TWO LAST MINUTE TIPS FOR THE AP EXAM

College Board announced that AP testing will be moved to an online format this year to ensure social distancing. With only a few more days to prepare for AP exams since they are starting on May 11, here are two final takeaways to concentrate on.

1. Organize and prepare your notes. 

   In case you haven’t heard yet, the exam is an open note exam; that said, an open note exam does not mean AP tests will be a walk in the park. When you go to college, you’ll find that college students often fear take-home, open note exams more than closed note exams. Why? Because the questions will be harder. 
   
   AP has stated that instead of three hour exams, the online exams will be 45 minutes. While the test is also scaled down, the questions will likely touch multiple elements within your subject; in addition, you’ll have less time to organize your notes and sources to tackle the handful of questions you will face on the exam. 
   
   So, consider organizing your notes by subject or problem type and writing down useful quotes and example problems. For example, an AP US History student could put their notes in chronological order with each four to six helpful quotes from each era. An AP AB Calculus student could have a section on trigonometry with common derivatives written down for reference. The faster you can access your resources and the more organized your resources, the more likely you are to succeed. 
   
   

2. Use the resources Advanced Placement is offering.

   College Board and AP realize that this change is unprecedented, so they are doing their best to offer as many practice questions and resources to help students. AP is offering a daily schedule of classes to review concepts and go over practice exam questions. An archive of the footage is available on YouTube. 
   
   Use this resource to go over units you may not be as strong in or were skipped over by your school, and use the practice exams to get used to the unconventional format of the exams this year. Ideally, take the exam at the same time as your scheduled exam to get used to any time related stress.   

Lastly, please consider all the standard tips for test taking and AP exams. These include:

• Get enough sleep the night before. We know you may end up taking an AP test at an awkward time, so be sure to wake up at least thirty minutes prior to get yourself ready and eat some food. 

• Staying hydrated. Have a water bottle near you.

• Eat something prior to the exam. Not a huge meal, but maybe some fruit, nuts, or other healthy snacks to ensure your stomach isn’t a distraction during the exam. 

• Stay calm and relaxed. It is very possible you end up with a question you are not sure how to answer or don’t know how to get started. It’s okay. Skip it and come back to it at the end. Realize that the AP test will be harder, and if you’re struggling others likely are as well. 

With that, best of luck with your AP exams!