As AP exams loom less than three months in the distance, the preparation process has already begun among students taking AP courses this year. Typically, students begin drawing up study schedules one to three months before test day and a popular start time is around the time of spring break in April. Therefore, it is important that students know how to properly prepare and be ready for the day of their AP exam in early May.
Students throughout our school have different approaches when it comes to studying and preparing for their AP exams. Sophomores Jay Vardhan and Vishnu Varma both took AP NSL and AP Computer Sciences during their freshman year, passing each exam with scores of five. Varma said that he began his studying in early March, whereas Vardhan said that he only started ramping up his preparation a week before the exam. Ultimately, the amount of time that you put into studying for the exam comes down to how comfortable you are with the material and how you are doing in that class.
When it comes to the best resources and materials to use for studying, both Varma and Vardhan recommended that students purchase a Princeton Review prep textbook for their specific class. Princeton Review is an educational services company that provides assets that allow students to prepare for their tests such as tutors and textbooks. When it came to other resources available, Varma used past school work. “I just went over all of the previous work that I had in both classes to review some of the material that I may have been stuck on,” Varma said.
Another source of review that students can use to prepare for their exams is the variety of practice tests available online. Princeton Review provides tests that replicate what it’s going to be like when the test officially rolls around. When speaking about his personal study habits, Vardhan said, “The main thing that I used to get ready was the practice tests for the multiple choice and writing sections.”
AP Language and Composition teacher Daniel Pecoraro has his own advice for students who are gearing up for their exams. Pecoraro said there are practice writing assignments in his class throughout the first three quarters of the school year that help develop skills that are needed on the AP test. Then, in quarter four, the preparation starts to ramp up. Pecoraro said, “The number one piece of advice I have for students taking their first exams is that cramming work is not the answer and having a routine helps you become the most comfortable and ready for exam day.”
The final element that all students need to be doing in order to be successful come early May is to not procrastinate and wait until the last minute to cram in review and studying. Despite Vardhan getting a five on both exams he wishes he “put more time into studying prior to the test because it would’ve been much less stressful.”
