Now that AP exams are getting closer by the day, students are starting to focus a lot of their time on studying and preparing for the second week of May. For most students this might be their first time taking an AP exam(s) and they may find it overwhelming due to the amount of information a student must remember.
If you pass an AP exam, which is an Advanced Placement course students will have college credit and won’t have to retake it again. The exam is out of 5, 3 is a passing score. Students will usually get their test score during July and you can find your test on the college board.
College board always gives students ways to prepare for their test or tools of each unit and topic in your exam, as well as practice questions that are similar to the real exam to feel more prepared when it comes.
Some difficulties students might encounter while preparing for their exam is staying concentrated and mesmerizing key points. Mikayla Arista (11) who is taking APUSH including APES said, “The hardest part of getting ready for the exams is staying concentrated for long periods of time to absorb all the information. It can be difficult to focus for so long without getting distracted.”
Sidney Silveira (11) who is also taking the same exams, expressed, “I am nervous about taking my APUSH exam because there is a lot of history and terms to remember but I am confident in my APES exam.”
Most exams are different from others, some may be longer, involve more writing like DBQ’s, or are just overall more rigorous than others. Most exams are around 3 hours but they can be shorter depending on the subject. This can get more challenging when it comes to the day of the test, due to stress and a loss of motivation because of how long it is.
Arista (11) shared a piece of advice, “My advice to students taking AP classes and exams next year would be to really pay attention and study throughout the year. Staying on top of the material from the beginning will make preparing for the exam much easier.” this is a good piece of advice for students that are taking their first AP exam this May, or for any students that need a new strategy for future exams.
When choosing an AP class, the important part would have to be picking a subject that interests you. AP classes are known for you to be able to do independent study or research. Taking the time to do research on the subject you may be interested in is a good way to get an idea of the coursework, as well as asking around to see if anyone has information about how the class will be.
May is just a few weeks away, we would like to wish the best of luck to all our students who will be taking their AP exams. These exams can be difficult at times, always try your best and stay focused. Good Luck!
