SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Christine Sarikas

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

Recent Posts

The Best AP Environmental Science Review Guide

Knowing how to review for an AP exam can be challenging. Based on average exam scores, it appears that many students who take AP Environmental Science don't adequately prepare for the final test.

Fortunately, if you're not sure where to start, this guide will walk you through the complete AP Environmental Science review process. We'll start by going over the format of the AP exam and what it covers, including sample questions. We'll then move on to helpful review strategies and the plan you should follow to prep for the exam.

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How Many College Credits Is an AP Class?

Are you taking AP classes in high school and want to know if you'll be able to get college credit for them? It's not always possible to get college credit from AP classes, but many high school students do. How can you be one of them? Read this guide to find out! We'll walk you through the process and answer all the key questions such as, "How many college credits is an AP class worth?" "Are AP classes college credit?" and "How many college credits is AP world history?"

Let's get started!

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The Best AP Environmental Science Study Guide

Are you studying for your AP Environmental Science class or the final AP test? Reviewing for any AP exam is tricky, and many students who take AP Enviro aren't sure how they should be studying.

This comprehensive AP Environmental Science study guide will walk you through how you can develop a review plan for AP Enviro, offer study tips, and provide links to notes and practice exams to make your review as effective as possible.

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The Best AP Environmental Science Notes to Study With

It's often a challenge to study for AP exams, AP Environmental Science included. Because this class covers so many different areas, such as science, law, and current events, it can be tough to keep your notes straight. Whether you're missing some notes or just want them organized more clearly, this guide is for you.

Here, we've put together a list of links to AP Environmental Science notes and vocabulary that you can easily browse through to supplement your studying. I'll also go over how to use these notes and wrap up with some tips to help make your prep as effective as it can be.

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Every AP Statistics Practice Test Available: Free and Official

Are you taking the AP Statistics exam soon and want to make sure you're prepared? One of the best ways to measure your progress and figure out which areas you need to focus on is to take practice exams. There are a lot of AP Statistics practice exams available; however, some are higher-quality than others. Taking a poorly written practice exam can cause you to study the wrong things and give you an inaccurate picture of what the real AP exam will be like.

In this guide, I'll go over every AP Statistics practice test available, explain if and how you should use each one, and end with a schedule you can follow to help you incorporate practice tests into your study plans.

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Every AP Environmental Science Practice Test Available

Are you preparing for the Environmental Science AP exam? One of the best ways to study for the test and figure out how well you're doing is to take practice tests. Practice tests let you see what kinds of questions you'll be asked on the exam and also help you figure out which subjects or types of questions you struggle with and need to review more. Finding practice tests can be time-consuming, and, unfortunately, not all AP practice tests are created equally when it comes to available materials.

But we're here to help. In this guide, we'll provide links to all AP Environmental Science practice tests that are currently available, point out which are the highest quality, and explain how you should be using them in your prep.

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Every AP Calculus AB Practice Test Available: Free and Official

One of the best ways to prepare for the AP Calculus AB exam, as well as stay on top of lessons in class throughout the year, is to take regular practice tests. Taking practice tests lets you estimate how well you'll do on the AP exam, shows you the areas you need to focus your studies on, and helps you become more comfortable with the format of the AP exam.

There are a ton of AB Calc practice tests available; however, not all of them are created equally. Taking a poorly written practice test can give you a false idea of what the real AP exam will be like and cause you to study the wrong things.

You can avoid those problems by reading this guide to AP Calculus AB practice tests. I'll go through every AP Calculus AB practice exam that's available, tell you which are highest quality, and explain how you should use practice tests when preparing for the AP exam as well as throughout the year.

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Is AP Computer Science Principles Hard?

Before deciding to take any AP class, it's helpful to get an idea of whether you'll be able to manage the coursework and the exam. AP Computer Science Principles is less known by many students than more popular AP exams like US History and Biology, and many don't know what to expect from it.

Is AP Computer Science Principles hard? What if you're already pretty good at coding? (Or what if you've never coded before?) In this guide, we'll go over the five factors to consider when judging the difficulty of any AP class and explain how you can use this information to predict how hard AP Comp Sci Principles will be for you.

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The Expert's Guide to the AP Music Theory Exam

Are you taking the AP Music Theory exam this spring and want to be well prepared on test day? The AP Music Theory exam in 2022 will be held on Friday, May 13, at 8 am. AP Music Theory is different from most other AP exams; it's more like a foreign language exam than anything else, with lots of audio clips and "translation." Knowing what to expect will go a long way to helping you feel confident on test day.

In this guide, we'll answer all your pressing questions like, "What is on the AP Music Theory exam?" "Is AP Music Theory hard?" and, maybe most importantly, "Do you have to sing in AP Music Theory?" (spoiler: kind of!). Read on to learn all those answers and more.

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4 Top Tips to Make AP Biology FRQs a Breeze

AP Biology is known for being one of the tougher AP exams, and, for most students, the free-response section is the hardest part of the test. In 2021, the average score for every free-response question was less than a 50%! However, knowing what to expect can make it easier to get a great score on AP Biology FRQ. And in this guide, we explain everything you need to know to ace this section. Read on to learn the format of AP Biology FRQ, what graders are looking for, what the questions will look like, and what you can do to be well-prepared on exam day.

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AP Physics 1 FRQ: Everything You Need to Know

AP Physics 1 is known for being a tough test. In fact, in 2021 it had the lowest passing rate of all the AP exams. Only 42% of students who took the AP Physics 1 exam passed it, and only 7% got a 5, the highest score. And the section students struggle the most with is the free-response section. 

But you've come to the right place! This guide will go over everything you need to know about the AP Physics 1 free-response section and how to ace it. We cover the format of the AP Physics 1 section, what example questions look like, what graders are looking for, and how you can come into exam day confident and well prepared.

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What Is AP Computer Science Principles? Should You Take the Exam?

Are you thinking about taking AP Computer Science Principles but aren't sure if it's the right class for you? Or maybe you're already enrolled but want to put yourself in the best position to score well on the AP exam? There are aspects of the class and AP Computer Science Principles exam that are quite different compared to other APs, and the earlier you know what to expect, the better prepared you'll be. That's where we come in!

Read this article to learn what the AP Computer Science Principles course covers, what the two (very different) parts of the exam look like, and what the best practice resources and study tips are to help you feel confident well before exam day.

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AP Micro vs AP Macro: How Do the Economics Exams Compare?

Trying to decide whether to take AP Microeconomics or AP Macroeconomics? Despite their similar names, these two AP classes actually cover quite different topics, and there may be one that appeals to you much more than the other. But how to know? That's where we come in! This guide covers everything you need to know in the AP Micro vs AP Macro debate. You'll learn what the differences between macro and microeconomics are, how the two courses and exams differ, which class is harder, and how you can decide which will be the best AP economics course for you.

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6 Steps to a Perfect AP European History DBQ

Are you taking AP Euro and are wondering about the AP Euro DBQ essay? The DBQ is quite different from a typical school essay, and students often struggle with it during the AP exam. However, knowing what to expect from the AP Euro DBQ will go a long way towards helping you feel more confident, as well as getting a great score! Read this in-depth guide to learn all about what to expect from the AP Euro DBQ, what graders are looking for in your essay, a step-by-step guide to writing a DBQ, and three key tips to keep in mind when going over AP Euro DBQ example questions.

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The Complete Guide to AP Macroeconomics FRQs

Most students who take AP Macroeconomics find the free-response section to be the hardest part of the exam. You need to be able to write thoughtfully about economic concepts, analyze data, and create clear and accurate graphs—all with a tough time crunch. The good news is that, once you know what to expect from AP Macroeconomics free-response questions, this section is actually fairly straightforward. Read this guide to learn everything you need to know about AP Macro FRQ, including what the questions cover, what sample AP Macro questions look like, and exactly what you need to study to be well prepared on exam day.

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