AP Testing

[kaze]

I have AP tests this week and the week after...has anyone taken them and have tips or want to share experiences? (Or just pray for people who are taking them? ^^; ) I know it's last minute but I'm so stressed! >_<

I'm taking:
English Language and Composition (Mon)
US History (Friday)
Art History (Next Wed)

[Kaori]

I have taken several AP tests, although the only one of those three that I have taken is English Language/Comp. I can't say I really have any tips to offer besides the usual ones--get sleep, eat breakfast, try not to stress out too much. If you can, try to take some practice tests for the upcoming exams (if you have not already done so); it does help to know what to expect.

I will be praying for you and anyone else who happens to be taking the AP exams.

[Bunny]

*highfive* I just took the English exam. Those essays were lame. I was like, "how am I supposed to work with this?" Oh, well.

US has me worried. Do you have an REA book? I had to overnight one last week but it has some nifty cliffnotes and mine came with a disc...that I used for a total of about 15 minutes. <.< Course-notes.org Has some helpful stuff too.

[Slater]

aye!!! I would fail those! now, if you were taking like a Physics or Biology APT, I could help...

[uc pseudonym]

I will be taking the US History AP test as well, among others. By this point, I think there is little we can do to prepare other than Kaori's advice. The one other thing I'll be doing is having a lengthy discussion of the American Revolution (my weak point in terms of history) with a friend quite familiar with the subject.

[Bunny]

History sounds like it's going to be a blast. I don't know how I'm supposed to just recall all that information for the free-response essays. There's still some hope, though! My teacher tells me that the papers are graded on a relative scale so if every one who takes it does sickeningly bad, I might be okay.

[uc pseudonym]

History sounds like it's going to be a blast. I don't know how I'm supposed to just recall all that information for the free-response essays. There's still some hope, though! My teacher tells me that the papers are graded on a relative scale so if every one who takes it does sickeningly bad, I might be okay.

The grading scales are really rather generous. However, that is primarily because the tests are very difficult. I know that generally 7% of the students in the English Literature exam receive a 5 and that the Calculus AB figure is closer to 20%. At the moment I have heard no statistics for the US History examination.

Myself, I am concerned about the essay portion of the exam but not worrying over it. Having read over quite a number of previous essay questions, my performance will depend on what period of history is chosen.

[kaze]

thank you so much everyone for the advice!
The lang&comp test wasn't as bad as I thought ^^
i am reading a Barron's AP US book but it's from like 1998 (i got it from the library). It really helps though. That's really reassuring to hear that the FRQs are graded on a relative scale!

Now I just need to focus on Art History...we're only on the Renaissance in class right now, so I have to teach myself 500 years of art history to dada and post modernism or whatever happens in the 20th century in 5 days...

[Lehn]

The AP History Test really isn't all that hard. I passed it.... keep in mind we watched all of Roots, both seasons of North and South, and the entire series of Band of Brothers. Plus, we only spent about 3 days on the time from after WWII to the present.... (Ironically, almost half of the multiple choice was about the cold war, and one of the essays) Despite that, I ended up with a high 3.

The multiple choice takes forever, (but pacing yourself is reeeeeeeaally important: if you don't know it, skip it, and go back if there's time) but as soon as you hit the DBQ/essays, time flies. Literally. I had about 10 minutes left over from the multiple choice, and about 5 from the essays.

I started prepping for the test about a week before it, I know its tomorrow, but here's what I did:
1) Memorize all the presidents in order, and know vaguely what time period they where in. If you can get down what parties they were in, bonus points.
2) Read "lies my teacher told me". It's about censorship in history books. Dragging obscure info or outside knowledge from other books (I read one historical fiction book for each time period through-out the entire year, so I could link dates to daily life for that period, but it's too late for you guys...)
3) Memorize all of the Amendments. Know them by numbers.
4) Know your major court cases.
5) Know all the major bills/acts. I went through my book, and found each one, and wrote them down on notecards and used them as flashcard the night before. I think there was like 40 some in all.

And if I can pass it, then I'm sure you guys can.

I took the AP Literature today... Don't worry; if you're planning on taking it next year, its waaaaaaaaay easier then the AP US History test. Just as long as you don't sparknote every single book, there's more then one way to side-step the hard questions.

[Petite Soeur]

The grading scales are really rather generous. However, that is primarily because the tests are very difficult. I know that generally 7% of the students in the English Literature exam receive a 5 and that the Calculus AB figure is closer to 20%. At the moment I have heard no statistics for the US History examination.

Myself, I am concerned about the essay portion of the exam but not worrying over it. Having read over quite a number of previous essay questions, my performance will depend on what period of history is chosen.

At my high school, all students who took the AP Calculus test passed it. I think that's amazing...myself, I'm taking the US History and English test next year.

[DancingKana]

At my high school, all students who took the AP Calculus test passed it. I think that's amazing...myself, I'm taking the US History and English test next year.

This year I took Biology and Literature/comp. I think I did...ok on lit, but bio was a big bust, I just know it.
I've taken both histories. They aren't so bad. I passed them. The essays are the important part, but as long as your thoughts are clear and concise, it should be ok.
I took Lang last year...ooohh....

[uc pseudonym]

At my high school, all students who took the AP Calculus test passed it.

When I initially read your post, I thought you stated that all the students passed out, not passed the examination. That was... interesting. In any case, that's impressive. My instructor has a reassuring record as well; she has taught several decades and only had five students fail. The real question is if I will get a 5...

[Angel37]

I just took the AP English Lang and US history exam. I thought they were easy...well easier than what we wer taught to expect that is. The essys for the English were fun!
<3 Angel

[girlninja]

Took AP Psych, English and Us. Govt...took AP US history last year >< *sigh* such a pain