<p>Honestly, the importance of lab work in AP chemistry is overblown. It’d be one thing if the labs, like the lab questions on the AP test, actually required you to DESIGN an experiment. But by far the majority of lab work is simply following the directions you are given, and then doing the same kind of analysis you could do with textbook problems. Granted, having a year of lab experience is certainly helpful if you plan to go on with chemistry, but it’s not as important as AP instructors wish it were.</p>