ADVANCED PLACEMENT:
A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
The Advanced Placement program of the College Board recognizes that educational challenges are different in various parts of the world and therefore has developed a range of programs that allow students to receive college-level instruction while still enrolled in high school.
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If you are a student and are currently studying for one of the AP exams, your life is about to change. There are very few things as stressful for a student than sitting down and taking an exam- but with this guide on your side, it’s going to be a piece of cake.
What is the Advanced Placement Exam?
The Advanced Placement Exams are a series of tests created by the College Board that allows high school students to earn college credit. These exams are offered in a variety of subject areas, including English, History, Science, and Mathematics. Taking and passing an AP Exam can save you time and money on your college education.
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In order to take an AP Exam, you must first register with the College Board. You can do this online or through your high school guidance counselor. Once you have registered, you will be given a list of testing dates and locations. You will need to select the date and location that work best for you.
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Before taking an AP Exam, it is important to familiarize yourself with the format of the test. Each exam is multiple choice and includes both free-response and essay questions. The number of questions and the time limit for each section vary depending on the subject.
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Taking an AP Exam can be a daunting task, but with proper preparation, you can succeed. For more information on the Advanced Placement Exams, be sure to check out our ultimate guide.
Who is allowed to take the Advanced Placement Exams?
High school students in the United States who have completed an Advanced Placement (AP) course are eligible to take the corresponding AP Exam. The AP Exam is a standardized test that is used to determine whether or not a student has the knowledge and skills necessary to earn college credit for their AP course.
To be eligible to take an AP Exam, students must first register for the exam with their high school. The registration process typically begins in the fall of the year prior to when the exam will be taken. Exams are typically taken in May, but students should check with their high school to confirm the exact date and time of their exam.
Once registered, students will need to pay a fee for each exam they wish to take. The fee varies depending on the student’s location but is typically around $100 per exam. Some schools offer fee waivers for students who cannot afford to pay, so students should check with their school counselors to see if they qualify.
If you’re not sure whether or not you want to take an AP Exam, talk to your AP teacher or counselor about whether or not it’s right for you. They can give you more information about the exams.
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How do you register for an Advanced Placement Exam?
If you're planning on taking an Advanced Placement Exam, you'll need to register with the College Board. You can do this either online or by mail.
To register online, visit the College Board website and create an account. Once you've logged in, click on the "AP Exams" tab and then select "Register for AP Exams". From there, you'll be able to select the exam you wish to take and fill out the necessary information.
If you prefer to register by mail, you can download a PDF of the registration form from the College Board website. Once you've completed the form, send it along with your payment to the address listed on the form.
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What are my obligations when taking an Advanced Placement Exam?
As a student, you are obligated to take the AP Exam seriously and do your best to prepare for it. This means studying for the exam, attending review sessions, and practicing as much as possible. You should also make sure that you understand the policies and procedures of the exam so that you can be fully prepared on test day.
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Where do I get an exemption for an Advanced Placement Exam?
There are a few ways that you can get an exemption for an Advanced Placement Exam. The most common way is through your school counselor. You can also check with your local library or community center to see if they offer any exemptions.
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How can I retake an exam if I don't pass it?
If you don't pass an exam, you can retake it. You can retake the exam as many times as you want until you pass. However, you can only take the exam once per testing period.
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What is the AP Exam All About? How Many Questions? Is There a Time Limit?
The AP Exam is a comprehensive exam that covers the material taught in an AP course. It is usually taken at the end of the course, but can also be taken as a mid-term or final exam. The exam consists of multiple-choice and essay questions and is designed to test your knowledge and skills in the subject matter.
The number of questions and time limit varies depending on the specific AP exam. Most exams have between 50-60 questions, with a time limit of 2-3 hours. However, some exams (such as English Language and Composition) may have more questions and a longer time limit.
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How does AP Exam Scoring Works (1-5 scale)
Scoring on the AP exams is based on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being the highest score you can earn. To get a 5 on an AP exam, you need to earn all of the points possible on the multiple-choice section and essay portion of the exam.
The multiple-choice section is worth 60% of your score, and the essay section is worth 40% of your score. To get a 5 on an AP exam, you need to get a perfect score on the multiple-choice section and a 9 out of 12 on the essay portion of the exam.
The essay portion of the exam is graded on a 6-point scale, with 6 being the highest score you can earn.
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What are the Study Materials for the AP Exams?
If you are looking to ace your AP exams, then you need to make sure that you are using the best study materials available. There are a lot of different options out there, so it can be tough to know where to start. However, we have compiled a list of the best study materials for the AP exams, so you can be sure that you are prepared come test day.
Here are some practice questions and exam materials for you:
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AP Biology
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AP Chemistry
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AP Environmental
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AP Physics 1
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AP Physics 2
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AP Physics C
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AP Calculus AB
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AP Calculus BC
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AP Statistics
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AP Psychology
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AP US History
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AP World History
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AP Human Geography
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AP English Language and Composition
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AP English Literature and Composition
Finally, don't forget about online resources, the College Board.
Ultimate Guide on How to Prepare for the AP Exam
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Step 1: Establish What You Need to Review/Learn
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A crucial first step to AP prep is to establish what you need to review or learn for the purposes of the exam. There are a few resources you'll want to gather in order to do this:
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Syllabus for your AP class
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Any of your old tests, quizzes, or papers
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AP Course and Exam Description for the course
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You can find this last document on the main course page for the class, which you can access on the College Board's AP Student list of AP courses. This document offers a comprehensive description of the skills and content areas that will be tested on the exam.
You'll want to review, at least on a high level, all the major content areas from your AP course. But since it's not efficient to try to retain every single piece of information your teacher tells you; your AP prep should be specifically focused on reviewing what you need to know for the exam.
Once you have all your documents gathered, compare your class's syllabus with the AP Course and Exam Description. Your class should cover all the major content areas.
By comparing the two documents to see whether there are areas your class syllabus focused on in less (or more) detail than is necessary for the exam, you'll get an idea of what you should target in your own studying. Concepts you covered sparsely in class should be reviewed more closely, while things you covered more in-depth might not need to be reviewed as much.
Your tests and quizzes are also important in establishing areas you should review. You don't need to spend as much time reviewing the material you got high marks on. By contrast, you should be sure to focus on reviewing content areas for which your test and quiz scores were weaker.
The AP Course and Exam Description will also clarify for you what exam skills you need to build. You'll want to make sure you know how to succeed on all parts of the AP test, so plan to practice working on all question types.
In summary, this is what you'll want to review:
Content
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High-level review of all major content areas of your course/test
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Focus more on areas where your knowledge is weaker, as determined by your AP quiz and test grades and the AP Course and Exam Description when compared with your class syllabus
Exam Skills
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Be prepared to answer all question types on the AP exam
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Step 2: Make a Study Plan
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Once you've figured out what you need to review, you'll need to come up with a review schedule. This doesn't have to be super specific—you don't have to know exactly what you are going to cover every single day but, you should have a general idea of what content areas you'll be reviewing and what skills you'll be working on every week leading up to the test.
This is another time your class syllabus will come in handy, as you'll be able to plot out your review schedule in a way that makes sense. You'll want to review all the major content areas you have covered or will cover in class. But it doesn't make a lot of sense to review something before your teacher has gone over it! So, schedule the things you're going to learn later for later review.
Step 3: Find Content Review Resources
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A high-quality review book is your best friend in AP preparation. Listed above are some of the review materials you should consider. Beyond that, The Princeton Review and Barron's generally make reliable review books for AP tests.
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Supplemental resources can be helpful as well. Your textbook for the course, beyond providing explanations of key concepts, likely includes practice questions or tests at the end of each chapter.
You can also look for podcasts, watch YouTube videos, and use websites such as Khan Academy for content review purposes.
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Another option is to make your own resources. Quizlet website can make your own flashcards and then quiz yourself using various tools. You have to make an account to be able to use it, but the service itself is free.
Once you've amassed all your review tools, you'll be ready to review content. However, you'll still need to practice AP exam questions.
Step 4: Find Practice Exams and Questions
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In addition to content review materials, you'll want to find practice exams and questions to build specific AP test competencies. The best AP practice questions and tests are those created by the College Board—the group that makes the AP exams. As a result, their materials will be most similar to the real AP test you'll take in the spring.
So where can you find College Board AP resources? In three places:
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AP Course and Exam Description
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Official free-response questions: The College Board has kindly released free-response questions (and sample responses) from previous testing years. You can get these by going to the College Board's AP exam information page and clicking on your desired exam; scrolling down from that page will take you to the free-response questions.
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The College Board sometimes releases complete exams from past years for free: You can usually find these on the College Board exam overview page for your specific test; however, some of these are hard to find even though they're hosted on the College Board website. If you're having trouble finding tests for your exam, Google the name of your test along with "previously released materials college board" or "complete released exams college board" to find free exams.
Step 5: Get to Work and Stay on Schedule
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How many hours you need to spend studying for AP tests every week is going to depend a lot on how much material you need to review and how comfortable you are with the format of the exam questions. In general, though, you should expect to study for several hours a week split over two to three sessions. Setting specific times and places for your AP studying will help you stay consistent and keep pace with your review schedule!
With good content review and a solid approach to practice exams, maintaining a consistent studying pace and schedule will catapult you to exam success.
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AP Review: 3 General Tips
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As you review course material in preparation for your AP exam, here are some things to keep in mind.
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1. Be Aware of Your Own Learning Style
Focus on review methods that work for you and not against you. If you're a visual learner, don't force yourself to listen to recorded lectures; draw diagrams or mind maps instead. If you're an auditory learner, find podcasts and audiobooks to listen to for concept review.
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2. Review Material More Than Once
It's generally accepted that you need to encounter a piece of information several times before you really start to retain it. Therefore, plan to review essential information for the test more than once. The more important it is, the more times you should go over it.
3. Engage with the Material
The more you interact with the material you're studying, the better you'll retain it. If you can do some kind of activity with the information—such as practice problems, outline-writing, flashcard-making, etc.—you'll be able to remember it better.
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How to Make the Most of AP Practice Tests
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Since College Board AP practice tests and resources are limited, you want to make sure you make the most of them. Here are my top three tips for how to do this effectively.
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1. Take an Entire Practice Exam Under AP Test Conditions
It will be a huge help for you to take an entire practice test under actual AP-like conditions. Do it with a timer, in a quiet room, with short breaks.
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If you only have one complete practice test you can use, do this toward the end of your prep time, when you've reviewed most of the content already. This will help you get a feel for what the actual test day will be like. And the more comfortable you feel, the better you'll do on the exam!
2. Track Your Progress
If you have access to more than one complete practice test, it's a good idea to take a practice test toward the beginning of your prep time so you can figure out what areas you need to work on the most. This will give you a rough benchmark of where you're starting, so then when you take another practice test toward the end of your prep, you'll be able to see how you've improved.
3. Prep for Individual Sections
Apart from complete practice tests, practice questions serve as a great prep for individual parts of the AP test. Because the College Board has released so many free-response questions, you can practice those over and over again. You don't necessarily have to do a complete, timed essay every time, though you should practice that. You can also practice outlining your essays or even writing thesis statements for prompts. Work specifically on the skills you need to build.
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In addition, be sure to look over practice multiple-choice questions closely so you can get a sense of the feel and format of AP multiple-choice questions.
Critical Test-Taking Tips for AP Exam Day
When test time arrives, you'll want to maximize your study time investment with positive test-taking strategies. Here are some tips to remember for test day.
Before Your AP Test
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Get a good night's sleep the two nights before the exam. This will help you stay alert and remember everything you've studied.
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Pack your bag for test day the night before. You don't want to stress yourself out running around looking for your calculator five minutes before the bus comes on exam day. Be sure to also pack a snack and water for your break.
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Eat breakfast the morning of your test. You need your brain to be running at full power. Try to stick with a balanced meal that isn't too sugary.
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Bring lots and lots of pencils and erasers. The College Board requires #2 pencils on exam day, so don't forget to bring a bunch. Also, bring a good eraser for back-ups and mishaps.
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During Your AP Test
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Pace yourself. You'll be under time pressure for every section, so make sure you know what pace you need to be working at. Periodically check that you're on pace. Bring a watch, just so long as it doesn't beep or have an alarm.
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Maintain positive self-talk throughout the exam. If there's something you don't know, don't waste time beating yourself up about it. Just keep telling yourself that you are awesome and will crush the rest of the test.
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Don't get hung up on a question you're stuck on. This is true even in the free-response section—move on to the second essay if you're getting stuck on the first. If you try to break through a mental block full-on, you might end up running out of time.
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Answer every question—there's no penalty for guessing! Go through the ones that you know first, and then go back over the test and answer any remaining questions in the time you have left.
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How to Prepare for the AP Exam Summary
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Choose an AP Exam
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Figure out which classes your school offers and which fit into your schedule.
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Consider your interests and abilities.
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Consider how much time you'll have for studying.
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Prepare for the Test
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Establish ways you need to review/learn.
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Make a study plan.
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Find content review resources.
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Find (official) practice questions and tests.
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Get to work and stay on schedule!
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AP Content Review Tips
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Be mindful of your own learning style.
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Review things more than once.
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Engage with the material!
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AP Practice Exam Tips
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Take at least one complete practice exam under full test-day-like conditions—and do this more than once if there is more than one practice test available to you.
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Practice individual exam sections, especially free responses, to work on skills for those specific sections. Look closely at all sections to ensure you're familiar with the way AP questions are worded.
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AP Test-Taking Tips
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Do all the usual best test practices—get a good night's sleep, eat breakfast, pack your bag the night before, and bring extra pencils.
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Pace yourself and stay on track.
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Think positive!
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Don't get hung up on a single question—if you find yourself stuck, skip it and come back.
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Answer every question—there's no penalty for guessing!
Conclusion
We hope you found our guide for every Advanced Placement exam useful and informative. We know that preparing for these exams can be daunting, but we believe that anyone can succeed with the right approach and attitude. With our tips and advice, we hope you'll feel more confident and prepared to take on any AP test that comes your way. Good luck!