The school year is coming to a close, but the real struggle for some has just begun.
AP students in each of their specialized classes have been preparing all year for that one overhanging test: the AP exam. Even though some students have already taken their exam, it’s not too late for others to cram during their final days of preparation.
“[Students] are going to need to make sure that they focus on reviewing content and then perfecting that knowledge and knowing exactly what’s expected for the skills that they have learned,” AP History teacher Kim Coil said.
AP exams are leagues different from normal finals. Although both tests involve a lot of studying, AP exams focus more on concept application, while most district-mandated finals are centered around memorization.
“AP exams, in my opinion, test more application of knowledge,” AP English teacher Rowan Pugh said. “It isn’t just asking you for regurgitation of random facts. And so, I think that is what can be difficult for kids, because we don’t always apply knowledge to scenarios.”
AP exams are widely considered very difficult tests. This is mostly because the classes themselves hold a lot of content. While remembering numerous facts, students must also learn how to write a variety of free-response questions in a limited amount of time.
“Remembering material from early on in the course is really the hardest,” Coil said. “And, for one thing, they are timed. That’s a big issue. A lot of students have struggled, especially at the sophomore level, with their exams being timed.”
Even though these exams are very difficult, with the right amount of time and effort, it is certainly possible to pass with flying colors.
“My advice would be that preparation happens all year and not just the day or even week of,” Pugh said. “Practice in class, take notes, immerse yourself into the learning that’s happening all year, so that that information transfers into your long term memory, instead of that short term just memorization.”
