It’s that time of year again… it’s time for the AP Tests. At Bob Jones, many AP courses are offered, from Psychology to Calculus. Students prepare for their AP tests in many different ways, from “winging it” to frantically studying for days. Here are some tips and tricks on how to study and prepare for your AP tests.

Review

This is very important, so the subject can be fresh in your mind and you can be completely ready for the test when it comes. There are a variety of different ways to review, from flashcards, to watching review videos, to going through the course with a study group. Sometimes it may be hard to learn something when it is just taught one way, so getting a different teaching style while studying the same subject can help Watching videos to review material you already learned is one such way to prepare for AP tests.

Sophomore Ethan Culver is taking AP United States History (APUSH), and he said, “I am reviewing the material and using the AP review book to prepare for the test.”

While the APUSH review book, colloquially called the “APUSH Bible,” is a little more extreme than most review sources, there are many good quality ones available from publishing companies like Barron and Princeton Review.

Practice

Practicing will help on the AP tests. Practice, whether through practice problems or writing essays, as the old saying goes, “makes perfect.” There are tons of practice books you can buy at bookstores and there are also a lot of websites that are dedicated to helping people study for their AP tests. One website many students use is Albert.io, which used to be called Learnerator. It offers both free and paid practice problems of varying difficulties for all test-based AP exams.

Junior Ethan Merenda, who is taking four AP classes, said,  “Some of classes are pretty difficult. In some of my classes I tend to do a ton of repetition studying, and look to see the big picture, but the other classes, I just wing it.”

Know the test before you take it

Making sure you know what the test will be like and how it’s graded can help you get a few easy points. If you understand what’s going to be on the test, it is easier to prepare and budget time accordingly.

Relax and try not to stress

This may be one of the most important steps a student can take, because stress is a big factor in test performance.

Sophomore Mia Fries, an optimist taking AP Chemistry this year, said, “Studying for the AP exams feels like no matter how hard you try, you are going to have a mental breakdown.”

Even though the AP tests are hard and stressful, try to relax and breathe. Stress can cause loss of sleep and anxiety which definitely won’t help you out on the test. On the day of the test make sure you get enough sleep so you won’t have trouble focusing on the test. Also, on test day, try to make sure you eat breakfast or lunch (depending on the time of your test) so you will be fueled up and ready to go when testing starts.

Overall, there are many ways to prepare for AP testing. These are just a few examples to help you out. Even though AP classes can be hard, try and persevere through the AP tests; you can do it!