AP Exam Study Tips
by Jeremy Kim
AP Exams are coming up quickly! How can we best prepare for it?
In this article, we’ll go over the most efficient study methods, useful resources, as well as simple testing strategies that you can implement to improve your test scores!
#1: Studying Content
Content is what you need to know for each subject. You can’t take a test on material you don’t know, right?
I’ve seen many students fall into the trap of mindlessly staring at their notes, or watching YouTube videos at 2x speed to try and cram as much content into their brains as possible. YouTube videos can offer a great summary, but the reason why using this as your sole study method doesn’t work is because you inevitably end up forgetting a majority of what you’ve just studied, because you’re cramming everything in your short-term memory.
The solution for retaining content long-term is the blurting method. Here’s how it works:
Look at your notes (or watch a video!) for a topic that you’re unfamiliar with.
You can then write down what you remember on a piece of paper, or teach the topic to a friend. (This is the "blurting" part!)
Once you’re done, fill in the gaps by reviewing your notes and noting down what you missed during your blurt session.
Rinse and repeat until you’ve mastered the material!
Blurting works because you can pinpoint exactly what you don’t know. It will seem like a lot of work at first, but over time you’ll learn a lot more by studying this way!
Blurting can take many different forms depending on the subject. For STEM-based subjects, you might blurt all the formulas you need to memorize. For history, on the other hand, you can choose an event or time period and make as many connections to it as possible.
#2: Problem-Solving and Essay Writing
The best way to get better at solving problems and writing essays is…to do practice problems and write practice essays! Here are some resources that may help you with that:
College Board posts their past FRQs for almost every single subject.
You can buy a study book (Princeton Review, Barron’s)
Here’s Princeton Review’s most recent AP Biology Study Prep book!
Online resources (Khan Academy, Fiveable)
Once you do practice problems and take practice tests, you will start to see the gaps in your knowledge. Because you now know how to use the blurting method, you can fill in those gaps more quickly than ever before!
#3: Testing Strategy
Now that you’re equipped with the best studying techniques, what are some strategies you can implement during your tests to get the best results? Here are the two tips that have helped me the most:
Think in the mindset of the test-maker. For every question, always ask yourself: “What is the test-maker testing me on?” If you understand this, it will make it a lot easier for you to eliminate answer choices that are clearly meant to be there to throw you off.
Don’t spend too much time on one question. Remember: each question that you answer is worth the same amount of points. Sometimes, coming back to the question later can help you view it in a new perspective, so if you’re ever completely stumped on a question, try moving on and then returning to it later in the test session!
If you found this article helpful, share it with a friend to help them out along their studying journey, and let them know about your own study tips!
