As May starts off, the students of PHS, along with students at other high schools across the U.S., are preparing for their upcoming AP Exams, as this is a common time for testing season. Students are working around the clock to study and prepare for their exams while also balancing clubs and other schoolwork. They are preparing for one of the most rigorous, important, and stressful academic events of the school year using different study methods of their own.

What are the AP Exams?

The AP Exams are a series of exams made by College Board for their 38 different AP courses. These exams are designed to measure a student’s mastery of college-level material while also giving students the opportunity to earn college credits, strengthen college applications, and potentially gain scholarships. AP Exams are also often used as a “national benchmark” for academic achievement.

Each AP Exam is scored on a scale from 1 to 5. After completing the exam, scores are sent out in July due to the intensive grading process, especially with the millions of FRQs (Free Response Questions) that must be scored each year. Every May, AP students can choose to take their exams by paying a registration fee, usually ranging from $75–$99, months before testing begins. AP Exams are known as some of the most serious final assessments in high school, often lasting between two and three hours, while also serving as an important opportunity for scholarships and college credit overall.

How are PHS students studying right now?

As May is finally here, several students at PHS taking AP courses have thrown themselves into studying for their AP Exams. Most students are “self-studying and watching videos,” typically referring to the use of College Board AP Classroom resources, including AP Daily videos that cover every unit taught in an AP course and provide practice questions students can use to study. Some students have also “watched a bunch of videos,” using YouTube as a classic resource to study and learn topics in different ways. Other methods include utilizing practice exams and review materials provided by teachers.

As AP Exams continue to challenge high school students across the country, students continue finding ways to prepare and study for the exams, from practice tests to even video games designed to help students review material. At the end of the day, the key to passing AP Exams comes through preparation, collaboration, cleverness, and resourcefulness.