<p>For sophomore year I took AP Bio and AP Euro and although I reviewed the sections of the exams on the cliffnotes and barrons a month before the exams, I got 3s on both of them. </p>
<p>So for next year, I am setting my goal to take AP Chem? AP Math Analysis, AP English language or lit-forgot which one exaclty- and/or APUSH. I know that is a lot but I'm trying to narrow it down by one or two. </p>
<p>I have read comments and threads about how people just go over the cliffnotes and barrons and other helping books while being taught about them in class and gettings 4s and 5s. Is that all you have to do? Study along with those helping books and reviewing them everyday will get me a 5? </p>
<p>For all those who got a 5 on their AP Exams, all those who got a 5 from studying not from being pure geniuses :), what did you do to get a 5?</p>
<p>Really, all you have to do to get a 5 is try.
The people that get 1’s and 2’s didn’t study at all, and the people that got 3’s and 4’s just didn’t study enough. Getting a 5 means starting your review a good two or three months before the test, ,reviewing for about 9-10 hours a week, and doing at least a couple practice tests and FRQ questions.
FYI, “AP Math Analysis” doesn’t exist. Maybe you meant AP Statistics?</p>
<p>Oh… perhaps. I thought my friend said AP math analysis but I might have not remembered correctly. </p>
<p>Actually, my question was more for the AP science areas. Especially Biology, and even though I already took that test, I can just imagine what Physics and Chemistry might be like based on what they test on AP Biology. The Cliff notes and Barron’s and Princeton just give reviews for each chapter while some parts of the AP Bio exam tested on things I had never heard nor read about during discussions, the textbook, or the helping books. How did you deal with this problem?</p>
<p>Barron’s actually teaches the material, it does not simply review. While PR and Cliff’s skim lightly and give “tips” on how to take the test, Barron’s helps you learn the material in the first place. Barron’s is known for being unnecessarily difficult… but that really helps you in the long run.
My specific strategy for any AP:
-I get my review books (2 or 3 for each test) in September, and skim all of them.
-Start studying in December (1-2 hours a week)
-Print out every practice test and FRQ you want to try (I got 3 or 4 for each test)
-In Feb. start studying for real (5-10 hours a week)
-March take a break
-Resume study in April (9-10 hours a week)
Take the test in May! And in july… BAM. 5.
I know this is alot… but you’ll cover EVERYTHING and remember over 90% of it.</p>
<p>Yes! I loved barron’s. It’s the one that I actually studied with though I would occassionally use Cliffnotes to help explain something in a different way so that I could comprehend what Barron’s was saying. </p>
<p>Where can I print out the practice tests and FRQ? I think I lost a lot of points on my FRQ so this would be a really big help for me on future AP Exams</p>