By Shawrna Sen
The AP season is one of the craziest times of the year for all students taking AP exams. They are all anxiously preparing to take it in the hope of earning a score of 4 or 5. This can be especially tough during these unprecedented times where the method of education has been changed. This can be extremely difficult but after all, we all have to face it and cope with it.
So, even with all the restrictions and limited time to study (as many students are behind in preparing for the test) below are some easy ways to take advantage of the resources we have in order to study.
First, we can use prep books like Kaplan, Princeton Review, Barrons and many more and take the practice exams that are in them. Also read through only the key information, since there is not enough time to go in depth into all the content taught throughout the year. The short section reviews in these books can be great for focusing on individual aspects. The best practice exams can be found on the College Board’s website as they will align almost completely with the actual exam students will take in May and June.
Second, YouTube is an awesome place to learn test taking strategies and the skills required to ace the exam. There are fantastic teachers on YouTube who run through how to write for short response questions, document based questions, and long essay questions. They also teach all the units in a much more condensed way, which may help you study even with the limited study time we now have. Moreover, teachers will suggest ways to score better by using short cuts like looking for certain types of words while completing the multiple choice section.
Lastly, below are a few recommended YouTube channels that offer a variety of resources that are extremely helpful in sharpening your skills.
- Advanced Placement
- Heimler’s History
- Anti- Social Studies
- Marco Learning
- Albert.io
Most Important Tip:
Take as many full length practice tests as possible. This will get you in the habit of test-taking and help you analyze your weaknesses. It will also open you up to more ways to improve your score using methods you haven’t used before.