Tips for Taking At-Home AP Exams COVID-19 Series
The Princeton Review
We’ve been here with you each day talking about your classes, tests, and college admissions—and
doing live AP subject reviews at 1pm Eastern on weekdays.
We’ve covered the AP test dates, times (some of those are just brutal), format, scoring,
cheating—and what I want to talk to you about today is the mechanics of taking the
at-home AP exams.
The first thing you need to do, if you haven’t already, is go to College Board’s site,
and find the times and dates of your exams.
Depending on where you live, you could be taking the tests at high noon, or you could
be taking them in the middle of the night.
Keep in mind, too, that you’ll have to sign in for your tests 30 minutes prior to their
start time.
So add those 30 minutes into your plan—and into your calendar—right now.
Next up: Make sure you have what you need to take your exam.
Do you have reliable internet?
A device to take the exam on?
If you don’t, or if you’re worried you won’t, then please reach out directly to
College Board this weeks (deadline is 4/24) to request the tools you’ll need for the
exams.
There’s a link in this video description.
Figure out where in your home you’ll be taking the test.
Will you be in a bedroom?
The kitchen?
Look for a spot where you can set up a quiet, comfortable workspace.
And make sure that everyone else in your household knows that you cannot be disturbed during
this test!
Plan which materials you’ll have nearby.
This is an open-book, open-note test!
While College Board has said repeatedly that they’re designing the test so that you won’t
really need your book and notes, it will be helpful—both psychologically and also practically—to
have resources you know you can consult extremely efficiently should you need to.
The most obvious example is a formula sheet for a subject like AP Chem—a quick-reference
tool that will help you move quickly through the exam, not one that will slow you down.
The best way to optimize use of your notes is to know what you have and to organize it
thoughtfully.
If you do need to look up a quick fact or formula, you should know exactly where it
lives, and you should have that resource at your fingertips.
If you don’t know where it is, then it probably won’t be worth your time to use it on test
day.
Set up those notes and get them organized NOW.
Then, when you do practice problems, also practice using your notes (as needed, of course).
The more quickly you can put your hands on key information, the more you’ll be able
to devote your full attention to producing your free-response-question answers.
And have scratch paper and
a couple of pencils at the ready!
It may help you organize your thoughts as you plan your answers.
(Also, if you’re taking a test for which a calculator is helpful, have it at-hand,
charged or with fresh batteries.)
Speaking of things to have nearby, you may also want to have some water handy—ideally
in a travel mug or something else spill-proof.
Even if you don’t end up drinking water while you’re taking the exam, it may be
a comfort to have that option.
Because time will be of the essence on exam day, you’ll also want to familiarize yourself
with the process of accessing and submitting your exams.
In the next couple of weeks, we’ll have—and we’ll be sharing with you—more information
about how to access your exams, and you’ll have opportunities to practice uploading your
finished work.
Avail yourself of these opportunities!
You want to ensure that the mechanics of taking the AP exam are the least stressful part of
your test day.
Speaking of things you can do in advance to get yourself into test-taking mode.
If possible—and I realize that for some of you this will be more doable than for others—try
to do something related to your AP exams at the time of day you’ll be taking them.
So if you’re in California and you’ll be taking AP US History at 11:00 a.m., then
you may want to work on a practice modified DBQ a few times a week at 11:00 a.m.
If you’re in a part of the world in which you’ll be testing in the middle of the night,
you may not be able to do that on a regular basis—but I’d still suggest doing at least
one “dry run” of working on practice material at your testing time.
As you’re practicing, time yourself!
45 minutes will go by quickly, and you’ll want to attune your mind and body to completing
those AP tasks in that timeframe.
(As I’ve said before, you don’t necessarily need to finish every single question to earn
that coveted 5, but regardless of which AP subject you’re taking, you will want to
make gallant progress toward that goal.)
Getting into that test-taking rhythm and mindset will be important—especially since so many
of us are otherwise operating outside of our regular routines.
You can do this.
And each time you practice, it’ll get a little bit easier.
Thanks so much for watching, everyone.
Check out our AP Cram Courses and other prep tools to help you get the practice you need.
Look forward to seeing you here tomorrow.