Study Strategies for AP Exams

Key Points

• Focus on Essential Content: Not all information is equally important for AP exams. Focus on specific content that will be tested.
• Publicly Available Resources: College Board provides course and exam descriptions (CEDs) which outline required knowledge.

How to Access and Use CEDs

• Finding CEDs: Search for your course’s CED online. For example, type "APUSH CED" in Google.
• Exam Overview Section: Identifies which units are more heavily represented on the exam.
  • Example: AP World History emphasizes units 3-6.

Paid Resources

• AP Review Packs: Offer unit review videos, practice questions, and tests. These packs are more structured and comprehensive.
• Criticism: Mentioned for selling review packs, but testimonials suggest they are effective.

Organizing Study Notes with CEDs

• Using Themes/Enduring Understandings:
  • Organize notes by themes to streamline preparation for writing sections.
  • Each prompt in the writing section relates to these themes.
• Learning Objectives: Broad questions that should be answered after studying each section.
• Historical Developments/Essential Knowledge: Highlight key information needed for the exam.
• Illustrative Examples: Use specific examples to understand broad concepts - need not know every example.

Study Tips

• Focus on Themes: Align your notes with major themes for quick reference during study.
• Answer Learning Objectives: Practice answering the broad questions from learning objectives.
• Select Key Examples: Choose a few illustrative examples to memorize; not all are needed.

Additional Resources

• Review Packs: Structured guidance for in-depth study.
• Further Study Video: Available for comprehensive study methods.

Conclusion

• Exam Preparation: Using CEDs and/or review packs strategically can significantly aid in preparing for AP exams.