Stack of AP textbooks to guide exam preparations

Advancement Placement (AP) is an organization that offers classes and exams centered on college-level curriculum to help students earn college credit. There are a wide variety of exams available and each exam costs around $100.  Exam times this year are held between May 6 and May 17. 

AP exams are a budget-friendly way to earn college credit. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on the course in college, students are exposed to the rigor and coursework on a college level. If students earn a score of three or higher on the exam, they are likely to earn credit for the course in college.This reduces the time students spend in college taking the course and assists them in staying on track to graduate in a timely manner. Additionally, AP classes teach students skills that are not taught in school curriculum. When they have the opportunity to earn credit at the end of the year, the effort put into the subject is reflected in the score they earn in the exam. 

There are a wide variety of AP exams available to students, ranging from extracurricular classes to core classes. This year I am taking four exams: Chemistry, Psychology, US History, and Language and Composition. I have taken three exams before: Human Geography, Spanish Language and Culture, and World History. I am glad to have the experience of taking an AP exam as I believe they are a great way to demonstrate cumulative knowledge throughout a school year and provide a fulfilling experience. 

Taking an AP exam can seem daunting, but here are some tips to help prepare for the big day. 

1. Watching AP Daily videos – These concise videos encompass topics learned throughout the entire school year and are broken down per class unit

1. Utilizing other textbooks – My personal favorite to use is the Princeton Review textbook. It clearly explains the content and includes overall exam tips and practice tests/questions.

1. Group study sessions – Active recall and sustained studying are great study habits and they are amplified when people sit and discuss the topics at hand. Sharing information is a great way to demonstrate content knowledge and this allows students to relay information, hear it back to them, write it down, and have an enjoyable group study experience.

1. Doing practice questions – This is a great way to get students exposed to the types of questions the exam asks and replicate the exam environment. This is especially helpful for free response questions as students can practice and look for the key vocabulary the exam graders are looking for to score points.

1. Be sure to integrate the subject each day – This transforms studying into a habit and allows it to be less overwhelming. 

AP exams are a great way to earn college credit, but students should remember that AP exams are not their defining character. There is still so much to learn and regardless of what score they earn, it takes courage to challenge themselves and be involved in a college-level course at a young age. 

Best of luck to all taking the exam, congratulations for all of the effort you put into the class this year.