5 Tips for a 5 on the AP Exam!

By Gabby Ceconi ('22)


It’s almost May! Ah, the wonderful scent of flowers drifting through the air, the shining sun...and...oh! Oh, look…! It’s the College Board...with AP exams?...yay..?! If you listen carefully to the sounds of that wonderful, cheerful month, you can hear the AP students screaming and crying in agony in the distance. Even if students have been preparing for it all year long, the impending doom of a test that determines if you get three college credits can seem pretty daunting. Don’t fret, though! With the help of a fellow AP veteran, our Junior Editor-in-Chief, Gabby Ceconi, who has most definitely been studying for the exams (which are only a comforting two weeks away, mind you), is here to provide some knowledgeable tips for how to prepare for any of the exams!  

Here is an example of a proper study sesh. Pay no mind to the tears, the salinity in them helps to add flavor to the spicy review book!








Photo credit: Gabby Ceconi
No Gabby was harmed in the taking of this photo. All tears are a result of sad cat videos on TikTok. 

TIP #1: Finding the Right Place to Start

Oftentimes when preparing for the AP exams, trying to find a starting point in studying can be rather difficult. Depending on the format of your exam, you will need to plan accordingly to fit the needs of the test. You should start to refresh your memory with the topics you forget the least, as well as the ones that you remember struggling with the most. Tackling these hardships first will make the studying process much easier in the long run. 

TIP #2: The Right Review Books

So… now you’ve figured out what you’re going to start reviewing; now what??? Getting a review book isn’t necessary, but it helps you to backtrack on info and grade yourself to see how you’re doing. Knowing where you are can greatly improve your confidence on game day. My personal favorite review books are the ones offered by Barron’s and The Princeton Review. I specifically use the Barron’s AP Lit. and Comp. Review Book for my AP Lit. exam. It was only about $15 and has 7 practice exams. I got it on Amazon back in March (I believe it was on sale then.) Nonetheless, these books offer many practice exams as well as explanations for why answers are the correct ones. This feature has helped me so much in understanding my errors when studying as it explains the reasoning for the answer clearly. Try to utilize these features to help you think in a more sophisticated “test manner” that those AP graders are looking for. My favorite is using consonance to describe all of the cons of the exam in my complex, literary arguments...it really gets the graders excited.


HIGHLY RECOMMEND: Heimler’s History on YouTube (excellent for DBQs/LEQs and overall history review for World and APUSH); Marco Learning on YouTube (great for all subjects); Khan Academy (yeah, I know) for MCQs; old AP prompts and questions (available via Google search) 


DO NOT RECOMMEND: The Princeton Review: AP World: Modern History Review Book— I feel that this book collected more dust than pen ink in my sophomore year. I almost never used the practice exams and the text overviews that they went over to refresh your memory. 

TIP #3: Review Partners!

One of the biggest things that has helped to motivate me to study for my AP exams is having a partner that I can study with. When you have sessions set up with a friend or classmate, you feel more inclined to study together, because that’s just it: you’re suffering together (and sometimes goofing around together), so it doesn’t seem too bad. Additionally, there’s healthy competition to do well, so you’ll want to try harder to improve yourself. These partners could be classmates that you see in afterschool AP reviews or even just good, old friends with whom you feel more comfortable. If you are having trouble finding the perseverance to study, just as I was, seriously consider studying with a partner or in groups over FaceTime or Zoom to boost your readiness. 

TIP #4: Breaks! Yes, I Mean It!

You heard that right! Amidst your heavy, concentrated study brain is a sad, exhausted student, there is such a thing as over studying and over-preparing. Don’t be that kid that walks into the exam all confident and then gets a 1 because they over-prepared and overthought every question. That’s just embarrassing. We pretend we do not see it. Instead, try to lay off a little and relax! Go lay on your bed, the couch, or even the floor, for a little and breathe (or scream) out your frustrations; it feels liberating; believe me. Go outside! Get some fresh air! After you work on a practice test or a practice section—whatever you fancy—take some time to recuperate. Like Steve Heimler of Heimler’s History, you can’t milk a brain-cow when you’ve got a bucket full of milk. Do some gentle exercise, listen to music—just blow off steam! Right now I’m listening to “Nobody but Me” by The Human Beinz (any of The Office fans?)  because nobody but me will be this stressed! You will feel more relaxed and ready to approach whatever is making you cry of frustration. Remember that the grade you get doesn’t define who you are. And yes, even that kid who scores a 1 is still an awesome, intelligent kid; he just had a bad set of cards on test day. 

TIP #5: Keep A Strict Sleep Schedule...If You Can!

You've probably heard this over, and over, and over, but it really is true. There’s no way of getting around it. Keep. A. Strict. Sleep. Schedule (if you can). Getting those eight hours really helps you to feel happier and more awake in class. The only reason why those token AP kids, who preach about their three hours of sleep, feel so rested is because their bodies are running on emergency mode. According to ResMed, when you get very little sleep, your body tries to make up for the lack of sleep with stress hormones, which keep you alert. The moral of the story is that they’re sleep-deprived. Keeping this point in mind, don’t be a token AP kid! Be smart (no offense, but...you should be...you’re in AP…), and regulate your sleep schedule! You will perform better and feel a lot better too! 

With your tips in your mushy, dead brain, you can now enter the testing room, whether that be a classroom or your bed, and take the test with a little more confidence. I hope. The choice is yours: you can study a normal and reasonable amount and knock it out of the testing room with your test, or you can be like #1 (the failing student)... yay! Again, you decide! No pressure! In all seriousness, the AP exams are scary; unfortunately, they are meant to be; there are timers for a reason. Take a deep breath (I know, I hear the TikTok reference too), and remember that on the test day, you will do the best that you can given your circumstances. If it makes you feel any better, I cried the second I saw my essay prompt last May, so you’re not alone! Good luck! You can do this and finish strong!

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TikTok courtesy of tiktoshh | Banner courtesy of Whatuni.