Is your student ready for 2021 AP exams? These subject-specific tests won’t be administered until May and June, but the time to start studying is now!
The ever-changing landscape of school at home, in the classroom or hybridized has definitely impacted curriculum. Teachers have done a fantastic job under difficult circumstances, but our tutoring experts are consistently seeing that students can’t cover the same amount of material they would in a typical year.
In their own ecosphere, schools can adjust and recalibrate to that reality. Sophomore year curriculum can be adapted based on what freshmen were able to cover, and so on.
But AP exams are administered nationally, so their structure isn’t as flexible. AP exams are usually taken at the end of an AP course, which takes the AP curriculum as its basic framework. The biggest concern for AP exams this year is that students won’t have learned enough course content to do well on their exams.
So what’s a hardworking student to do?
For starters, recognize that to some extent, the situation is not entirely ours to control. We can’t “”fix”” the year or make the circumstances different. Whatever challenges we face, our job is to be as proactive as possible.
Test Prep for 2021 AP Exams
Which brings us to what students can do to feel prepped and ready for their 2021 AP exams:
- Start early. Studying for AP exams should begin now. That requires more than simply completing the course material and doing assigned homework in AP classes. Students should be setting aside dedicated study time for the AP exam itself.
- Study strategically. The best way to prep for AP exams is to start by identifying personal gaps in knowledge. If your student has a good grasp of certain concepts of a section of material, it’s not the best use of their time to focus on that area. Instead, they should call out the material where they feel shaky—or the material they haven’t covered yet at all—and spend more time there.
- Plan your work; Work your plan. A student who builds and executes a clear AP exam study plan will generally be more prepared going into the exam. Test prep should focus on content but also test format—being familiar and comfortable with the question types, breakdown of the exam sections, and timing. Unfortunately, the test format for AP exams is still up in the air and may vary by state or locality. Students should plan for the possibility that exams could be administered digitally, and prepare accordingly.
- Ask for support. Studying for AP exams is a big hurdle to clear in an ordinary year. The possibility of a shifting test format and less in-classroom preparation might leave your student feeling overwhelmed and underprepared. If that’s the case, reach out for help sooner than later. Give us a call and we can help you assess your student’s best path forward.
For students who need more support, Signet runs a personalized 8-week AP Prep Program. We can identify gaps and help your student feel confident about 2021 AP exam material and test format. Contact us for more information on the 8-Week AP Prep Program!
