It’s only February so your AP exams might not be at the front of your mind, but now’s the perfect time to start thinking ahead to ensure that you feel ready for your exams. We suggest that you start your test prep in mid to late March, about six weeks before the tests are administered in the first two weeks of May.
Strong AP scores can be helpful in the college admissions process. Because grade inflation is soaring (the average high school grade point average has risen significantly, from 3.17 in 2010 to 3.39 in 2021), some colleges report that they are weighing “external assessment” as heavily or more heavily than GPA, with a particular focus on AP scores. At some colleges, students may also be awarded college credit if they do well on an AP exam they take in high school.
Getting Started:
1. Set up a Study Calendar.
The curriculum for most AP courses is generally broken down into 7-9 units. For example, the AP US History test has 9 units, while the AP Physics A test has 7. Think about how many units you can review per week. If you start studying 4-5 weeks before the exam, you can review 1 – 2 units per week rather than trying to tackle all 9 in a weekend!
On a digital or paper calendar, write out which units you plan on covering each week. This is especially helpful if you are prepping for more than one AP exam in May. Build in some test practice in your study plan. It’s not necessary to take a full practice AP test each week but be sure to incorporate some free response questions in your study time. For example, if you are prepping for a history exam, plan to write a practice Document Based Question (DBQ) or two. Prepping for Calculus? Practice some functions equations from the past Free Response Questions (FRQ) on the College Board website.
2. Find/Gather Available Resources.
The College Board’s AP exam webpages are invaluable resources for AP test practice. There you can find past exam questions and the course’s curriculum overview. Make sure you know where all your class notes are located and organize them so that you don’t spend precious study time trying to track down your materials.
3. Check that your class will cover all AP content.
Sometimes teachers simply run out of time before they have covered the required course content. Other times, students plan to take an AP exam without having taken an official AP class. It’s a good idea to check with your teacher that they will have covered all content tested on the exam. If needed, come up with your own plan to study the missing content.
4. Determine if a tutor would be helpful.
Marks Education tutors are available to assist students with AP exams. For most exams, we generally recommend between 4-6 test prep tutoring sessions, and we offer a 6 session AP Exam Package. Get in touch with Marks Education for one-on-one support from an experienced tutor to help you prepare.
5. Use your Spring Break productively.
Depending on when your spring break occurs this year, it might be a good time to either begin reviewing, continue reviewing, or get your materials and study calendar organized so there’s no delay when you’re ready to dive into studying.
6. Check out Marks Education’s Resources
- Studying for APUSH? Check out our APUSH test tips.
- Studying for AP Spanish? Check out our AP Spanish Language and Culture test tips.
- Studying for AP Chemistry: Check out our AP Chem test tips.
- Studying for AP Language? Here are some AP Lang tips.
- Studying for AP Calculus? Check out our AP Calculus tips.
- Studying for AP Government? Check out AP Gov test tips.
Conclusion
With the significance of AP scores in the college admissions process and the potential for college credit, investing in some professional guidance can make a huge difference in the long run!
As you’re preparing to tackle your upcoming AP exams, remember that you don’t have to climb that hill alone, and there are many test prep resources available to help you. Here at Marks Education, our talented tutors are ready to help you be the best that you can be in your AP test practice. Contact us to schedule a session!
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