How to Ace Your AP Classes and Exams

Here are tips to help you succeed in your AP classes.

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media by Grace Uhrain

Roshni Krishnan ‘25 studies for AP Human Geography on her computer.

by Grace Uhrain, Editor in Chief
September 12, 2021

Approximately 2.8 million AP exams were taken in 2019, yet only 819,964 received a five, according to the College Board. Here is what you can do now to get an A in your AP class and a five on the exam this May.

  1. Split up the workload. “My favorite method for approaching AP classes is splitting the work evenly over several days before due dates or tests,” Amira Badruddin ‘22 said. “This allows me to pace myself and continuously touch the topics and not feel overwhelmed by the amount of classwork.”
  2. Make sure you understand the class content. “Pay attention to the content, especially at the beginning of the year and understand the subject,” Jerry Wang ‘23 said.
  3. If you have a textbook, keep up with your reading. “Staying on top of the readings is important for the things we do in class like working on the skills, so the students need to read,” AP World History teacher Andrew Mulberry said. “They have to be on top of the reading.”
  4. Practice problems that apply to your assignments and tests. “My favorite technique for being successful is to always practice application problems rather than recall questions,” Kaeli Nallathamby ‘24 said. 
  5. Use colors in your notes. “My favorite technique for being successful in AP classes is taking colorful notes,” Frankie Stroud ‘22 said. “Reading can be really boring sometimes, but it helps so much to understand lectures and class notes, so I like to use pens and markers to make sure I am staying focused and engaged with my notes.”
  6. Look at the material early. “Before taking the class, I like to familiarize myself with the content of the class and prepare for the AP test before I take the class,” Yash Salvi ‘23 said.
  7. Be engaged. “The best way to prepare for an AP Exam is to participate in your classes,” the College Board said.
  8. Make flashcards. “Flashcards help me understand the concepts and writing helps my memory of the content,” Ashritha Yedla ‘23 said. “Reviewing the flashcards makes it easier to bring up in my mind.” 
  9. Get your assignments done early. “Doing my homework early so the work doesn’t pile up [helps me to be successful],” Connor Brown ‘23 said.
Teachers' Tips For AP Subjects

AP History

“Staying on top of the reading is extremely important,” Mulberry said. “The best skill is being a critical reader and analyzing text, figuring out where an author is coming from, or what the author is trying to say. Go beyond what someone is saying.”

 

AP Sciences

“I think following up with due dates and trying to review material ahead of time and keep up [are important],” AP Environmental Science Jenny Wills said. “That way, [students] get more out of the activities done in class.”

 

AP English

“I think the most important habits are organization and time management and a willingness to work hard,” AP Literature and Composition teacher Bryan McBride said. “Come to class with an open mind and try to retain as much as you can from the readings as a knowledge bank that you can reference later.”

 

AP Math

“Understanding the rigor of the class is helpful because it is college level math and it might take more work than a regular level math class,” AP Statistics teacher Rebecca Uchyn said.

 

AP World Languages

“My most successful AP students are the ones who put in 100% effort inside the classroom,” AP Spanish Language and Culture teacher Hannah Shear said. “My advice for any AP student is to keep the line of communication open with their teacher, keep on top of your work as much as possible, and try to be very present in class.”

 

AP Capstone

“For AP Capstone, my best advice would be to have good time management and have the ability to do large projects,” AP Seminar teacher Matt Sassali said. “Set a schedule to do little bits of work each night.”

 

AP Art

“Study as much art as possible. Our classes are set up to have four classes and then AP so [students] can practice different mediums so they can apply them to AP,” AP Drawing and Painting teacher Drew Walter said.

 

AP Computer Science

“Computer science is a fun yet hard field to do. It takes a minute to understand what’s going on, but once you get it, the opportunities are endless,” AP Computer Science teacher Kyler Barker said. “I always recommend everything, try it and push through to see if it’s something you end up enjoying. Some units are harder than others but in the end it’s all just programming. If you enjoy making things on the computer with code then the AP class is a great fit.”

 

AP Music Theory

“The students who get into the habit of doing homework on time, attending class each day, arriving on time with the correct materials, and asking questions when they have them tend to be highly successful in my AP class,” AP Music Theory teacher Julia Dale said.