I am a high school senior and I have been fortunate enough to have been able to take and receive scores for 10 AP classes up until my junior year. Here are my tests taken and respective scores:
AP Chemistry (5), AP World History (5), AP European History (5), AP Environmental Science (5), AP English Language and Composition (5), AP Literature and Composition (4), AP Human Geography (5), AP US History (4), AP Biology (5), and AP Calculus AB (5).
I have scored pretty well on my AP tests, and this may be because I am a decent test taker (34 ACT also), but I also have to credit my “studying” skills.
I took AP World History in 9th grade and I was pretty nervous about it. I pored through my single review book, but not conventionally. I just took the multiple choice practice tests at the end of the book and reviewed my incorrect answers. As I completed more practice tests in other books, I noticed that all of the questions were essentially the same. I decided to look at the FRQ’s on the College Board’s website and lo and behold all the FRQ’s were essentially the same every other year. Having only armed myself with knowledge of previous testing years and a general knowledge of the subject, not the actual detailed material, I took the test and received a 5. This method of just learning the question styles, which are essentially the same every year, can help you maximize your score. This method works for any of the AP test as far as I can tell. Don’t bother learning every detail of your subject, but focus your attention on the subjects actually present on the test. The College Board’s FRQ databases are your best friend, and maybe go to the library and look at a couple of the multiple choice practice tests and review your own answers to them. I guarantee you will maximize your score this way with the least amount of effort.
Note: This method works best on any science or math based AP exam. History and language leave a lot of room for interpretation and actual writing ability.