Do you have 2 weeks until your AP exams drop? Or maybe 2 days? If so, here are some steps you can take to make sure you’re prepared.
Before we start, a couple of disclaimers;
- You might have an awesome AP teacher. If you do, some of this may duplicate what your teacher already told you. If so, don’t be mad, be GLAD! And say THANK YOU to your super amazing teacher.
- This blog is advice for EVERY AP exam. As a result, some tips are generalized and may not be specific to your particular test. We know this is GENERAL advice. We know there are many specific tips that will apply to some and not others. Act accordingly.
5 Steps to AP Cramming:
- Gather your materials.
- A) Get an official test (or two)
As you try to prepare for your AP Exam(s), if you haven’t already, it’s important to take an authentic AP exam from a previous year. These can be a bit tricky to track down, but at least 1-2 tests are released for most subjects. In 2019, the College Board has promised to offer even MORE preparation materials, so if you’re reading this after 2018, head over to AP Central to check out the official materials at the College Board website.
For the rest of you, I find the best way to dig up old AP exams is a trusty Google search. Simply Google:
AP Practice Exam Official (Name of your exam) Released Test.pdf
or some combination of those terms.
For whatever reason, many of the released exams are from 2012. You can also put that year in your search if it helps.
Many of these are linked directly from the College Board site, but I’ve also found several broken links on that site, not to mention the fact that the site is tough to navigate, and so I recommend using Google.
If you have a super amazing AP Teacher, you’ve likely already taken a full length exam from previously given materials. If so, your teacher is probably not allowed to let you take these exams home. AP teachers have access to many more official exams than what has been publicly released. If you’ve had this experience, rejoice! If not, and you come across some shady tests on some Reddit thread or AP teacher’s homespun webpage that “seem” official, well, maybe this explains that situation.
- B) Gather all the practice questions & FRQ’s (free response questions) you can.
The College Board site has an information packet for EVERY AP exam. Each pdf packet contains practice questions for your exam and it’s important you have familiarized yourself with this content. Additionally, for exams with an essay portion, the College Board has released several prompts on many of these exams. You can also download these from the appropriate college board page on AP Central.
- C) Get some books if you have a little time.
If you’ve got more than a few days to cram, consider getting an AP study book. The advantage of a book is that it has topical chapters as well as tutor crafted advice for the exam you’re going to take. In terms of content, these books may do a better job of summarizing important material than your official textbook, and be formatted in a fashion that is less overwhelming than the behemoth hardback you’ve been working from at school. They also have problem sets or question sections that are specific to particular skill sets or content areas so you can use them to efficiently address what you need help on (and not on what you don’t). Beyond content, these books also offer STRATEGY. You may not get strategy from your teachers, and you definitely won’t get much from the College Board or official materials. Every test is different so I can’t break down tips in a single blog for everything, but I can say BOOKS are a great resource to give you that little test taking edge.
Here are some book suggestions (note: these are affiliate links, so using these links helps support our Blog and Youtube efforts!)
Barron’s AP Books:
Barron’s is usually a good brand for subject test and AP exams. While Kaplan can sometimes be too easy, Barron’s is usually thorough and has challenging questions. It also has a book for almost every exam (some other brands are more test specific), so on exams I don’t teach often, or if you’re looking for a go to brand for your AP’s, this is usually the one I recommend:
AP Chinese Language and Culture
AP Comparative Government & Politics
AP English Language and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition
AP French Language and Culture
AP Microeconomics / Macroeconomics
AP Spanish Language and Culture
AP U.S. Government and Politics
For subject specific books, below are some highlights. There are only a few books recommended in each subject section, and I don’t see one as much stronger than the others. My best advice is to get a mix of books if you have the time to study them.
Literature:
5 Steps to a 5: 500 AP English Literature Questions to Know by Test Day
5 Steps to a 5: AP English Literature 2018
AP English Literature & Composition Crash Course Book + Online
Barron’s AP English Literature and Composition
Cracking the AP English Literature & Composition Exam
Language:
5 Steps to a 5: AP English Language 2018
AP English Language & Composition
Barron’s AP English Language and Composition
Cracking the AP English Language & Composition Exam
Calculus:
A good mix of independent tutor penned books on Calculus exist. These tend to be my favorite style of prep book. I recommend getting a few books to avoid the bias in any one author’s work.
Rita Korsunsky’s AP Calculus BC
Dr. John Chungs’ AP Calculus BC
Steve Warner’s AP Calculus BC Problems
Steve Warner’s AP Calculus AB Problems
Physics:
Once again, I recommend getting a few books to avoid the bias in any one author’s work.
5 Steps to a 5 AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based
5 Steps to a 5 AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based
AP Physics 1 Essentials: An APlusPhysics Guide
AP Physics 2 Essentials: An APlusPhysics Guide
Chemistry:
Mix up the chemistry books you’re using to study with some of the following options.
5 Steps to a 5: AP Chemistry 2018
Cracking the AP Chemistry Exam
Sterling Test Prep AP Chemistry Practice Questions
Biology:
The following options are a good variety of biology books to use.
5 Steps to a 5: AP Biology 2018
Preparing for the Biology AP Exam
Human Geography:
Great book, but no answer key. If you have this already for your class, though, you might have an AP teacher with a copy of the answer key. If so, ask if you can come in after class to check your work and get studying!
World History:
Great book, but no answer key. If you have this already for your class, though, you might have an AP teacher with a copy of the answer key. If so, ask if you can come in after class to check your work and get studying!
AP US History:
No Bull Review:United States History
If you’re bored easily by history, this book is written in an upbeat tone and is easy to digest mentally. It’s a nice book to have in the mix, but not as comprehensive as some of the other books on this topic. It doubles for both the AP and Subject tests.
This book is actually great for reviewing information by topic. Its summaries are a good mix of thoroughness and specifics. It’s also easy to navigate. It is not a replacement for your book, but it is a good reference when you’ve got limited time. Unfortunately, it’s been caught up in a typical online political flame fest because of one line about the 2nd amendment, and some NRA member and his buddies have launched an all out war against the book for that one line on the Amazon page (hence the plethora of one star reviews). In my opinion, regardless of your politics, you shouldn’t let one shoddy phrase keep you from a good resource. This book is often used by AP teachers so you may already have it. The biggest downside is that it doesn’t come with an answer key (namely because it’s typically used as a textbook so they assume your teacher has the answers). You *might* be able to find the answer key in some dodgy corner of the internet if you’re trying to use this to self study and don’t have it as a text for your AP class, but you didn’t hear that advice from me. You might also have an AP teacher with a copy of the answer key. If so, ask if you can come in after class to check your work and get studying!
2. Take a Practice Test & Use it as a Diagnostic Tool
Next step in cramming: take a full-length timed test and use it to diagnose your weak areas.
Go over what you missed. If it’s multiple choice, make a list of content areas you had wrong answer in. For example, if it’s biology, and you missed questions on genetics, write that down. This is essentially your study list for step #3.
If it’s an English test based on passages, be sure to go over what you missed and try to understand why you missed them. You won’t be able to make a content weakness list on these exams, but at least try to learn from your mistakes.
If you have essays, find a study buddy and skip to step #4.
3. Work on your Weak Areas
Take that list of weak areas (whether the War of 1812 or Area under a Curve) and get to work brushing up on topics that you’re not as sharp in. Use a book with summary chapters to review and test those topics, or use your textbook and notes if that’s all you have.
4. Work on your Essay Writing
To work on your writing, one of the best things you can do is PRACTICE. I would even say you can write a few OPEN BOOK essays so that you get the details from the texts you’re supposed to know down well enough that you can repeat the same source material in your actual essay. (For example, on the history exam you might write about the Teapot Dome Scandal in your practice essay. You would then be poised to write about this in your actual essay should it relate to the topic at hand).
For US History, you should know the thematic emphasis of each “era” in American History. You should also have a “go to” example pegged out for each period that you’re versed in the specifics of. Plenty of example essays are online here. Study those, too. Same idea for World History.
For English literature, you should have at least 3-5 “go to” novels that you know well and have written practice essays on so you aren’t struggling for details as you make your point. Plenty of prompts are available on the College Board site. If you’ve exhausted those, here are some more.
The other helpful element in essay writing is getting a hold of good examples of high scoring AP essays. Books are one source of these. The College Board is another, though sometimes they are hard to find. On AP Central, navigate to the page that says THE EXAM, as this is mostly likely the page with the best materials and most links. Some other pages may have limited links or just prompts. If you’re still having trouble finding them, you might need to get a bit clever. Again a Google search (AP Student Sample Essay PDF) can help.
For other exams, AP teachers often will create websites with even more resources or sample essays, too. This is another thing to look for in your Google search.
5. Rinse and Repeat
Repeat steps 2-4 as often as you have time for. If you run out of official tests, try taking some in your prep books.
Good luck on your AP Exams!
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