How To Study For AP Exams

Julie Alsmaan, StaffWriter

Going into exams, it is important to first find the way that works best for you to study. Personally, in my exam experience, exams that are more science based are generally good to study by first collecting all your notes. After you do this, narrow down each page to only a couple of sentences that contain the key information. This works for any exam that is more memory based, like history. For something like English, it is good to simply read a book and analyze it as you go. While analyzing, be sure to note characters, major plot points, and what exactly is interesting about the book in order to write about it. This will help prepare for the essays on the AP English 12 exam, since it will ask you to write an essay about a work of literary merit. The MCQ for English is good to study simply by doing question banks. The English questions focus a lot on analysis, but remember that your own interpretation does not matter during the MCQ; what matters is what is given to you, which is the story. For something like math, I studied by writing out equations and going into my math book and doing problems. Math is something that is good to practice by doing problems out. So, the key things I did were: summarizing big pieces of information, doing practice problems, practicing analysis, and using online resources like quizlet. You can also ask your teachers for AP mock exam practice to be released on AP classroom, as well as additional resources. 

Happy future studying!