ACS Organic Chemistry Exam

[kyinaire]

I'm taking the ACS Orgo exam in a few days and I have a few questions.

1. Do they provide spectroscopy tables (IR, NMR)? If so, what shifts do they include? My professor told us they do but the tables are very nonspecific. However, the study guide says that there are no tables.

2. How many questions do you need to get right to score in the 95th percentile nationally?

Thanks in advance for any tips.

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[EpicBearMan]

Are you asking if they provide a table which tells you what the different peaks represent? If that's what you are asking; I did not have anything of the sort on my exam. I think I only had one or two spectroscopy problems on my whole test. The one I remember gave a mass and IR spectrum and asked me to ID the compound, which was pretty easy.

I don't remember what raw score correlates to a 95th percentile. I studied for the exam exclusively using the ACS prep book and got a 90th. Keep in mind that most professors curve the score so that the average is somewhere around 70. Our actual grade on the test was our national percentile + 6% ish.

 

[SOcash]

2. How many questions do you need to get right to score in the 95th percentile nationally?

It varies from year to year, but you can see how the number of questions correct relates to a percentile for the last few years here: http://chemexams.chem.iastate.edu/stats/national_norms.cfm

 

[kyinaire]

@EpicBearMan: Yes that's what I meant. Good thing that there's only a few questions on spectroscopy though... I don't feel like studying it at the moment

@SOcash: Strange, according to the chart you only need 60/70 to get 95th percentile but I clearly remember my professor saying that you need 63/70.

Thanks guys!

 

[rxlea]

It varies from year to year, but you can see how the number of questions correct relates to a percentile for the last few years here: http://chemexams.chem.iastate.edu/stats/national_norms.cfm

I like your avatar

 

[SFGuy2011]

I've taken both the ACS General Chemistry Exam and the ACS Organic Chemistry Exam. All I used to study for both exams were the Study Guides put out by the ACS. I scored somewhere around the mid-90th percentile on the General Chemistry, and I scored in the 100th Percentile on the Organic Chemistry Exam. (Note, not raw percentile. These are scaled scores.)

Here are some of the more important topics to remember for the Organic exam, which I took in December of 2008. Look for the most stable product in most select the product questions. This applies in most cases. Look for resonance, most substituted, etc. It really does stress the basics, and I recall that there were only 5 to 7 questions on spectroscopy total. Know the oxidizing reagents vs the reducing reagents.

Bottom line, go through the study guide and understand it. I went through the Study Guide, and went through it thoroughly, three times. If you do that, I guarantee you'll score well on that test. That book really is the best preparation for the exam. Granted, I took it in 2008 so maybe the test has changed slightly. If you have a decent understanding of Organic Chemistry before you take the exam, then I wouldn't even consult a textbook at all. The guide is all you'll need. This is my personal opinion of course, but the people that used the study guide in my course definitely did better than those who didn't.

Good luck to you.

 

[LovelyLiz87]

If you need a study guide for the ACS o chem exam download here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/23916122/ACS-ref


I just got it, I heard it helps! I will know soon enough.

 

[Badancil]

I'm taking the ACS Orgo exam in a few days and I have a few questions.

1. Do they provide spectroscopy tables (IR, NMR)? If so, what shifts do they include? My professor told us they do but the tables are very nonspecific. However, the study guide says that there are no tables.

2. How many questions do you need to get right to score in the 95th percentile nationally?

Thanks in advance for any tips.

1. they do not provide tables, you are expected to know the shifts caused by different functional groups.

2. to score in the 95th percentile you need a 62 out of 70. allthough, in our class, if you got over a 55/70 you received an A for the final. and many didnt even manage that. its a hard test. get the ACS study guide, and you will be just fine. i did and scored the above 62. nothing prepares you better.

its just like the mcat. if you want to do well take aamc practice tests. if you want to do well on an ACS test, use their study guide.