With a few weeks left before AP testing begins, Dina Feng, Aditiya Korde and Keira Ngo share their experience with studying for their upcoming exams. According to AP Coordinator Mrs. Roisin LeRoy, 1,579 students across campus will be taking their exams from May 4-16.

Aditiya Korde is taking the AP World History exam May 7 and the AP Computer Science exam May 14. Since this is his first round of AP testing, Korde is still figuring out what study methods work best for him.

“Because it’s my first AP test, I’m a little nervous,” Korde said. “I’ve been watching Heimler’s History and rereading the AMSCO textbook to study for AP World, and I feel pretty confident that I will do well.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Dina Feng will be taking six AP exams:

Since she was in AP World History last year, she has some experience with testing.

“I took the AP World exam last year, and I didn’t really study, but I think that the teacher prepared me really well for the test,” Feng said.

For this round of testing, she feels less prepared for the tests and has made it a priority to study as much as she can before May.

“I feel like I haven’t been that prepared since a lot of it is self paced, and therefore I don’t know if I’m reaching standards for other AP classes in different schools that are taking the same course,” Feng said. “To prepare, I go to the library every day, and I study for about four hours using Khan Academy and my AP exam prep books. I’m taking three science APs, so I spend most of my time on that. The method of studying that works best for me is active recall.” 

Keira Ngo has taken the exam for AP Human Geography, AP World History, AP U.S. History, AP Biology and AP English Language and Composition. Her upcoming exams will be:

With all of her experience, the method of studying that works the best for her is active recall.

 “I think a [method] that really helps me is this routine called 25-15-25, or Pomodoro, which is when you study for 25 minutes, you take a break for 15 minutes and then study again for 25 minutes,” Ngo said. “I watch Heimler’s History and read the textbooks offered for the social science APs, I use Khan Academy and The Organic Chemistry Tutor for science and I use Quizlet, Knowt and Chat GPT to test myself on all subjects. Even though there are risks with the use of AI, I’ve managed to integrate the process of withholding the answers from the questions they quiz me on in order to study without charge. That way, I can actively recall the knowledge I’ve gained and use sources other than AP classroom for FRQs and MCQs.” 

AP Coordinator Mrs. Roisin LeRoy advises that as students prepare for exams, they should also download Bluebook account through their College Board accounts so they are able to access their exams in May. 

“My last advice is to bring snacks and water for the break time and a sweater if you are testing in the gym, because sometimes it does get breezy. But as long as you bring your device fully charged and ready with your logins, you will do just fine,” LeRoy said.