Time passes quickly, whether we like it or not. Oftentimes, we get caught up in the deadlines and test dates as school and extracurriculars become more and more demanding. While you may or may not have realized it, AP testing is quickly approaching and is now less than two months away. For many of us, this can be a terrifying experience, having to be tested on one subject for a full three hours knowing that the results of this score can potentially devastate our futures. Additionally, many students encounter the problem of not knowing how to study for a test that covers a range of topics so broad and, in a way, almost vague. With so many ideas and concepts covered, it gets difficult trying to pinpoint where to start or deciding whether you know enough or should study in more detail. Especially for students who need to take more than one AP test, it gets overwhelming to think that after studying for hours on one subject, you need to do it again to study for another. However, always keep in mind that during times when there is high pressure and less time than anticipated, one should always strive to study smarter, not harder. The following tips are small words of advice in order to make the studying process go faster but still allow you get those fives on the tests.

1. Familiarize yourself with the test
Try to get familiar with the test you are taking before you take the test. This way, you can manage your time wisely and pace yourself. For instance, if you know the written proportion and short answers always take twice as long for you to answer than the multiple choice questions, then make sure you don’t spend a majority of your time overthinking multiple choice questions. Additionally, knowing the setup of the test gives you an idea of how you should be practicing when you study. For example, let’s say you’ve always had trouble doing sciences with math integrated into them, and seeing that on the AP Biology test, there’s a section specifically made for those types of questions, you now know which questions you should invest time in the most.

2. Be selective in what you study
Get to know which subjects are going to be on the test and which subjects are not, because chances are, the AP test won’t be testing every little concept that is crammed into your textbooks. It would be devastating to have spent hours trying to understand one idea and then later realize it won’t even be touched on at all by the AP test. Furthermore, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, and oftentimes one chapter might be extremely easy while the one right after might require more time to grasp at first. If you know you’re stronger in one concept than another, spend less time on one and more on the other. Don’t be afraid to continue and move on. This will save more time to elaborate on topics that you aren’t so familiar with but might possibly be tested on the exam.

3. Use practice materials
With test days quickly approaching, it’s important to use practice materials that quickly summarize chapters and key ideas quickly. While reading an entire chapter on the cell cycle might be best for your understanding of the process, the most practical choice would be taking 20 minutes to read a summarized version of it. To add on, make sure you’ve taken at least one practice test version of the AP test you are about to take before you take it. Practice tests are great ways to experience first hand how these types of tests are structured and how you might need to eventually pace yourself. Knowing that you’ve taken some sort of variation of the test before the actual test will boost your confidence and lessen the chances of there being any surprises that might throw you off.

Overall, don’t stress too much on studying for AP tests. Keep in mind, you’ve technically been studying all year for them by taking the course itself. While it may seem overwhelming and scary to think that your knowledge on an entire subject is based on whether you get a five or a four, in the long run, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get the score you were aiming for. Good luck to everyone and if anything happens, know you tried your best.