By: John Magbitang For many high school students, May is probably the most stressful part of the year because it’s AP Exam season. It’s the final barrier before you can finally have a relaxing schedule at school and wait for summer break. As an AP student myself, I understand the challenges that you’re all going through and the important goal to get a 5 on the exam. That’s why I want to share some tips that can help you to succeed on the exam.
1. Practice, Practice, and Practice!
The best way to study for the AP exams is by taking a practice test. Usually, your teacher administers a full-length test before the actual exam. If you’re studying on your own, you can look up the official Free Response Questions (FRQs) from previous tests. CollegeBoard doesn’t release Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) publicly so your teacher will usually give you a packet. Make sure to time yourself on the FRQs so you can properly pace yourself on the actual exam.
Taking practice tests will help you find your weaknesses and strengths and allow you to establish which parts of the course you need to review more.
2. Rewind and Reach Out
After taking a practice test, you were probably surprised that you already forgot some of the material. That’s completely fine! You can always do a rewind. I’m talking about going to your Google Classroom and revisiting old slideshows, previous assignments, and tests. You can also always narrow this review journey down if you’ve taken a practice test and allocate more time studying the units that you’ve had difficulty with. This way, you can organize your notes and create a study guide tailored to what you need to review.
I do not recommend cramming all of the material days before the test because this will not allow you to retain the information as effectively as compared to studying one to two hours a day a month before the exam. Cramming will also make you feel stressed and anxious on test day which will take a toll on your performance.
Don’t also be afraid to talk to your teachers or classmates if you need help, they are rooting for you to succeed and would be willing to answer any of the questions you have.
3. Take Advantage Of Resources Online
If you think that the resources you received from school aren't enough for you then you can always look for more online! However, that can be a tedious task as they are scattered everywhere online and you just don’t know which one to pick. So I’ve assembled a list of what I think would be the most helpful:
• AP Students Discord Server
This is the largest community dedicated to preparing for the AP exams. They have designated channels for each AP class for you to collaborate with other students who have taken or are taking the exam. They also have hundreds of resources like study guides, unit notes, videos, and exams shared for every single AP class. You can join their community with this server invite link: https://discord.com/invite/apstudents (Make sure you have a Discord account)
• Videos
If you’re having trouble remembering or understanding a concept then videos are an excellent resource. I’m going to link some channels that have been vouched for by other students, but you can always search for videos of the AP class you’re taking if it’s not listed here. In addition, AP Daily (on AP Classroom) and Khan Academy are also good options.
AP World History / U.S. History / European History / Government: Heimler’s History
AP Physics 1 / 2: Flipping Physics
AP Chemistry: Abigail Giordano
AP Biology: Bozeman Science
AP Microeconomics / Macroeconomics: Jacob Clifford
AP Calculus AB/BC: Flipped Math
AP Human Geography / Psychology: Mr. Sinn
AP Environmental Science: Mr. Smedes
AP Physics C: Mechanics / C: Electricity and Magnetism: Viren
AP Statistics: Skew The Script
Beyond that, there are much plenty of resources that you can find on your own. For example, the MIT Workbook offers free unit tests on each AP Physics subject.
Addressing Stress & Anxiety Before The Exams
Since AP exams are less than a month away, you’re feeling stressed and anxious because of the pressure, especially for the other students who are taking multiple exams. I’d say that these feelings are completely valid! After all, this is the culmination of all the efforts you’ve poured out this whole school year, from paying attention in class diligently to staying up until midnight to study for the huge test the next day. In order to reduce your stress and anxiety, you’re often told that you should exercise, maintain a healthy balanced diet, and get a good night’s sleep before taking the exam. While I think those things are all important, we should also maintain our perspectives. Yes, these exams are important, and getting a good score can help you save money and when applying to college, but this is only a small portion of your academic journey, and your score will not define your worth or potential for success. On test day, be confident. Trust in your preparation and remind yourself that you’ve got this.
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