Advanced Placement® Archives | Page 65 of 103

What “Science Practices” Mean for AP® Chemistry Students

In 2013, with the introduction of a new exam, the AP® Chemistry community was tossed in a new direction (or so it would seem). Content standards were replaced with Big Ideas, Enduring Understandings, Essential Knowledge and Learning Objectives. The committee of college professors, secondary teachers, and College Board elite sacrificed breadth for depth and away went such topics as Molecular Orbital Theory and Colligative Properties. While topics such as organic chemistry are not explicitly named, their compounds and names continue to show up in questions related to bonding theory and hybridization. With all these changes at work, we suddenly saw the introduction of “Science Practices”, but what exactly are they? In short, “Science Practices” refers to lab experiments and the need to expose our AP® Chemistry students to them.

The German Tank Problem Explained: AP® Statistics Review

The German Tank Problem is a famous statistical problem that helped the Allied Forces during World War II, and can help you with your AP® Statistics review. Statisticians use estimators when dealing with samples from a larger population. Often, it can be useful to know the size of the total population when you are working with a limited sample size from a population of unknown size.

How the AP® Computer Science Principles Course Provides Teachers Flexibility

Most students who sign up for AP® Computer Science do so because they love computers or they love programming. These students feel right at home in the course because they get a comprehensive overview of programming in Java. It’s a rigorous class meant for students who are passionate about programming.

But what about the students who have never tried programming? Why would these students sign up to take a rigorous course to learn a skill they know nothing about? These students would benefit from a class that focuses not just on programming, but the computer science field as a whole.

3 Ways to Approach AP® Statistics Free Response Questions

At first glance, the free response questions (FRQ’s) may seem like the most intimidating part of the AP® Statistics exam. Essay questions on a math test?

The FRQ section consists of five short answer questions and one investigative task. This portion takes ninety minutes and is half your exam score. Here are some tips for studying beforehand and for how to approach the test itself.

One Month AP® Comparative Government Study Guide

Preparing for an AP® Exam in just one month can seem like a tall order, but is perfectly doable with the right plan – a plan which will prepare you for the test and boost your test-taking confidence by getting you used to test-like conditions.

How to Approach AP® English Literature Multiple-Choice Questions

As you prepare for the AP® English Literature Exam, it’s easy to disregard the multiple-choice section as a given. However, the AP® English Literature multiple-choice questions make up 45% of the total score. In 2016, only 7.6% of students scored a 5 on the Exam. In order to boost your chances of being in those elite few, this year, follow the guide herein towards success.

The Ultimate AP® English Literature Reading List

Knowing which literary works to study when preparing to face the AP® English Literature exam takes some thought on your part. You can prepare your own AP® English Literature reading list using some of the following selections and the commentary I’ve provided.

How to Rock your AP® Psychology FRQ

The AP® Psych FRQ, or free response question section of the AP® Psychology exam, consists of two questions that evaluate your ability to make connections across the AP® Psychology course material. You will have 50 minutes to complete these two questions, which are worth 33% of your total exam score.

How to Make Effective AP® US History Flashcards

You have probably seen “Make Flash Cards” show up on just about every AP® review guide article. Well, it’s for good reason! Flashcards are one of the simplest and most helpful study tools around, and they should be an essential part of your AP® US History study plan. The only thing that can take this study strategy to the next level is making some killer effective flashcards.

5 Ways to Improve Your AP® English Language and Composition Multiple Choice Score

Multiple choice: whether you love it or hate it, it’s a reality that you have to deal with on the AP® English Language and Composition test. For some, the multiple choice section is the easiest, but for others, we would rather write our own answer than have to pick one of five. Don’t worry, we feel you there, but these five tips are helpful in tackling multiple choice.