Sea Kings it’s that time of year again! Along with all the perks and pleasures of second semester come the dreaded AP tests. Through the end of April and beginning of May, school may be a little bit hectic, there is no need to fret. Here are some helpful hints that will keep your stress low and scores high.
ONE: Don’t miss the date of the test. Senior Austin Paik remembers, “I missed the European History AP test because I had a baseball game, and had to take the makeup. It was so hard, and though I studied a ton, I didn’t even recognize some stuff.” Though they are said to cover the same material, College board uses different questions and a different curve for make up tests to avoid cheating, and it is often a bit harder.
TWO: Start preparing early. AP tests are accumulative, and even though teachers always stress this, students always start studying the week before. This can become really hard to manage especially if students are taking multiple AP tests. Mady Decker recalls, “I had four AP tests last year and it was so overwhelming. In order to cover everything I started three or four weeks before and created a schedule. This gave me structure and helped me review all the material so night before the test I got to rest.”
THREE: Get a review book to help you put all the chapters together. Sometimes seeing the material put together in ways that Princeton Review and 5 Steps to a 5 combine everything helps to understand it. Junior Vaughn Tajirian remembers, “I thought I could study from my classwork and homework but it was so hard to comprehend everything and look at the bigger picture. This year I will definitely be buying one.” Also, there are many quizzes and practice tests at the back of these books that are helpful for practicing the format and types of questions that are encountered during an AP test.
FOUR: This is the most cliché and obvious answer, but it is always the best. Don’t forget to get a good’s night sleep. For normal tests, you may get by just cramming the night before, but this is not always the case for the AP. According to Medical News Today and the Sleep Foundation, studies have shown that 62% of children that get a good rest but don’t necessarily study as much, do better on tests than children that stay up all night studying but don’t sleep well. Senior Rorry O’connor remembers, “I stayed up all night reading my Comparative Government prep book that the next morning I was so tired I downed two coffees and was still drowsy and sleepy for the test.” The night before should be used to relax and review not hardcore studying.
FIVE: These tests are 4-5 hours long, and everyone gets tired while taking them. To combat the sleepiness, bring some brain food such as blueberries, bananas, and nuts, and water for the test. It will keep you awake, and these easy to eat snacks may even help answer more questions correctly! Remember, the answers are on the test so keep calm and score a 5!