How I Got 5s on All My AP Exams (And How You Can Too!)
TLDRJeffrey from AchieveED shares his strategy for scoring all fives on AP exams throughout high school. He advises against using textbooks for AP exam preparation, instead recommending specialized AP study books like Barron's or Princeton Review. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on College Board exam descriptions to prioritize study efforts and practicing with actual AP exams and FRQs. Understanding the scoring rubrics and knowing the margin of error for each exam are also crucial for success, as highlighted by Jeffrey's experience and the use of resources like AP Past Comm.
Takeaways
- 📚 Avoid relying solely on textbooks for AP exam preparation as they contain excessive detail not required for the exam.
- 📈 Utilize specialized AP study books such as Barron's, Princeton Review, or Five Steps to a 5 for focused study material.
- 🔍 Review College Board exam descriptions for a comprehensive understanding of what will be covered in the exam.
- 📝 Prioritize studying by focusing on the most important topics identified through AP review books and exam descriptions.
- 🚫 Do not attempt to learn everything from the course as it is impractical and time-consuming; instead, concentrate on high-yield areas.
- 📖 Practice exams are crucial for understanding the format and types of questions asked, providing practical experience.
- 👩🏫 Seek access to secured practice exams from your AP teachers, which are directly from the College Board and closely mimic actual exams.
- 📊 Use College Board's publicly available FRQs (Free Response Questions) from previous years for additional practice.
- 📈 Familiarize yourself with the scoring guidelines and rubrics to understand how points are awarded and what is necessary for a high score.
- 🎯 Know your margin of error by using resources like AP Past Comm to see how many questions you can afford to get wrong while still achieving a 5.
- 🔄 Use the knowledge of exam difficulty and your performance on practice tests to adjust your study focus between different AP subjects.
Q & A
How many AP exams did Jeffrey take throughout high school?
-Jeffrey took ten AP exams throughout his high school career.
What subjects did Jeffrey take AP exams in?
-Jeffrey took AP exams in a variety of subjects including social studies, math, English, and science, but he did not take any language AP exams.
Why does Jeffrey recommend not using textbooks for AP exam preparation?
-Jeffrey suggests that textbooks are too detailed and contain unnecessary information for the AP exams, making them less efficient for focused studying.
What type of study materials does Jeffrey recommend for AP exam preparation?
-Jeffrey recommends using specialized AP study books such as Barron's, Princeton Review, or Five Steps to a 5, as they are more focused and efficient for AP exam study.
How can students find out what will be on the AP exams?
-Students can find College Board Exam descriptions online, which outline the content that will be covered on the exams.
What is the importance of practice exams for AP exam preparation?
-Practice exams are crucial because they provide real practice with the types of questions and formats that will be on the actual AP exams, helping students to familiarize themselves and improve their test-taking skills.
Where can students obtain practice exams?
-Students can get practice exams from their AP teachers, who have access to secured practice exams from the College Board, or they can find them in review books and online from third parties.
Why is understanding the scoring rubrics important for AP exams?
-Understanding the scoring rubrics is important because it helps students know exactly what they need to include in their answers to earn points and avoid losing points unnecessarily.
What is the significance of knowing the margin of error for AP exams?
-Knowing the margin of error helps students understand how much they can afford to get wrong on the exam and still achieve a high score, allowing them to prioritize their study efforts effectively.
What online resource does Jeffrey suggest for understanding AP exam margins of error?
-Jeffrey suggests using the website appast.com to explore past AP exams and understand the margins of error for different question types and subjects.
How did Jeffrey utilize the tips he shared in the video to achieve 10 fives on his AP exams?
-Jeffrey used a combination of focused study based on College Board Exam descriptions, extensive practice with exams and FRQs, understanding scoring rubrics, and knowing his margins of error to strategically prepare for and achieve 10 fives on his AP exams.
Outlines
📚 Avoiding Textbooks for AP Exam Success
Jeffrey shares his strategy for achieving perfect scores on AP exams, emphasizing the ineffectiveness of textbooks for exam preparation. He suggests using specialized AP study books such as Barron's, Princeton Review, or Five Steps to a 5, as they are more focused and efficient for AP exam content. Jeffrey also advises against relying solely on textbooks, which contain excessive detail not required for the exams. Instead, he recommends using College Board Exam Descriptions and practicing with past exam questions to prioritize and strategize study efforts effectively.
🎯 Maximizing Practice with Official Resources
Continuing his advice, Jeffrey highlights the importance of practicing with actual AP exam questions, whether through review books or directly from the College Board. He suggests utilizing teachers' access to secured practice exams and taking advantage of publicly available FRQs (Free Response Questions) from the College Board's website. Jeffrey also stresses understanding the scoring rubrics to optimize answers for maximum points. He introduces the concept of the margin of error, using the website appastcomm to gauge the number of questions one can afford to get wrong while still achieving a perfect score. This knowledge helps in focusing study efforts on areas that need the most improvement.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡AP Exams
💡Study Strategies
💡College Board Exam Descriptions
💡Practice Exams
💡FRQs (Free Response Questions)
💡Scoring Guidelines
💡Margin of Error
💡Procrastination
💡AP Pass
💡Study Books
Highlights
Achieving all fives on AP exams is possible with the right strategies.
Avoid using textbooks for AP exam preparation as they are too detailed and not all information is relevant.
Use specialized AP study books like Barron's, Princeton Review, or Five Steps to a 5 for more focused study material.
College Board Exam descriptions available online provide a clear outline of what will be on the exam.
Prioritize and strategize your studying by focusing on the most important topics for the exam.
Practice exams are crucial for understanding the format and types of questions you will encounter.
Teachers have access to secured practice exams from College Board, which are very similar to the actual exam.
Publicly available FRQs (Free Response Questions) from previous years are excellent resources for practice.
Understand the scoring guidelines and rubrics to know exactly what is needed to earn points.
Incorporate essays with a clear thesis and show all work in math problems to maximize points.
Use resources like appast.com to understand the margin of error and what you can afford to get wrong.
Knowing the margin of error helps in focusing study efforts on areas that need the most improvement.
AP exams with higher 5 rates might be easier, while those with lower rates require more focused studying.
Personalize your study strategy based on your strengths and weaknesses in different subjects.
These strategies have been tested over four years and resulted in 10 AP exams with all scores being a 5.
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The video provides specific, actionable tips rather than generic study advice.
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