---
title: "AP Micro FRQ 1 (Long): Scoring, Strategy & Examples"
description: "The AP Microeconomics long FRQ is worth 10 points, half your FRQ section score. Get the point breakdown, graph strategy, a worked example, and practice links."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-micro/ap-microeconomics-exam/ap-micro-frq-long/study-guide/ap-micro-frq-long"
type: "study-guide"
subject: "AP Microeconomics"
unit: "AP Microeconomics Exam"
lastUpdated: "2026-06-12"
---

# AP Micro FRQ 1 (Long): Scoring, Strategy & Examples

## Summary

The AP Microeconomics long FRQ is worth 10 points, half your FRQ section score. Get the point breakdown, graph strategy, a worked example, and practice links.

## Guide

## Overview

The [AP Micro](/ap-micro "fv-autolink") long FRQ is Question 1 of the free-response section: a multi-part question worth 10 points that counts for 50% of your free-response score, which works out to roughly one-sixth of your total [AP Microeconomics exam](/ap-micro/ap-microeconomics-exam "fv-autolink") score. You get 60 minutes (including a 10-minute reading period) for all 3 FRQs, so plan on spending about 25 minutes here. The long FRQ typically threads multiple units together through graphs, calculations, and written explanations.

Think of it as a story. Part (a) sets up a market scenario, the middle parts change something (a [price](/ap-micro/unit-2/supply/study-guide/6Q4OmUPc9RVRr9R7JmFS "fv-autolink") control, a shift in [demand](/ap-micro/unit-2/demand/study-guide/225JkWV3Tu5Hq3oyAChc "fv-autolink"), a new cost), and the later parts often pull in related markets or factor markets. The 10 points are awarded part by part, so partial credit is everywhere. Even if one part stumps you, the rest of the question is still fully available.

Since May 2025 the exam is hybrid digital: you'll answer the multiple-choice section in Bluebook, but FRQs are handwritten. A four-function calculator is permitted on both sections.

## How the AP Micro Long FRQ Is Scored

Each of the 10 points has a specific requirement on the scoring guidelines, and graders check them one at a time. There is no holistic essay score. You either hit a point's requirement or you don't, which is great news: you can earn points deliberately if you know what each task type demands.

Across the free-response section, points come from four task types:

| Task type | Share of FRQ section points | What earns the point |
|---|---|---|
| Create graphs or visuals | 30-50% | Drawing correctly labeled graphs, showing a situation or a change on them |
| Explain | 25-35% | Giving the how or why with economic reasoning, not just the answer |
| Perform numerical analysis | 15-30% | Calculations with work shown, or assertions backed by numbers |
| Make assertions | 10-20% | Stating an outcome correctly (increase, decrease, no change) |

Notice what jumps out: graphing is the biggest single category. On a typical long FRQ, that means several points hinge entirely on whether your axes, curves, and [equilibrium](/ap-micro/unit-2/market-equilibrium-consumer-producer-surplus/study-guide/rT6VwtcikMj2QSanPBKu "fv-autolink") points are labeled. Not pretty, labeled.

The task verbs in the question tell you exactly which type you're dealing with:

- "Identify" or "Will...?" means a quick assertion, no explanation needed.
- "Explain" means show the how or why using evidence or reasoning. Graphs and symbols can count as part of an explanation.
- "Calculate" means perform the math and show your work. Showing work is required.
- "Draw a correctly labeled graph" means labels are required, full stop.
- "Show," "Label," "Plot," or "Indicate" means mark the scenario on a graph with all axes and curves labeled and directional changes shown.

For comparison, the two short FRQs are worth 5 points each (25% of the section apiece). The [short FRQ guide](/ap-micro/ap-microeconomics-exam/ap-micro-frq-short/study-guide/ap-micro-frq-short) covers how those differ.

## How to Answer the AP Micro Long FRQ, Step by Step

Budget about 25 of your 60 free-response minutes for Question 1, and use the 10-minute reading period to plan it. Here's a workable split: 3 minutes reading and mapping the whole question, 15 minutes working through the parts, 5 minutes checking labels and consistency, 2 minutes of buffer.

### Step 1: Read the whole question before you draw anything (2-3 minutes)

Map the economic story first. What [market structure](/ap-micro/key-terms/market-structure "fv-autolink") is this? What's the initial equilibrium? What changes? Reading everything up front prevents the most painful error on long FRQs: contradicting yourself between parts.

Circle the loaded phrases. "Perfectly competitive constant cost industry" is three facts in one: the [firm](/ap-micro/key-terms/firm "fv-autolink") faces a [horizontal demand curve](/ap-micro/key-terms/horizontal-demand-curve "fv-autolink"), entry and exit are free, and the long-run market supply curve is horizontal. Each detail you skim past is a point you can lose.

### Step 2: Build graphs that earn points (2-3 minutes per graph)

Graph points come from economic accuracy and labels, not artistry. For a market graph: label both axes (P and Q), label [supply and demand](/ap-micro/unit-2 "fv-autolink") (S and D), mark the equilibrium, and write in any specific values the question gives you (like $5). Don't add curves the question doesn't ask for. An extra mislabeled element can cost you.

For a firm graph in perfect competition, you need the full suite: a horizontal demand curve that doubles as [marginal revenue](/ap-micro/key-terms/marginal-revenue "fv-autolink") (D = MR), a U-shaped [marginal cost](/ap-micro/key-terms/marginal-cost "fv-autolink") curve, and average total cost. Positioning matters. MC must cross ATC at ATC's minimum, and your profit-maximizing quantity sits where MR = MC.

When asked to shade [profit](/ap-micro/unit-3/types-profit/study-guide/vxIdLwjPGUkDbcjELR2d "fv-autolink") or loss, shade the entire rectangle. Height is the gap between price and ATC, width is the [quantity](/ap-micro/key-terms/quantity "fv-autolink") produced. Partial shading or a vague bracket reads as uncertainty and won't earn the point.

### Step 3: Show your work on every calculation

The "Calculate" task verb requires showing your steps. Write the setup before you compute. For profit:

Profit = [Total Revenue](/ap-micro/key-terms/total-revenue "fv-autolink") - [Total Cost](/ap-micro/key-terms/total-cost "fv-autolink") = (P × Q) - (ATC × Q) = Q(P - ATC)

Then substitute numbers. If you make an arithmetic slip, the setup can still demonstrate the economics. A bare answer with no work risks losing the point even when the number is right.

### Step 4: Make "explain" answers a logical chain

An explanation needs three links: the economic principle, the application to this scenario, and the conclusion. "Consumer spending increases" earns nothing by itself. "Demand is inelastic because |Ed| = 0.92 < 1, so the percentage increase in price is larger than the percentage decrease in [quantity demanded](/ap-micro/key-terms/quantity-demanded "fv-autolink"), so total spending (P × Q) increases" earns the point. State the rule, plug in the scenario, land the conclusion.

The flip side: when a part just says "identify" or asks "would X increase, decrease, or stay the same," answer it and move on. Over-explaining a one-point assertion burns time you need elsewhere.

### Step 5: Check for consistency across parts

Before moving to Question 2, do a 60-second consistency pass. If you showed firms earning profit in the short run, your long-run answer should show entry driving profit back to zero. If product price rose, your factor-market answer should show labor demand increasing. Graders notice contradictions between parts, and so should you.

## Worked Example: The Potato Price Floor FRQ

A released sample long FRQ puts a perfectly competitive, constant-cost potato market in long-run equilibrium at $5 per sack, then has the government impose a binding price floor at $7 and buy any [surplus](/ap-micro/unit-2/market-disequilibrium-changes-equilibrium/study-guide/CNeo6STs8jBn29Gawwze "fv-autolink"). Here's how the parts unfold and the reasoning that earns points. (The reasoning below is example [strategy](/ap-micro/unit-4/oligopoly-game-theory/study-guide/mBvl1ZO2oahFuA0W4Zfe "fv-autolink"), not official scoring language.)

**Part (a), side-by-side graphs.** Draw the market on the left (S and D crossing at Q_M and $5) and farmer Lamo on the right (horizontal D = MR at $5, MC crossing it at Q_L, ATC tangent at that point because long-run equilibrium means zero economic profit). Labels on everything.

**Part (b), showing the floor.** At $7, quantity supplied along the market supply curve is Q_F, to the right of Q_M. Because the government buys the surplus, farmer Lamo can sell everything at $7, so the firm's demand line jumps up to $7, output rises to where MC = $7, and profit is the full rectangle between $7 and ATC at that new quantity, shaded completely.

**Part (c), the [elasticity](/ap-micro/unit-2/price-elasticity-demand/study-guide/kCV9eYI16fBj1nx9STCs "fv-autolink") question.** "If |Ed| = 0.92, would consumer spending increase, decrease, or stay the same?" Since 0.92 < 1, demand is inelastic. Price rises by a larger percentage than quantity demanded falls, so consumer spending on potatoes increases. That full chain (inelastic, why, therefore spending rises) is what the explain point requires.

**Part (d), the factor market link.** The floor raises the price farmers receive, which raises each worker's marginal revenue product (MRP = MP × P). Demand for farm labor increases. This is the classic "derived demand" extension: product [market outcomes](/ap-micro/unit-2/effects-government-intervention-markets/study-guide/lFuxTXRGEnLbMbNGiNP5 "fv-autolink") flow into the labor market.

**Part (e), related markets.** Corn is a substitute in production, so when potatoes become more lucrative, farmers shift land out of corn. Corn supply decreases, so corn's price rises and quantity falls. And if a rice price increase raised potato demand, rice and potatoes are substitutes in consumption.

One 10-point question just touched supply and demand, price controls, elasticity, perfect competition, factor markets, and related markets. That's the long FRQ in a nutshell, and it's why cross-unit review pays off here more than anywhere else.

## Common Patterns in AP Micro Long FRQs

A handful of storylines repeat across released exams, and recognizing them lets you anticipate what's coming.

**The competitive market story.** Start in long-run equilibrium, hit the market with a change, show short-run profit or loss, then show entry or exit restoring zero economic profit. If your long-run answer shows sustained profit in perfect competition, something's wrong.

**The government intervention sequence.** A free market gets a price control, tax, or subsidy. Expect questions on the new price and quantity, surplus or shortage size, consumer and producer surplus, and deadweight loss. Floors create surpluses (Qs > Qd); ceilings create shortages (Qd > Qs).

**The factor market extension.** After the product market analysis, the question pivots to labor. The bridge is MRP = MP × P: when product price changes, the value of each worker changes, and labor demand shifts.

**The elasticity application.** Elasticity rarely stops at the calculation. The follow-up asks what happens to total revenue or spending, and graders check that your answer matches your elasticity number. Inelastic demand plus a price increase means revenue rises. Keep your parts consistent.

## Common Mistakes

- **Unlabeled curves and points.** A curve without a label is just a line, and graders won't infer what you meant. Label axes, every curve, every equilibrium, and every specific value the question gives you.
- **Writing answers without work on "Calculate" parts.** Showing work is required by the task verb. Write the formula, substitute, then compute, so a slip in arithmetic doesn't wipe out the whole point.
- **Stating outcomes when the question says "explain."** "Spending increases" is an assertion; the explain point needs the why. Build the chain: principle, application, conclusion.
- **Contradicting yourself between parts.** Profit in part (b) but no entry in part (c), or higher product price but unchanged labor demand, signals you're answering parts in isolation. Do a consistency check before moving on.
- **Half-shading the profit rectangle.** Shade the complete area between price and ATC across the full quantity produced. An ambiguous mark doesn't earn the point.
- **Spending equal time on unequal parts.** A 3-point graph deserves more minutes than a 1-point assertion. If you're stuck, write what you know and move on; later parts sometimes hint at earlier answers.

## Practice and Next Steps

The fastest way to improve on the long FRQ is to write full responses under a 25-minute clock, then score yourself line by line against real scoring guidelines. Released questions show you exactly how points are worded, so start with [past AP Micro exam questions](/ap-micro/past-exams) and notice how many points come down to labels and shown work.

When you want feedback faster than self-grading, run timed questions through [FRQ practice with instant scoring](/ap-micro/frq-practice), or browse the [AP Micro FRQ question bank](/ap-micro/frqs) by topic to drill the patterns above (price floors, perfect competition transitions, factor markets). Pair this with the [short FRQ guide](/ap-micro/ap-microeconomics-exam/ap-micro-frq-short/study-guide/ap-micro-frq-short) so your 60 minutes cover all three questions, and use the [MCQ section guide](/ap-micro/ap-microeconomics-exam/ap-micro-mcq/study-guide/ap-micro-mcq) for the other two-thirds of your score. When you're close to exam day, check where your practice scores land with the [AP Micro score calculator](/ap-micro/ap-score-calculator).

## FAQs

### How long should I spend on the AP Micro long FRQ?

Plan on about 25 of your 60 free-response minutes for Question 1, the long FRQ. The 60 minutes includes a 10-minute reading period, which is the perfect time to map out the long FRQ's scenario before writing. That leaves roughly 15 minutes each for the two short FRQs.

### How many points is the AP Micro long FRQ worth?

The long FRQ is worth 10 points and counts for 50% of your free-response section score. Since the FRQ section is 33% of the total exam, the long FRQ alone is roughly one-sixth of your AP Microeconomics score. Points are awarded part by part, so partial credit is built in.

### How are AP Micro FRQs graded?

Graders use a point-by-point scoring guideline, not a holistic score. Graphing tasks carry 30-50% of free-response points, explanations 25-35%, numerical analysis 15-30%, and assertions 10-20%. Labels on graphs and shown work on calculations are required to earn those points, which is why practicing with [real scoring guidelines](/ap-micro/past-exams) matters so much.

### Do you have to show work on AP Micro FRQ calculations?

Yes. The task verb 'Calculate' requires you to perform the mathematical steps and show your work, so a bare number can miss the point even when it's correct. Write the formula first, substitute values, then compute. A four-function calculator is allowed on both sections of the exam.

### What topics show up on the AP Micro long FRQ?

The long FRQ usually spans several units in one scenario. Common storylines include a perfectly competitive market hit by a change or government intervention, an elasticity calculation applied to revenue, and a factor-market extension linking product price to labor demand. Practicing mixed-topic questions in the [FRQ question bank](/ap-micro/frqs) is the best way to prepare for that range.

## About This Document

Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`.

- [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns
- [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing

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