Today officially marks the day when AP testing begins. AP testing is known by students as one of the most stressful times of the year, along with the added pressure of finals. Many students begin studying for their AP exams at least two weeks in advance, however, some students prepare as much as five weeks in advance. 

Many students have different ways of preparing for their exams depending on certain factors like the subject and when they have to take the test.

“I’ve really just been trying to use a lot of different resources to make sure that I’m covering all kinds of different areas and subjects. I’m using resources online, like Khan Academy and AP Classroom to get practice questions. And then I’ve also been using class notes and textbooks to review and study as well.” Senior Suvan Yerramilli said. 

Each AP is different in terms of content and test formatting. However, depending on the subject, there are some staples for a successful test score. 

For social studies, it’s Heimler, Mr. Sinn, and Knowt. 

For sciences, it is AP Bio Penguins, Knowt, and Bozeman Science. Math is pretty similar with Khan Academy and Knowt. 

For English, it is pure practice! Practicing your essay and MCQ skills can boost your score immensely. Use AP Classroom to get realistic prompts and look at rubrics to know what to focus on. 

“I found this website called Ireallyneeda5.com. It’s really good. It’s by this thing called Knowt, and it’s just like it goes through, like, every single AP class, and it gives good notes and like practice tests and everything.” Junior Griffin Lively said.

But what is important to note is that with the majority of AP tests, many students find the actual test is easier than Grandview’s coursework. With the right preparation and studying, every student can crush their AP tests. 

And just because all AP classes have the abbreviation AP in front of them, doesn’t mean that all of them are of the same difficulty. This mainly depends on what the student is interested in and their strengths, or how the student meshes with the teachers.

“I would say that the hardest AP test that I’m taking this year is AP chemistry because the concepts are really complex, and the application is really unique, and it takes a lot of focus and concentration,” Yerramilli said.

“[My] AP government class [is easy] because my teacher’s really good, I don’t find it difficult,” Junior Griffin Lively said.

Some ways to effectively study for your AP exams could be going to a cafe or the library to get a new study environment. Your environment greatly impacts your learning outcomes – varying locations can enhance students’ cognitive flexibility and adaptability, leading to improved retention and recall. Additionally, having a study group with friends can help as well: you can actively learn, increase retention, efficiency, and accountability.

“I go to the library with my friends, and then we’ll just ask each other questions. So I think it’s a much more effective way of studying than just being by yourself. “ Junior April Gao said.

Taking APs can be scary, and the coursework can be overwhelming, but understanding what you like, your strengths, and your limitations can help you decide your future AP classes. 

“I would say take a proportionate amount, like don’t take too much, cause then it can just get overwhelming and you don’t do well in any of them. So, take a proportional amount like three or four or maybe five, and then just study as much as you can on one topic alone, and then move on to the next one. “ Junior Griffin Lively said.

Good luck to all the wolves taking AP tests! Remember: you prepared for this all year, don’t doubt yourself – you got this!