The quick jump from state testing into AP tests can roll in as a surprise to many students, leaving them with minimal time for studying. With all of this pressure building, how do students manage this stress and gear up for these 2-3 hour long assessments?
Managing just one test in a day is hard enough, but some students even have to work with two AP tests on the same day. “It really tires you out. I feel it doesn’t demonstrate my full knowledge when I have over five hours of testing in one day,” says Skyline chemistry and government student Rens Bush (‘26). The Chemistry and Government exams both took place on the same day: May 6th.
Although many strategies can work to help a student get that sought after “5” on the exam, here is a good step by step guideline for how to crush it:
Step 1: Work hard throughout the year in your class. Take notes, stay engaged, and learn the material.
Step 2: Create a study plan. Find which days of the week you are going to study for which class and make sure by test day you have gone over all of the content.
Step 3: Use a wide variety of resources that are accessible to you. “I follow my teacher’s study guide, use AP classroom videos and topic questions, and also order Princeton review AP exam guides off of Amazon,” says Skyline and future University of Michigan student Andrew Lyon (‘25).
Step 4: Take practice tests so you are prepared for the draining length of these assessments. These can be found in AP classrooms, many study guides like the Princeton Review, or other online reliable sources.
Step 5: Get a good night of sleep and come prepared for test day. Getting an adequate amount of sleep is grossly underestimated when it comes to success on tests like these. Make sure to bring pencils, a calculator (if needed), an ID verifying who you are, and a charged testing device if it is online. Other optional items that may be important are a watch (not a smart watch), or snacks and a water bottle for use during the break times even though they are not allowed inside the testing room.
For a reference of the schedule for testing, go here.
