As we are entering May, the time has finally come for many people’s favorite thing in the whole wide world: the dreaded AP test. For some people, it is an exciting opportunity to show off just exactly what they know. For others, it is a stressful reminder of just how much material there is to review—and how hard it is to review all of it when there are only a couple of days left. Because, let’s be honest, nobody is studying in advance. At this point, “AP” might as well stand for advanced procrastination.
Or advanced panic.
Either way, with the time bomb still ticking, studying smarter matters a whole lot more than studying harder. Therefore, here are a couple of simple tips to make your studying for your AP test just a little bit easier.
Don’t Just Read, Actually Test Yourself
I’m sure we have all fallen into this trap: rereading the same material over and over again, praying that you will eventually come to understand it. Well, not to spoil anything, but if you study that way, the chances of that happening are next to none. Instead, try covering your notes and writing down everything you remember. Otherwise, you can also explain a topic like you are the one teaching it— that helps too. After all, those who can do, teach.
Focus on What Will Actually Show Up
If you have only a couple of days left, studying everything is no longer a realistic option. Instead, focus on looking at your specific exam’s CED (Course Exam Description) to see exactly what you need to know to get the best score you can on the test. Remember: AP exams test concepts, not details, so be sure to know the general gist of topics that have the highest percentage of content in the test. Again, you don’t have to know everything; you just have to know enough.
Practice, Practice, Practice (But Make Sure Some Are AP Questions)
More than writing, actually practicing the material will help you much more than just reading about it. You can use Quizziz, Blooket, or any of the other thousands of resources that are available online to expand your knowledge for the exam. But most importantly, you can log onto CollegeBoard and do some of the practice problems there, since the problems there will be the most accurate to the actual exam. Just like before, being smart about how you study can take you far.
Learn from Your Mistakes
Sometimes, making mistakes can feel humiliating and disheartening. However, it is better to learn from your mistakes now than make the mistake of doing the same exact mistake during the exam. Instead of better late than never, it’s better to learn to make a mistake early rather than later. So, when you make an error— no matter how big or small— be sure to go over it until you are positive that you understand it. Practice may not make perfect, but learning from your practice can make progress— and progress is what gets you a 5 on the exam, not perfection.
Keep Calm and Carry On
One exam isn’t everything. One test does not determine your whole life. No matter how good or bad you do, this exam score is just a stepping stone on the way to your future. As important and monumental as these tests may seem at the moment, when looking back on your high school years, AP exams aren’t going to be the only thing you remember. Instead, you are probably going to also remember your teachers, friends, family, and the lasting impact of what you did and who you were, not what you scored. So, try your best, stay calm, but remember that your character cannot be measured on any kind of 1-5 scale, or in fact, any scale at all.
