How to prepare for AP Tests!

So I know that AP tests are approaching in May and that many people have started preparing for them. THIS IS GREAT AND SHOULD BE EXACTLY WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING!!!


A few basics about AP tests:

• Science/Math tests have different preparation than English/History tests. This means you should not have the same studying strategies for taking an AP Language test versus an AP Chemistry test. Science/math tests are more problem based while English/History tests are essay based, which means that you should focus more time on writing essays or solving problems depending on what test you're taking. 
• A lot of people don't know this, but the best way to prepare for the tests is to take past AP Tests that are found online. This site is listed for professionals only, but you can have access to the test questions too! Although multiple choice questions are not released (for obvious reasons that I will explain later), almost all free-response questions dating back to 1999 can be found here CollegeBoard AP Central along with sample responses. Wondering where teachers find the AP free response questions they give to students? It's right here!
• Preparing two months before the actual test is a good range for studying. This way, you can start reviewing things you've learned earlier in the class and by the time you are caught up to what you're currently learning in class, you will have reviewed/learned every idea/topic twice. 
• Take notes. DO NOT HIGHLIGHT! I've seen so many students highlight/underline review books or regular textbooks. The only thing this tells you is that your eyes have physically read over the words, but not that you actually learned anything. What you really should be doing is reading the text and then summarizing it in your own words in a notebook. Every time you write something down, you are not only learning about it but you are also understanding it well enough that you can put it in your own words. Seriously, do not even think about highlighting. Chances are that you are not going back to the text and looking over the highlighted parts before the test. So maybe you're not going to look back at your notes either, but guess what? You don't have to because you've already learned it the first time you wrote it down!
• Purchase multiple review books for each test. Everyone purchases the Princeton Review books, but I feel that the tests in these books are easier compared to the tests in other books. A few series that I recommend are:
• "5 Steps to a Five" - This series is more detailed in its summaries, which is great for extra review before tests in class and help on organizing essays. The difficulty of the tests are about the same as the ones in the Princeton Review. There are only two tests included.
• "Barrons" - This series is very detailed...maybe even a bit too detailed. The level of mastery this book seems to underscore is high, but if you understand it, you will be in excellent shape for the AP tests. I warn you though that the AP tests are equally difficult and are pickier than the actual AP tests, so doing well on one of these tests is going to make your life much easier when you take the actual test. There are only two tests included. 
• "REA" - This is probably as old school as you can get. I don't know if the books have been around for a long time or not, but the readings are very bland with no diagrams and really small print. The textbooks are very thick, meaning that they have a lot of information, but not all of it is needed and it's not very wise to spend a lot of time reading information that you're not going to need for the test. However, each book has six tests, which is a great plus because they cost the same as the other prep books. Tests are as hard as Barrons'.  
• "Cliffs Practice Exams" - This series does not have any readings; it only has five practice exams, which is great! The tests are just a little harder than the actual AP tests, but the questions are worded a little weirdly compared to actual AP multiple choice questions.
• When buying review books, do not go overboard. There is a point where everything you need to know for an AP test is repeated more than once in the books. I was a victim of ordering too many test prep books my first time I took an AP test. Looking back at my Amazon account, I ordered all five brands of books to review for AP US History when I only needed "Princeton Review," "REA," and "Cliffs Practice Exams." The reason why I would choose this combination is that the "Princeton Review" and "5 Steps to a 5" offer the best mock AP test experience. "REA" and "Barron's" are the most detailed and the "Cliffs Practice Exams" will just give you more practice. 
• AP Tests really aren't that difficult if you prepare for them in the correct way. I have friends that took up to 20 AP Tests in their high school careers, so they really do get easier as you take more of them! At first, it may seem hard to take one test as is the case with most sophomores, but many juniors and seniors take three or four tests. Do you get smarter with age? Of course, but I believe that the real reason behind this phenomenon is that juniors and seniors teach themselves to cater to the test because they know what to expect. 
• If you take the class during high school, it will be much easier to take the test. You can alter your study strategies so that you might take no more than three weeks to prepare for the test because you've been learning about the subject for a year. If you are self-studying for the test and have not taken the class, then you will need a full two months to fully prepare for the test. Stay clam, plan ahead, and understand the test by going to College Board and downloading the AP Course Syllabi that can be found here AP Central Course Pages. The Syllabi tell you exactly what to study for, what will be covered on the tests, and if you're self-studying, what textbooks you can order to help you learn the subject. Sample questions from real AP tests are also included. 
• Forming study groups are okay, but only when you know that you've reached the point where you can have intelligent discussions with your friends about the material because you know so much of it already. Discussion groups are for figuring out last minute confusion/questions, not for pestering friends about explanations of major topics. Most students usually get very distracted when they are in study groups anyway, and by the time everyone learns the major topic at hand, you will have wasted too much time. If you do want to start a study group, plan readings ahead of time and make sure you are on schedule to discuss questions that you shared with friends beforehand. My suggestions are that you study for the test on your own using prep books for a month and then two weeks before the test form study discussions to find solutions to last minute questions.