AP Exam Prep Tips to Reduce Stress and Find Success
Not sure how to prepare for your AP exams? Use our helpful guide to make sure your AP exam prep efforts lead to better results, not difficulties.
Written by Alexandra Wong ‘26
As the end of the school year comes near, high school students enrolled in AP classes wrap up their courses with their AP exams. Wondering how to reduce stress and ace your AP exams? Read on for AP Exam Prep tips to reduce stress and find success!
What Are AP Exams?
Advanced Placement tests are college-level exams that many high schoolers take in May. Students may enroll in AP courses at their high school to learn about various subjects at a college-level pace and content.
As of 2026, there are 42 AP subjects total, and the Advanced Placement Program is owned and administered by the College Board. Exams are scored on a scale from 1 to 5:
- A score of 5 indicates a student is extremely well qualified, equating to an A+ or A of the college course grade equivalent.
- A score of 3+ qualifies as “passing.”
Earning a high score on AP tests can be valuable as it may help students earn college credits at certain colleges and universities.
At St. Agnes Academy, many students enroll in AP classes to fulfill the 26 credits required for graduation and to earn college credit. Popular classes include English Language and Composition, World History, United States History, and Calculus AB/BC.
4 Tips for AP Exam Prep Success
Let’s dive into how to approach AP exams with confidence!
Tip #1: Know What to Expect
The format of an AP exam will be different based on each subject.
For example, English Language includes a 1-hour Multiple Choice with reading and writing questions (45% of the total score) and a 2-hour and 15-minute Free Response question with three essays (55% of the total score).
However, Spanish Language includes audio components, one with multiple choice and one with a Free Response question.
So, get familiar with the format of your exams! Talk to your teacher and visit the course page of your AP class to learn how your exam will be structured.
Tip #2: Utilize the AP Course Resources
Once enrolled in an AP Course, you will have access to AP Classroom. AP Classroom provides various resources that students can use independently and resources that teachers may choose to introduce throughout the year.
Students may take advantage of AP Classroom’s daily AP videos that break down each exam topic and ask their teacher to administer Progress Checks to assess their understanding and progress.
Additionally, the College Board releases past Free Response Questions for each course, including their scoring rubric and sample responses. Review these FRQs to get a better sense of the scoring rubric for your exam.
Tip #3: Make a Study Plan
Do not wait until the weekend before to start studying!
AP Exams take place in the first two weeks of May. Depending on when your teacher finishes teaching the course’s content, make a study plan.
Allow enough time for you to remember the first material you learned to walk into the exam confidently. Review past tests and quizzes to determine which units you were least comfortable with and ensure you leave extra review time to cover that content.
Tip #4: Talk to Our Student Support Center
The St. Agnes Student Support Center provides all the resources needed to build test-taking confidence. Talk to the faculty on our Student Success Center Team about any issues you may be running into when taking practice exams, tests, or quizzes in your AP course.
For example, if you are consistently running out of time on your assessments, go to the Support Center and ask about the best time-saving strategies for taking a longer exam. Our specialists may review past tests with you and help you develop a personalized plan to improve your test-taking skills.
Good Luck During Exam Season
Ultimately, after many months of working hard in your rigorous AP course, you are more prepared than you think! You have dedicated yourself to learning college-level material at a fast pace, and the exam is the time to show off how much you know.
If you are still nervous about taking the exam, contact our Student Support team for further resources. The helpful team is ready to support your individual needs with AP exam prep.
