AP tests are less than a month away, and for many students at Coronado, this marks the most stressful time of the year. There are steps you can take, however, to relieve some of this pressure and still do your very best on the exam.

No matter what course you are taking, there are resources that can help you prepare for the test. One of the best sites for any AP course is College Board. In the AP section each course has it’s own section, complete with practice questions and examples of free response questions and answers from previous years. There are also tips as well as the scoring guidelines for each individual test. It is important to know what information will and will not be included in the test to make the best use of your time.

One of the best ways to study is have study groups. Granted, this only works if everyone in the group is willing to put in the effort and actually study. You may even be able to form a larger study group with your class before or after school.

Remember, that if you have been doing your work throughout the semester, your notes may be one of your greatest assets. Beware, however, as many students will try to “study” by simply staring at their notes and rereading them over and over. This will only have a minimal effect and is certainly not a good use of your time. Instead, annotate your notes with your own explanations and connections in the margins.

For specific classes there are many resources available. For AP chemistry, one of the most highly praised resources is the Bozeman Science Videos. Remember while you are practicing for the test to keep significant figures in mind, as this is crucial to every aspect of the test.

For AP government, it is helpful to know the makeup of the exam itself, that way you can plan your studies accordingly. According to the previous and current tests, the layout is as follows; Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government (5%–15%), Political Beliefs and Behaviors (10%-20%), Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media (10%-20%),  Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy, and the Federal Courts (35%-45%), Public Policy (5%-15%). Although they may have been annoying in the moment, remember your reading guides are a wonderful study resource.

For AP US history, remember that your reading guides will be your best friend, that is if you did them correctly. Even if you slipped up on the reading guides, remember there are still many other resources available. On youtube, Crash Course has a whole section dedicated to United States history, as well as Adam Norris’s APUSH review channel. Remember to review court cases and know their significance. When studying remember to include modern history, as the DBQs and long essays have been centered around this for the past few years.

For those in AP english and math classes, the Saturday study sessions provided you with many helpful packets and notes that you could look at to refresh your memory. The packets also have general test taking tips and tricks in them, so look at those to ease your mind about the test structure itself.

The most important tip though is to relax. You have likely been preparing for this the whole year and as long as you have been doing your work and taking good notes, you should pass the test and maybe even surprise yourself with your score! Good luck Cougars!