With the Advanced Placement (AP) Exams approaching quickly, AP students will spend the next month stressing about how well they will do on the test. Students take the exams in order to get college credit, but many universities need students to do better than a three on the exam to get the credit. Some schools will take a four for an elective or freshman credit and a five for the actual class you took. Students will try to shoot for the higher scores on the exam, and here are five tips that might help you get a five on the exam.

1. Invest in a prep book. Many teachers will recommend buying a prep book for both the AP exam and their own tests. Most books have helpful section-by-section breakdowns of the subject as well as quizzes to go with that section. In addition to the quizzes, many have practice free response questions that can be helpful for exam essays or short answer questions. Reading through the book, taking the quizzes and practicing with the essays are good ways to test your knowledge and see which areas you need help on.
2. Study with a friend. Studying with one or more people is a proven way to make sure you know all that you need. If you do not understand a certain section, then you can ask your friend, who, chances are, can explain some of it to you. In addition to that, if who you study with does not know something, and you explain it to them, you are more likely to retain the information.
3. Go to tutorials. Most teachers will start offering tutorials specifically for the AP exams when it gets closer to the test. This is a great opportunity for you to ask all the questions you had while reading through the prep book and studying with your friends. This is also a good chance for you to gain tips from teachers about how the tests are graded and have answers explained to you in a way you can better understand.
4. Take practice tests. As mentioned earlier, most prep books contain two full length tests in the back. It is beneficial to take one before you start studying in order to gauge what sections of the subject you need to study the most. After that, do all the studying you think you need, and then take the last test. This will give you a good estimate of your grade on the AP test, and a chance to again see which areas you need help on for last minute study sessions.
5. Be prepared. Make sure you know what day your test is on, as well as if it starts in the morning or in the afternoon. If you have two tests in one day, it is helpful to bring your lunch in order to have time to eat. You will need to have several number two pencils and pens with dark blue or black ink and your AP student pack. It is helpful to have an approved calculator if you are taking biology, chemistry, calculus, physics or statistics. The College Board recommends bringing a watch into your room to keep track of time, as it is possible that you will not be able to see the clock. Be sure that on test day you have eaten a good breakfast and get a good night’s sleep.