA lasts for more than 24 hours while TIA merely lasts for 24 hours. When it comes to medical direction, they both use acetylsalicylic acid and other anticoagulant drugs. Management for CVA and TIA includes the demand of physical therapy after the shot for the betterment of mobility position of the patient. Promote an exercising plan to recover mobility. Promote self-care activities on the unaffected side and promote hygiene. Make certain to keep normal BP to forestall ischaemia. Reposition the patient at least every 2 hours to forestall tissue and tegument dislocation. Since they have job in get downing, they are advised to hold NGT to cut down hazard of aspiration. Management of increased ICP is besides of import to see. Carotid endarterectomy or the remotion of atherosclerotic plaque from the carotid arteria is one surgical direction to forestall CVA and T IA. Identify damage of self-care that may be seen in the post-stroke patient. Damage of self-care that may be seen in post-stroke patient includes stationariness, one-sided palsy, malformations of appendages and musculus failing. The patient can non execute any physical activities and demands aid to any motion. Eye sight is besides affected with reduced ocular perceptual experience and amorphosynthesis. The patient can merely visualise object on one side. Dysphagia consequences due to impaired map of URT. The patient can non eat good and needs NGT in feeding. Urinary incontinency is one job due to impaired motor response and loss of control of urinary sphincter and irregularity possibly a job besides. Psychological jobs like cognitive, behavioural and emotional shortage need support from the nurse. Address is besides affected ( aphasia ) . Post-stroke patients are prone to clamber ulcer because of the force per unit area or the clash on the tegument to organic structure parts. Discuss eligibility standards for t-PA disposal. Identify the type of stroke t-PA may be used for. To be eligible for t-PA disposal, patient should be at least 18 old ages of age or older with a diagnosing of ischaemic shot. The clip of oncoming of shot should be 3 hours or less, with no ictus and a blood force per unit area of ? 185/110 mmHg. The sort of shot should non be minor or quickly deciding shot. Patient should non take Coumadin ( Coumadin ) and should non have Lipo-Hepin during the past 48 hours with elevated partial thrombokinase clip. Laboratory consequences are considered – Prothrombin clip should be ? 15 seconds or INR ? 1.7 and Platelet count should be ? 100,000/mma ¶Y . Patient should hold no anterior intracranial bleeding, tumor, arteriovenous deformity or aneurism, no major surgical processs done within 14 yearss, no shot, serious caput hurt or intracranial hurt within 3 months, no GI or urinary hemorrhage within 21 yearss. T-PA is used for patients who are diagnosed with shot and bosom onslaught. Given a scenario, use the nursing procedure to develop a program of attention for a patient with a intellectual aneurism. A intellectual aneurism patient may see altered degree of consciousness. With this status, the nurse should be able to keep optimum province of consciousness with GCSE?13 mental watchfulness. The nurse should measure for marks of altered degree of consciousness and critical marks particularly respiratory position. Make certain to supply patient ‘s safety by maintaining the side rails up at all times, bed in low place and working call visible radiation within the range. Reorientate the patient to environment and avoid confusion/disorientation. Protect the patient from possible hurt like ictus activity, decreased corneal physiological reaction, decreased wink, and decreased joke physiological reaction. Maintain airway patency for hypoxia can do increased intellectual blood flow and intracranial force per unit area. Discuss the differences in clinical manifestations between a haemorrhagic shot and an ischaemic shot. The clinical manifestations of haemorrhagic shot include neurological shortage, terrible concern, tinnitus, giddiness and hemiparesis. Motor, sensory, cranial nervus, cognitive maps may besides be a job. Other manifestations include purging, alteration in degree of consciousness and ictus. Nuchal rigidness may be experienced. Besides, ocular perturbations like ocular loss, double vision and ptosis may happen. In ischaemic shot, the clinical manifestations are numbness ( paraesthesia ) , failing ( paresis ) , loss of motor ability on one side of the organic structure. Other manifestations include trouble in get downing ( dysphagia ) , aphasia, ocular troubles, loss of half of ocular field ( hemiapnosia ) , dual vision and photophobia. Besides include altered cognitive abilities, psychological affect and self-care shortage. Discuss the usage of thrombolytic therapy in the patient with an ischaemic shot. Include eligibility standards. Thrombolytic therapy is a intervention used for stroke patient. The most common drug is the tissue plasminogen activator ( t-PA ) . This helps dissolves the blood coagulum in ischaemic shot. It is normally administered through IV and should be given within 3 hours period after the first symptoms begin. Before giving this thrombolytic, medical history are provided every bit good as physical test and research lab test. This thrombolytic should non be given to patients with intracranial bleeding because it is unsafe and dangerous. Pay attending to BP, the medicine taken prior to giving thrombolytic ( Coumadin ) and the consequence of research lab particularly the thrombocyte count. There are besides some complications after administrating thrombolytic such as intracranial hemorrhage, which is really common. The patient should be monitored closely for any complications at the beginning of the process and right after the process was done. Discuss possible complications that may develop as a consequence of a haemorrhagic shot. Potential complications of haemorrhagic shot include intellectual hypoxia and decreased blood flow, vasospasm, increased intracranial force per unit area and high blood pressure. Lack of oxygenated blood in the encephalon may do intellectual hypoxia. Make certain to supply the necessary O and keeping haemoglobin and haematocrit within normal degree. Abnormal blood force per unit area consequences to alter in intellectual blood flow. Make certain to administrate IV fluids to cut down viscousness of blood which consequences to normal blood flow. Another complication which is caused by an increased inflow of the Ca into the cell is intellectual vasospasm. It can be monitored by the usage of transcranial Doppler echography ( TCD ) . Calcium channel blocker like nimodipine is a medicine intervention for patient with vasospasm. An increased in intracranial force per unit area normally occur after a shot. It is of import to supervise the hydration position of the patient when utilizing mann itol medicine to cut down ICP. Besides, blood force per unit area is besides of import to measure. Hypertension is monitored and should be prevented. Web Assignment Research an article refering to the place attention facet of a patient recovering from a shot. Sum up your findings. Family support is important to stroke recovery by Kathy Boncher Last February 2008, Steve had a shot. The whole household was at that place for him. They ne'er leave him and maintain on back uping until his recovery period. While he was holding his recovery at place, everything was changed. He can non make any longer what he used to make before he had his shot. He was really dependent on his married woman who takes attention of him for his mundane demands particularly when bathing, toileting, dressing, eating and even reassigning to his wheelchair. Because of his shot, he experienced failing on the whole portion of his left side of the organic structure and his arm was truly non working. This was truly dejecting on his portion as he used to be the 1 who do all the things around the house particularly in edifice, planing and keeping their house. He used to be a edifice contractor for 38 old ages and a doodly-squat of all trades. In short, he was a really adept individual. But, despite of his status, he continue to be strong and unrecorded in a nor mal life as he used to be even though he can non work good at place even for himself. What keeps him strong was because of his household who was ever at that place and maintain on back uping him with his status. There he had his brothers assisting his married woman in all the man-work around the house. They even provided accessible country for disability and installed a wheelchair incline. He can even still travel out and pass clip to make ridicule stuff every afternoon with his other brother. So every bit serves as a free clip of his married woman from being his health professional 24/7. This means so much to him and was really grateful to hold these fantastic people beside him throughout his status. The household reassures that everybody will be all right and for him to be better and good. And, this gives him peace of head. This article merely showed us that the support of the household is really of import as a intervention in retrieving for shot patient. Some are fighting entirely for recovery without the aid of any household members. And that caused a hold in recovery of a shot patient. Family member does n't hold to be biologically related. It could be the people around us, friends, church and societal web. Everyone could give support. And, most significantly, the shot patient should hold bravery and have strong religions within him that he will be recovered and be back to his normal life.

AP Psychology Practice Tests Complete Collection

AP Psychology Practice Tests Complete Collection SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Practice tests are some of the best review tools for AP Psychology. They'll give you insight into your areas of weakness and prepare you for the structure and content of the real test. In this article, I’ll list all the official and unofficial practice tests available online and provide advice on how to use them to get a great score on the AP test. Official AP Psychology Practice Tests It’s best to use official practice tests when preparing for the exam because you can be sure that the questions are faithful representations of what to expect on test day. There’s a limited supply of released official exams, but you should be able to get enough practice out of them (and you can still supplement with some unofficial tests if necessary, which I’ll discuss in the next section). These two tests are pretty old, but there haven’t been any major changes to the exam since they were administered. They’re still valid as practice resources: 1994 Official Released AP Psychology Exam1999 Official Released AP Psychology Exam If you’re looking for a bit of extra free-response practice, you can try working on official free-response questions in isolation. Most of them also have accompanying answer keys to help you better understand what the graders are expecting: Official Free-Response Questions 2002-2016 (accessible with College Board account) Those are the only official practice tests I can legally link to, but you may be able to find additional tests online from other sources. Your teacher will also have access to practice testing materials that are not available to the general public. If you’re looking for more official AP tests, talk to your teacher and see if he or she can provide you with any extra resources. You must wear a nice blazer with a button up shirt when taking official AP practice tests. That's how the test knows that you're also official. If you wear sweatpants, it won't trust you with its secrets. Unofficial AP Psychology Practice Exams Unofficial practice tests can also be useful, although you shouldn’t rely on them completely. They’ll still test roughly the same content as the real test, but their questions may be phrased differently and have a slightly higher or lower difficulty level. Be sure to intersperse official practice tests with these unofficial ones in your studying. Barron’s Diagnostic Test This is a free diagnostic test from Barron’s. It has the same format as the real AP test, so there are 100 multiple-choice questions followed by two free-response questions. You can choose to take the test in practice mode (untimed) or timed mode depending on how comfortable you are with the material. The multiple-choice section is scored for you, and answers to free-response questions are available as well. This means that you won’t have to put in quite as much legwork to see where your mistakes happened. One drawback to the online format is that you can't directly replicate the conditions of the AP test. It will probably take you less time to fill in your answers than it would on a pencil and paper test. Kaplan Practice Tests Here you can find practice quizzes that cover all the different topics in the course as well as two comprehensive 100-question practice tests. Again, you can only take the tests online, so you won’t necessarily get as much out of the experience. There also aren’t any free-response questions, so you’ll have to look elsewhere (preferably the College Board website) if you want to practice them. Shmoop Practice Tests (accessible with free trial) Shmoop has a diagnostic test and two full-length practice examsthat mimic the content and format of the real AP test (free-response section included). You have to pay for an account eventually, but you can start off with a free trial and cancel before the first payment is due if you want. The rate for a student account is $24.68 a month. REA Online Practice Exam ($4.95) This is just one practice test, but it includes automatic scoring, and it analyzes your mistakes for you. The test is also timed, so testing conditions are replicated relatively accurately (minus the fact that it’s on the computer). How to Review With AP Psychology Practice Tests Practice tests can be used throughout the school year and in your final review sessions for the AP test. They are the best way for you to judge how advanced you are in your knowledge of the material. They’ll also help you gain familiarity with the format of the AP test so that you’re not caught off-guard on test day. Here’s some advice on how to use these tests in your studying at different points throughout the year: First Semester: In-Class Test Prep At this point, you’re just preparing for in-class tests and haven’t learned all the information for the course yet. You might decide to use practice sites that include focused questions on specific aspects of the curriculum, like this one. Still, the practice tests in this article may be helpful resources. You can sort through the free-response questions that were asked on previous administrations of the test to find ones that are relevant to what you’ve learned so far. It’s a smart idea to practice free-response questions well ahead of time because they require the most independent knowledge. Most students have a tougher time on this section than on the multiple-choice section because you don't get a list of options that might jog your memory about a certain term or concept. Guessing isn't a viable option, so it's important to prepare thoroughly. Second Semester: AP Test Prep As you head into your second semester, start thinking about prepping for the AP test with full practice exams. You will have learned most of the material by the middle of the second semester, so you'll be able to use practice tests to judge your skills more accurately. I'd recommend taking your first full-length practice test sometime in March. Online tests can be helpful, but make sure you print out some practice tests too. This is the only way to see whether your time management is on point. When you take a practice test, make sure you treat it seriously so that you can learn from your mistakes. After you finish the test, score it and investigate your incorrect answers. There are several reasons why you might answer a question incorrectly. It could be due to poor time management, a careless mistake, or a lack of content knowledge. If one of the first two problems is the source of many of your mistakes, you probably need to take more practice tests to get used to the format while learning to read more carefully and pace yourself better. If your mistakes have more to do with content knowledge, you can narrow your focus further by categorizing your wrong answers by subject (consult the list of topics in this article). This way, you can primarily study parts of the course that you struggle with and avoid wasting time on concepts you already understand. Once you’ve identified your mistakes on the practice test and taken steps to correct them, take another test to check your progress. Again, make sure you take this test with the same time limits as the real AP test. After you take the second test, repeat the steps of scoring it and looking through your mistakes. Continue this process until you feel fully prepared for the exam. It may be productive to practice free-response questions in isolation between full practice tests if you struggle with that section. The more familiar you are with the way free-response questions are asked and what graders expect, the more likely you are to ace the free-response section on the real test in May. These questions will also help reinforce your understanding of psychological terms because they often ask you to apply terms to a hypothetical real-life scenario. Keep working out your test-taking muscles until your brain looks like this dude. Essential AP Psychology Practice Testing Tips In this section, I'll list a few tips that are important to remember while using practice tests to review for AP Psychology. #1: Always Time Yourself I said it before, and I’ll say it again: If you want to assess your weak spots accurately, you need to time yourself as though you're taking the real test. You don’t want time pressure to be your downfall after working your butt off to memorize all the content. If you can get a parent, sibling, or friend who doesn’t have anything better to do for two hours to be a mock proctor for you, that’s even better! #2: Don’t Overthink It’s especially funny to list this tip for AP Psychology, but it’s also especially relevant to the way the questions are structured. You’ll see quite a few questions that seem complex but are actually just a matter of common sense. Try not to second-guess yourself on these types of questions. The test isn’t trying to trick you! #3: Be Direct in the Free-Response Section When some students think about free-response questions, they imagine writing a five paragraph essay. You don't have to do that on this test! All the graders want are the correct answers written in complete sentences. Forget about intros, conclusions, or any other fluffy stuff you’re tempted to include. #4: Put More Faith in Official Test Scores Than Unofficial Ones It’s tempting to believe that a high score on an unofficial test is valid, but it can get you into trouble. Keep in mind that some unofficial tests will be easier or harder than the real AP test because the questions weren't designed by the College Board. You should always include at least one official practice test in your studying so you can compare the difficulty levels and get an accurate reading on your progress. Some tests are LIARS! Conclusion Use the practice tests in this article as tools to bolster your prep for AP Psychology. Official tests and unofficial tests are both valuable resources, but pay more attention to your scores on official tests when judging your progress and skill level. Going over mistakes on practice tests will help you understand where your weaknesses lie and how you can fix them. If you take multiple practice tests, analyze your mistakes, and plan out your studying responsibly, you can expect high scores on the AP test and any in-class tests you take throughout the year. What's Next? Are you looking for more guidance in preparing for this test? Read my complete AP Psychology study guide here! You should also check out our description of Stockholm Syndrome (complete with examples) here. Review books can also be helpful study resources. If you're not sure which one to get, take a look at this list of the best AP Psychology books. What will a high score on an AP test really mean for you in college? Find out how AP classes can lead to college credits. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: