Tips From an Orange County AP Tutor: 5 Ways to Conquer AP Exams

5 Ways to Conquer AP Exams

Advanced placement exams are just around the corner, and many high school students are feeling anxious about how well they will score on test day. One of the most important things students can do is prepare for the exam well in advance. Of course, students will have taken the AP class all year long, and their teacher will have gone over a lot of the elements of the exam with them already, but students should definitely take the time to work on test preparation on their own so they can conquer their AP exams and, hopefully, get a score of 3 or higher and get college credit as well as have a great transcript to send to the admissions committees.

1.  Working within a time crunch

It’s not that much longer until AP exams, so students are encouraged to use the remaining time to focus on their studies really. Some students will have been practicing since the beginning of the school year, but many students will just be starting their test prep now. Working within this limited timeframe means students should accelerate their timeline of study and also prioritize what is most important. Maybe they need to memorize math formulas or work on reading comprehension. Perhaps they need to improve their writing skills or learn how to organize their thoughts in an outline.  Whatever students need to do, there’s no time like the present when it comes to test prep this spring.

2.  Focus on clarity in writing

More often than not students can sit down and write a clear and concise passage when they have all the time in the world, but when the clock is ticking, they often start to ramble or go off on a tangent that makes their writing unclear to the reader. Students should do a series of drills that encourage them to write quickly yet clearly within a short amount of time, so they get used to the situation and also have time to make any improvements in their writing if needed.

3.  Review important facts and figures

Depending on what AP course the student is enrolled in they will likely have to review a lot of important facts and figures. Advanced placement courses that involve history or math often require students to memorize a lot of things before they can do well on the exam. Also, this is a lot of information for a student to carry in their head throughout the year. Whether a student uses flashcards, takes notes, or has a tutor quiz them on a regular basis, it’s just important they know their stuff on test day (READ: 5 Ways to Start Prepping for AP Exams).

4.  Get plenty of sleep

Most students get into the bad habit of staying up late to cram for their AP exams. Unfortunately, this type of study is not helpful for two reasons: students don’t remember much of what they do when they’re tired, and they may fatigue themselves to the point that they can’t remember things that would normally be easy. Students should get a full eight hours of sleep, or even more, lead up to the days of the AP exams. Things often seem clear and are easier to deal with after a good night’s sleep, and students who get enough sleep tend to be less stressed out and worried about the college application process overall.

5.  Stay organized

During advanced placement prep students also need to stay highly organized. It’s so easy to forget a tutoring or study group session, forget an important deadline, or fail to remember a particular topic that a student needed to review. Excellent organization is one of the best ways high school students can conquer their AP exams because it forces them to look at the big picture and think about how much time they realistically have to meet their goals. If a student needs help getting or staying organized they’re encouraged to work with a tutor or parent to achieve success up until the big day.

It’s not too late to book your private Orange County AP tutor. Call us today for more information.

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