Ap season. A time that everybody dreads and awaits with great anxiety. What students have been preparing for the whole year is now time to showcase what they have learned. AP tests can be a big part of the college process, as it can earn you college credits and build up your resume. No matter what score you are hoping to receive, taking time to prepare is crucial for being successful. It is important to give it time and start with time ahead to make sure you don’t cram your studying at the last minute. In addition to this, here are a couple tips and tricks that students who have taken these tests share to help others be successful.
First of all, it is important to know what is coming your way so that you know what to study for. This means, know the content that you will be tested on, know what type of questions there are, and know the structure of the test. By knowing the material and units that are on the test, you are more likely to do good since you know what to study and review. Additionally, there are different types of questions for different kinds of classes. For the different tests, there are MCQs, FRQs, DBQs, short response questions, essay questions, and document-based questions. For the different subjects there are different questions, so identifying what type of questions are coming your way will help you prepare. Student Mckezni Reiter shares, “I have prepared for my different AP tests differently since for some I am writing essays while others consist more of MCQs”. Finally, knowing the structure, such as the timing and amount of questions there are will be useful when actually taking the test. Since it is a timed test, it is important to pace yourself so that you make sure to answer all the questions with enough time. It is crucial to be locked in during the test in order to not get distracted and waste time. Being familiar with the material will help you with time and with easing nerves going into the test.
Moving on, having enough time to prepare for all of this might be the most important part. Procrastinating for an AP test can be the worst decision you can make. For this reason, creating a study schedule is a great idea during this process of preparation. Once you know the date of the test, identify how much time you will take to study per unit, and calculate how much time it will take you to review all the material. Spacing out the units with enough time for a thorough review will be helpful to have a deep understanding of what you have learned throughout the year. Since the test covers material since the beginning of the year, you might have forgotten some of the things you have learned, so make sure to look at all the units, not just the ones you think you need to review. Making your schedule achievable and being consistent with it is very important. Staying dedicated to your goals will make you feel much more prepared than procrastinating at the last minute.
Finally, knowing the resources that are around you is a huge tool some don’t even explore. There are so many things around you that can help you prepare, such as inline websites or simply going to your teacher for help. Student Chloe Huang shares, “I like to go in before school to ask Mrs. P questions about APES and it is a huge help.” Teachers are a great resource when knowing how to prepare. More specifically, the actual college board AP classroom provides already created reviews that students can access online, which many times contain questions that will be on the test or similar to the test. I used this resource and found it to be a huge help on the test. In fact, this resource is available all year, so it can also be helpful for in class unit tests or quizzes, since there is a review for each unit and most concepts. Sometimes, all you have to do is simply ask for help, there are so many outlets!
All in all, during the stressful times of AP season, it’s convenient to know what you can do to ease the stress. Taking action and confronting your problems head on with dedication and a winning attitude will help you be successful on your test. I hope these tips and tricks were helpful and good luck!
