Get Ready–AP Tests are Right Around the Corner
Posted 08 Apr, 2010
Your student may already seem bitten by the summer-bug, but Senioritis will have to wait–AP review season is in full swing, and the tests are now only about a month away!
Are AP Tests Important?
What’s all the hype about Advanced Placement (AP) tests beyond helping with college admissions? Believe it or not, scoring well on an AP test can actually be one of the best ways your student can head towards an early college graduation date (and, consequently, a lower overall price tag for his or her college education!)
Are you sitting up straighter now to read further? Here’s how it works: Your child takes an AP course in school, which focuses on teaching him or her about a subject at a college level. In early May, students across the country take their AP tests in subjects like Physics, English Literature, foreign languages and more (there are over 30 options!) Their tests are scored from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score.
How can a test help your child graduate early? Over 90% of four-year-colleges accept AP scores for advanced placement in college or for college credit. That means if your student scores in the qualifying range (usually a 3 or above - talk to your student’s college Admissions Office about their requirements) he or she may actually get course credit for passing his or her AP test.
How Can Your Child Prepare?
Course work during the school-year should have built your student’s foundation of knowledge, but it is still important that he or she uses this last month to prepare well for the AP testing.
- Review. Review time is critical, especially when it comes to the units your child studied way back in early fall. Encourage your child to attend review sessions (often offered by teachers at their high school), flip through an AP review book (my son loved these) or form a study group. There are also lots of free AP study helps available online.
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- Be Prepared. I outlined several ways your child could prepare for the test ahead last time I covered AP test prep, and I’d like to remind you of some of those thoughts again. First-time test takers might want to talk to their teacher or other students about the format, length and overall feel of the exam so they can be mentally prepared for the task at hand. All students should go over the “what to bring” list and be sure to have all the necessary items (identification and extra #2 pencils, for starters) packed and ready to go the night before the test.
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- Stay Fit. Being well rested and healthily fed will help keep your child’s brain from going foggy in hour two, so be sure he or she works on getting a good night’s rest for at least the week before the exams. He or she should also be sure to eat a healthy breakfast and take a snack along for breaks between tests (apples are a great, healthy alternative to a sugary nibble or energy drinks–they’re said to help you stay alert, but without the sugar crash afterward!)
What Happens Post-Test?
Once your child has completed the AP tests, scores will not arrive until July. This is also when College Board will submit the scores to his or her college choice(s) (as long as your student entered at least one college during test taking.) If no colleges were entered on the day of the test, you can call in to College Board or go online to add colleges and request the scores get sent in.
In the meantime, celebrate! Your child has worked hard and has survived a long season of study to get to that first post-test day - so don’t forget to provide some positive feedback and let your child know you are proud of all the effort he or she has put out!
If you have a student with more high school years ahead, discuss the AP experience with your child before it is time to choose a class schedule for next year. Did he/she enjoy taking an AP class? Was the academic level of the course appropriate or was it overwhelming? Does your child wish to take more AP courses? Advanced Placement courses can be very intense–sometimes even more intense than freshman year college courses, depending on the teacher–so definitely talk to your student about his or her comfort level with this level of curriculum. As wonderful as those early college credits can be, students shouldn’t feel pressured to take on courses that will cause their stress level to skyrocket. Taking on too much work can sometimes end up as more of a setback than a boon.
Good luck and happy testing.
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding®, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
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Related Posts
Your student may already seem bitten by the summer-bug, but Senioritis will have to wait–AP review season is in full swing, and the tests are now only about a month away!
Are AP Tests Important?
What’s all the hype about Advanced Placement (AP) tests beyond helping with college admissions? Believe it or not, scoring well on an AP test can actually be one of the best ways your student can head towards an early college graduation date (and, consequently, a lower overall price tag for his or her college education!)
Are you sitting up straighter now to read further? Here’s how it works: Your child takes an AP course in school, which focuses on teaching him or her about a subject at a college level. In early May, students across the country take their AP tests in subjects like Physics, English Literature, foreign languages and more (there are over 30 options!) Their tests are scored from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score.
How can a test help your child graduate early? Over 90% of four-year-colleges accept AP scores for advanced placement in college or for college credit. That means if your student scores in the qualifying range (usually a 3 or above - talk to your student’s college Admissions Office about their requirements) he or she may actually get course credit for passing his or her AP test.
How Can Your Child Prepare?
Course work during the school-year should have built your student’s foundation of knowledge, but it is still important that he or she uses this last month to prepare well for the AP testing.
- Review. Review time is critical, especially when it comes to the units your child studied way back in early fall. Encourage your child to attend review sessions (often offered by teachers at their high school), flip through an AP review book (my son loved these) or form a study group. There are also lots of free AP study helps available online.
. - Be Prepared. I outlined several ways your child could prepare for the test ahead last time I covered AP test prep, and I’d like to remind you of some of those thoughts again. First-time test takers might want to talk to their teacher or other students about the format, length and overall feel of the exam so they can be mentally prepared for the task at hand. All students should go over the “what to bring” list and be sure to have all the necessary items (identification and extra #2 pencils, for starters) packed and ready to go the night before the test.
. - Stay Fit. Being well rested and healthily fed will help keep your child’s brain from going foggy in hour two, so be sure he or she works on getting a good night’s rest for at least the week before the exams. He or she should also be sure to eat a healthy breakfast and take a snack along for breaks between tests (apples are a great, healthy alternative to a sugary nibble or energy drinks–they’re said to help you stay alert, but without the sugar crash afterward!)
What Happens Post-Test?
Once your child has completed the AP tests, scores will not arrive until July. This is also when College Board will submit the scores to his or her college choice(s) (as long as your student entered at least one college during test taking.) If no colleges were entered on the day of the test, you can call in to College Board or go online to add colleges and request the scores get sent in.
In the meantime, celebrate! Your child has worked hard and has survived a long season of study to get to that first post-test day - so don’t forget to provide some positive feedback and let your child know you are proud of all the effort he or she has put out!
If you have a student with more high school years ahead, discuss the AP experience with your child before it is time to choose a class schedule for next year. Did he/she enjoy taking an AP class? Was the academic level of the course appropriate or was it overwhelming? Does your child wish to take more AP courses? Advanced Placement courses can be very intense–sometimes even more intense than freshman year college courses, depending on the teacher–so definitely talk to your student about his or her comfort level with this level of curriculum. As wonderful as those early college credits can be, students shouldn’t feel pressured to take on courses that will cause their stress level to skyrocket. Taking on too much work can sometimes end up as more of a setback than a boon.
Good luck and happy testing.
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding®, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
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Subscribe by Email
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