The ACTs are done; however, the AP test weeks are coming up! Students at Lincoln-Way East will be testing during the first two weeks of May (from May 5th to May 16th), and students will have to take around a three-hour test to earn credit for college. But for students who are studying at the last minute before the testing, what should you do?
The best thing to do is talk to your teacher about how to study for your particular test. Your teacher may unlock certain quiz units that you can take on the College Board website so you can practice multiple choice or the written portion of the test. You could also look online to see past AP tests and take those as well. It’s good to time yourself while taking these tests so you can prepare yourself for the actual test and its time limits. If your test requires a written portion but you do not have time to write, it’s good to look up past FRQs or DBQs and read through some of the answers either students had put in the past or the basic layout that College Board wants as an answer. If you have the money, it’s good to invest in an AP study book you can get on Amazon or any place that lends or sells them. These are incredibly helpful as they can provide test taking tips, a study guides all units, and have actual tests you can take in the book. If you don’t have the money for one of these books, a good alternative is to look at past worksheets you have done in class or to look online to see if there is any study material there.
It’s good to at least study for 40 minutes a night as the test inches closer or to even take part of a test each day and answer 10 questions. Once a week you can take an entire test to see the types of questions College Board will ask and to familiarize yourself with the actual test. It’s also good to just take a glance at the vocabulary a test may have or look at prompts that a writing portion may ask of you. A little bit goes a long way for tests like these!
But most importantly, don’t overwork yourself and study hours upon hours into the night before a test taking day. You can’t relearn an entire unit within a day before the test and the best thing you can do is mentally prepare yourself before the test. Happy studying and remember that you will do great!
