The end of the year is in sight. However, the end of the year is also time for AP exams. These long and dreaded tests are the tests that students should not procrastinate to study for.

In past years I never gave any thought to the AP tests and I only studied a week before the test. I never thought of the importance of the test, but in reality, getting a high test score can be very beneficial.

I only learned about how important AP exam scores were when I was applying to colleges at the start of my senior year because I learned that depending on the college you go to and the score of your test, you might not have to take certain classes in college.

Each school requires different AP scores in order to opt out of the class, and you can easily find the scores that certain schools require on the College Board website. 

In order to get a high score on your test, it is necessary to start studying right now. Do not leave studying for two weeks before the test because I can promise you that two weeks is not enough time to study and feel confident about the test. 

The most important resource for students to utilize is the College Board portal. On that portal, you can access videos that explain every single learning target for every single unit of that class. There are also mini quizzes and multiple choice questions where you can practice what questions on the real exam will look like.

I strongly recommend first taking a quiz and then marking down any questions that you aren’t confident about or don’t know. Then go back to the videos and watch the video that targets those questions and also take notes along the way so that your brain can retain more information. Then I would go back to the quiz and take it again. You can repeat the process for the quizzes as many times as you need. Repeat that process for all of the different units.

This might seem like a tedious process, but it is one of the most beneficial studying techniques because you can learn the topics and then apply what you have just learned when you take the quiz.

Another resource you can use is just simply searching up an FRQ, for any of the AP tests you’re taking, with a random year, and you will get the FRQ for that year. You can also look through some of the old FRQs from past years and start to get an understanding of what types of questions are asked on the FRQ. The FRQs usually cover the same topics every year, so you can study each topic that you know will most likely be on the AP test this year. 

You can also create your own separate Quizlet account and then input any learning targets you need to practice so that you have access to multiple different learning strategies. You can use flashcards, matching tiles, mini quizzes, and more.

Keep in mind that everyone has a different style of learning whether that’s visual, aural, auditory, or kinesthetic. For example, if you prefer a kinesthetic style of learning then it might be helpful to use physical notecards instead of a quizlet.

If none of these tools work for you, you can even make up your own study game. There are so many different learning tools available. I just listed the ones that have worked best for me. Start studying right now and good luck.