General Message/Update
New tool for norm reduction – customize your exam for your needs
In response to requests from many of you to be able to generate norms for a reduced set of items for your ACS exam, we have developed a tool for this. Available for 25 general and organic chemistry exams, you can select your test, select which items to remove and observe the change to the norms. You also can upload your data for a downloadable file with your students’ adjusted norms and course information. This site can be accessed here.
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Our new address is 1375 S. Garfield Ave. Loveland, CO 80537.
New exams and norms released this year:
Through the exhaustive work of our exam committees, we expect to release this year:
- General-Organic-Biochemistry 2025 Condensed (stock code: GB25D)
- This is the newest version of the one-semester general-organic-biochemistry exam designed for nursing and health science majors. This 60-item exam has items distributed across the three disciplines based on a typical one-semester course. This exam will be available for spring, 2025, testing.
- General Chemistry First-Term, 2025 (stock code: GC25F)
- This is the newest version of the first-semester general chemistry exam. When you submit answer sheets to us for scoring, the score report available for this exam will also include partial credit scoring. Users will have the option of using either score. Additionally, the exam will be released with preliminary modeled norms. This exam is expected to be released for fall, 2025, testing season.
- Preparatory Chemistry, 2025 (stock code: PC25)
- This is a new exam for preparatory chemistry (prior to introductory chemistry). This 50-item exam is designed for a 60-minute testing period. It is expected that this exam will align to final exam testing needs for a preparatory chemistry course or as a placement exam for general chemistry I. This exam is expected to be released for fall, 2025, testing season.
- Instrumental Analysis, 2025 (stock code: IA25)
- This is the newest version of the instrumental analysis exam. This exam is expected to be released for fall, 2025, testing season.
We also are excited about our releases from 2024:
- General Chemistry Second-Term, 2024 Brief (stock code: GC24SB)
- This is a new exam for second-term general chemistry course in a brief format (50 questions in 55 minutes) allows for a shorter testing period or to have additional time available for more testing. This exam was released with norms as well as subscoring in specific content areas.
- General Chemistry, 2024 Brief (stock code: GC24B)
- This is the newest version of this exam for full-year general chemistry course in a brief format (50 questions in 55 minutes) allows for a shorter testing period or to have additional time available for more testing. This exam was released with norms as well as subscoring in specific content areas.
- Organic Chemistry, 2024 Brief (stock code: OR24B)
- This is a new exam for full-year organic chemistry course in a brief format (45 questions in 55 minutes) allows for a shorter testing period or to have additional time available for more testing. This exam was released with norms as well as subscoring in specific content areas.
- General Chemistry, 2024 (stock code: GC24)
- The newest exam for the full-year general chemistry course was released in late 2024. Additionally, the exam was released with preliminary modeled norms.
Several new norms have been published in 2024. These include:
- Organic Chemistry 2020
- General Chemistry First-Term 2021
- General Chemistry 2019
- General Chemistry 2017 Paired Questions Second-Term
- General-Organic-Biochemistry Condensed 2018
- Physical Chemistry Comprehensive 2014
- High School Conceptual 2016
- High School 2016
- High School 2019
- High School Advanced 2004
- High School Advanced 2006
- High School Advanced 2010
- General Chemistry Conceptual 2016
- General Chemistry 2017 Paired Questions First-Term
- Toledo Placement 2018
We expect to complete Organic Chemistry First Term 2021 in spring with new or updated preliminary norms available throughout 2025 as well.
Please consider providing student performance data to us for norm calculations!
Study materials available from ACS Exams
If you are preparing to take an ACS final exam, there are resources available from ACS Exams that may help you in your studying and preparation:
- General chemistry: study guide (first term/second term both included) and practice exams (first term and full year)
- Organic chemistry: study guide (first term/second term both included) and full year practice exams
- Analytical chemistry: practice exam
- Physical chemistry: study guide (both thermodynamics and quantum chemistry are included)
ACS Exams study materials are available year-round with study guides shipped directly to your home or campus and online practice exams available immediately after purchase. These include:
- Study guides with many items worked out and for practice,
- Online practice exams designed in a similar way to an ACS exam and provides you with a study report once completed, or
- A bundle of both the practice exam and study guide.
Your shipping options are (allowing 1 day for processing):
- Ground: 3-5 business days
- 2nd day: 2 business days
- Overnight: 1 business day
Tutorial practice exams are available for:
- General Chemistry, First Term
- Organic Chemistry, Full Year
Details
Each exam has 50 items with feedback provided on each question. If a student is correct, they will be told so, but they also will be provided with the process to solve the question correctly (so they can compare to how they solved the problem). If the student is incorrect, they will be told so and be provided with possible difficulties they may have had, as well as how to solve the problem correctly.
All of this is then summarized in a report emailed to the student following exam submission. This summary includes for each question:
- The chapter and content from the ACS study guide
- The performance on the question
- The chapter and question number from the study guide of items that are the same as the question
- The chapter and question number from the study guide of items that are similar or use the same concept as the question
Visit here to purchase your practice exam today. For questions, please contact us at 800-854-1672.
Become an ACS Exams Postdoctoral Fellow
The ACS Examinations Institute regularly seeks Postdoctoral Research Associate(s) for a full-time, 12-month position with benefits that can begin on or near August 1st annually. Applications are evaluated on or before May 1st annually. Click here for more information and application details.
