It is getting closer to the end of the year and finals are approaching, but other exams are coming up, specifically the Advanced Placement (AP) exams. There are six departments that provide AP courses at H-F: math, science, social sciences, English, fine arts and world languages. 

The AP exams are exams that consist of materials over the course of the entire school year, and it is looked over by colleges and universities when you apply. AP exams give you credit for college so you do not have to take certain courses in college.

All the AP exams consist of a multiple choice section and the number of questions vary depending on which department it is in, and usually there is a written portion on the exam. 

Two specific departments, science and social science are going to be the main focus showing the differences. Brendan Pontow teaches AP Chemistry and talks about the AP Chemistry exam. “The AP Chemistry exam consists of 60 multiple choice questions over 90 minutes and seven free response questions over 105 minutes,” Pontow said. All students are able to have over an hour of time to complete the  multiple choice section and almost two hours for the free response where they have written responses.

Pontow also explained what he does and what he encourages students to do to prepare for this exam. “I use practice AP style multiple choice and free response questions, timed assessments, old AP questions and review common misconceptions,” he said.  Having these methods can help students have a main idea of what the exam might look like for them.

“To study for the AP exam, students should be practicing AP problems consistently and reviewing ones they get wrong. It is important for them to focus on understanding concepts rather than trying to memorize facts.” 

Different tactics are given to students to help students to prepare for the exam. 

“The more concepts they understand, the more they can apply them across a range of question types. It is also important to work at the pace of the AP test. Practicing questions under the time constraints of the AP test is a very important skill to develop as well to help manage time on the actual test day,” said Pontow.  

For this specific exam reviewing over mistakes is one effective way for students to do well. Understanding concepts is clearly more important than memorization. Working at the pace of the test also helps with the timing the student has and prioritizes it right.

College Board is a website that teachers and students use for big exams like AP exams, the American College Testing (ACT) and the SAT. The website gives steps on what is the most efficient way to study for the AP exams. There are some reviews and practice tests that students can use to study for upcoming exams.

Having daily practice sessions is the first on the list, having short fifteen-minute videos for students to watch to have a better understanding of the material that they are studying. The next tactic on the list is having live review recordings by practicing free-response and multiple-choice questions for the topic they are studying on. The last tactic is taking advantage of the material your teacher gives you.

Laura Kelly is a social science teacher who teaches AP United States History (APUSH). She gives different tactics on how to prepare for the exam. 

Kelly also gives her different tactics on how to study and prepare for the exam. “The main form of review for AP US History is after-school review sessions. Students get a review packet before Spring Break and have access to review materials and videos on Google Classroom, too,” Kelly stated.

“The [APUSH] Test is 55 multiple-choice questions, three short answer questions, a DBQ and a regular essay (LEQ.) It’s a half-day test, but students can earn credit for two semesters of college. Passing the test can save students money and free up schedule space in college,” Kelly said. 

This exam has a lot of writing and students need to prepare to write essays and take multiple-choice. “I encourage students to start studying early, and not wait until the week of the exam. They earn extra credit for review sessions that start before Spring Break. They also do a series of practice tests as homework and in class to gauge where they are at and how much more studying they need to do in order to pass the test,” Kelly said.

For this exam, studying early is way more beneficial, especially, because there is a lot of information and the writing portions can be on anything.

The AP exams are considered one of the most important in high school because it can matter on your future and which college sees your progress in high school. Studying and preparing will take you far and make sure you have all the information you need.