Wondering how to study for the APs? Well, wonder no more because we’ve got you covered. Here, you’ll find all of the best AP® tips. We’ll teach you how to create a personalized study plan, how to stay sane if you have multiple APs to study for, and even introduce a proven time-management technique used by professional writers, business-owners, and even lawyers to stay focused and get amazing results!

Sound like something you’d like to know more about? Well, read on!

The College Board now offers over 30 Advanced Placement courses, covering everything from Art History to United States Government & Politics, and everything in between. AP® classes prepare you for the rigorous course load that you will experience during college. They also help you become a better thinker, researcher, and problem solver. And, best of all, you can receive college credit for a high score on an AP® exam (normally a 4 or a 5).

The AP® exams are usually given during the first two weeks of May, to ensure that each class has had plenty of time to complete the material that will be present on the tests.

You can read more about when to start studying for the AP® tests here, but keep reading to find out what to do when you’re ready to get started.

How to Create an AP® Study Plan

 The easiest way to study for the AP exams is just by paying attention in class. Sounds easy enough, right?

Start by taking diligent notes each and every class period.

If your teacher writes anything down on the board, make sure you write it down, too. For history and English classes, make notes of any names or dates mentioned during the lecture, as well as 3-4 words that could trigger their significance for you. Also, be sure to write the dates down as soon as you hear them because our brains tend to forget numbers rather quickly.

For science and math classes, make notes in the margins of your work. You might think you’ll remember why you carried the 2 forever, but when you’re faced with a similar problem a few days down the road, you’d be surprised how easily you’ll require explanation.

Another quick tip for taking notes: teachers have this great habit of dropping major hints about test content. If they say anything like “this is essential” or “this is really important because” or even “this will be on the test,” write it down because it will be.

Form an AP® review group during the fall semester.

It’s a good idea to find a group of classmates as early as you can to review the material with. This way, if any of you is ever out sick, you automatically have someone to get you the notes. You should also try to meet 2 or 3 times a month during the fall, and at least once a week during the spring to compare and consolidate notes and review concepts together. This way, when cram time comes, you won’t have to look over an entire year’s worth of notes, but rather the shorter guides with essential information that your group created.

Purchase an AP® review guide as soon as you can.

 Visit Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or even your local bookstore and pick up a review guide for each AP® class you’re in as soon as you can. If you prefer online test prep, check out Albert.io. As you progress through the material in class, your study group should also check your notes against the prep book to ensure that you understand all the information inside.

There should also be full-length practice AP® tests inside these prep books. While you might be doing pacing, endurance, and guessing exercises in class, it is also in your best interest to practice them at home, too.

Introducing Your New Best Friend: The Pomodoro Technique

Maybe you have already mastered the art of self-focus and self-control when studying for exams, but given that many college students and even graduate students still need a little push to help them along while they review for the big day, you probably have not.

An essential part of knowing how to study for APs is using the Pomodoro Technique each and every time you sit down to review.

But exactly what is that?

Well, the Pomodoro Technique (yes, just like the tomato) was created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980’s to maximize his work’s efficiency, because even genius’ need help concentrating. The idea is that you work with time, instead of against it, when you’re trying to complete a complex task.

Ready for a quick rundown of the process?

 According to the official website, this is how you do it:

1. Set up your workspace and select the task you want to accomplish. Which in this case is studying for your Advanced Placement Tests. It’s time to stop putting it off and get down to business.

2. Set a timer (using the one on your phone is fine, but use the kitchen timer for added suspense) for 25 minutes. After you’ve set the timer, it’s time to get started.

3. Acquire laser-focus. For the next 25 minutes, all you are allowed to do is work on the task you selected. No checking your phone. No bathroom breaks. No searching for snacks. This might seem impossible at the beginning, but it is only for 25 minutes, and you’ll find some relief in the next step.

4. When the timer dings, take a 5-minute break. You’ve earned it! Finally, you can go to the bathroom, text the group chat, or even take a few Snaps for your story with a well-positioned AP® book in the background, so everyone knows just how studious you truly are.

5. When the 5 minutes are up, set the timer for another 25 minutes and get back to work. By the second time through, you should be getting the hang of the whole endurance thing.

6. After you have completed 4 Pomodoros (25 minutes of work, 5 minutes of relaxation) allow yourself to take a longer break, about 20-30 minutes to let yourself recharge.

If you use the Pomodoro Technique, you’ll do 50 minutes of work an hour, so you’ll be able to study for your APs in no time flat.

Most high school students struggle with distractions – because let’s face it, you’ve got a lot going on. So, use this study method to help you avoid burnout, stay on track, and get the results you need.

What should you do when you have to study for more than one AP?

 This is a problem pretty much every student will find themselves in at least once during their high school career. This is because many high schools are offering more and more APs each year, which means that it’s not crazy that you will need to study for 2, 3, or 4 APs tests at the same time. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and put off studying altogether, but to get that 4 or 5, that’s not something you can do.

Instead, try breaking the huge task up into smaller parts.

Given that you are in multiple AP® classes, you will more than likely already have hours of studying to do each night after school. But, adding additional test prep to this mountain doesn’t have to be overwhelming. To keep yourself on track, only study for one test a night.

Your week will probably look like this:

You’ll see that AP® Latin is only reviewed once on this weekly AP® study plan, while AP® Literature & Composition and AP® Chemistry are present twice. It’s like this for the same reason Saturday and Sunday are not present on the table:

It’s important to leave at least one or two days to yourself each week leading up to the AP® tests to avoid test burnout. You’re studying for multiple AP® tests, so you’re bound to get tired sometimes. Leaving extra time to yourself (kind of like an extended Pomodoro Technique break) will keep your mind fresh.

So, if you have too many APs to hit them all at least twice in one week, just roll the third study session for one test onto the Monday of the next week, so in this particular situation it would be AP® Latin, and the week after that it would be AP® Chemistry, and so on and so forth.

By continually rotating through the different subjects, you’ll give your brain time to absorb new information and master a concept before moving on to the next new idea. There’s also no need to worry about forgetting what you studied while you review another subject. A 2-3 day break isn’t the same as summer vacation – you’re not going to forget. And, when the going gets tough, you’ll appreciate your past self for scheduling some time away from tricky subjects.

Remember: you’ll need to build up to this schedule.

When you first start studying, you might only review 2 days a week on top of your normal homework. Then, after 2-3 weeks, review 3 days a week. By adding a day to your study routine every 2-3 weeks instead of all at once, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and will be more likely to stick to studying. Before long, you’ll be up to 6 or even 7 days a week!

What’s Next?

 So there you have it! You now know all the best AP® tips and know exactly how to study for AP® tests. Now it’s time to put all of these new skills to the test. So, create your own study plan, find a timer, and get started on the path to college credit.

Good luck out there!

Let’s put everything into practice on Albert.io:

Looking for more AP practice?

You can find thousands of practice questions on Albert.io. Albert.io lets you customize your learning experience to target practice where you need the most help. We’ll give you challenging practice questions to help you achieve mastery of the AP.

Start practicing here.

Are you a teacher or administrator interested in boosting AP® student outcomes?

Learn more about our school licenses here.