SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

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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Every AP Chemistry Practice Test Available: Free and Official

What's the best way to study for AP Chemistry? Practice, practice, practice. This article will provide you with links to every practice test and quiz for AP Chemistry that's available online, including full official and unofficial tests, shorter quizzes that cover each topic area, and other prep services you can access with a subscription!

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Every AP US History Practice Exam Available: Free and Official

If you want to do well on the AP US History exam, you have to practice! Practice tests can help you organize your prep logically around areas of the curriculum that are most challenging for you. This article provides a complete list of all official and unofficial AP US History practice test materials available online, as well as detailed instructions and tips on how to use them in your studying.

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The 5 Best AP Chemistry Books: Full Expert Reviews

The more challenging the subject, the more helpful it is to have a good review book. Since AP Chemistry is considered one of the most difficult classes in the AP canon, it's smart to pick up some additional resources to aid in your studying.

There are quite a few popular review books out there, but some are more useful than others. In this guide, I'll provide detailed descriptions of the best AP Chemistry review books so you can choose the right one based on your needs as a student.

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The 4 Best AP Psychology Books: Full Expert Reviews

There are many AP Psychology books that claim to be the best review tool for students; however, they aren't all telling the truth. Some review books might be better for you based on what type of student you are or the amount of guidance you need in your studying.

In this article, I'll give you a list of the best AP Psychology textbooks and review books so you can find the one that will help you get your very best score on the AP Psychology exam.

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The Best AP Chemistry Review Guide 2022

Not sure how to begin studying for the AP Chemistry exam? This review guide will help you figure out what's on the test and how you can ace it.

I'll go over the AP Chem exam structure, provide sample questions in each format, list the concepts you can expect to see on the test, and give you some tips on how to get the most out of your studying. I just looked into my PrepScholar Crystal Ball™ and saw a 5 in your future, so get ready to kick this test's butt.

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The Best AP Psychology Notes to Study With

Note-taking can be tricky, even for the most conscientious high school students. It's hard to sort through a whole year's worth of material, especially in an AP class that covers a wide range of topics and theories.

This article is intended to serve as a one-stop shop for comprehensive notes on all the major topics covered in AP Psychology. Whether you lost your class notes on cognition or just want an easier way to see everything in one place, the links in this article will help make your study process more focused and less stressful!

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The Ultimate Guide to the AP Spanish Literature Exam

The AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam is an excellent opportunity to show off your critical reading, writing, and analytical skills in another language while earning college credit in the process. 

But conquering the course material is only the beginning. You need to learn everything there is to know about the exam to boost your chances of earning a passing score (and college credit) to boot!

In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know to start prepping for the AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam, including: 

  • The structure and format of the AP Spanish Lit exam
  • The core themes and skills you’ll be tested on
  • The types of questions that appear on the exam and how to answer them (with real AP student sample responses!)
  • How the AP Spanish Lit exam is scored, with official scoring rubrics
  • Four crucial tips for prepping for the AP Spanish Lit exam

There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!

 

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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 Complete Guide to the AP Comparative Government and Politics Exam

The AP Comparative Government and Politics exam tests your knowledge of how the political systems in different countries are similar and different. The exam requires endurance, strong critical thinking, and top-notch writing skills…which means you’ll need to be extra prepared!

If you’re looking for an AP Comparative Government study guide to carry you through all of your AP prep, look no further than this article! We’ll walk you through: 

  • The structure and format of the AP Government — Comparative exam
  • The core themes and skills the exam tests you on
  • The types of questions that show up on the exam and how to answer them (with sample responses from real AP students!)
  • How the AP Comparative Government exam is scored, including official scoring rubrics
  • Four essential tips for preparing for the AP Comparative Government exam

Are you ready? Let’s dive in!

 

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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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The Ultimate APUSH DBQ Guide: Rubric, Examples, and More!

You’ve been working hard in your AP US History class, and now it’s time to start prepping for your APUSH exam. 

But there’s a lot you’ll need to know if you want to do well, especially on the APUSH DBQ section. For instance, you’ll need to understand the APUSH DBQ rubric so you know how you’ll be scored on your answers, and you’ll need to look at a few APUSH DBQ examples so you understand what it takes to 

Luckily for you, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about APUSH DBQs in one easy place. (That place is, uh, here.) We’ll go over: 

  • An explanation of what APUSH DBQs are and why they’re important 
  • A walkthrough covering how APUSH DBQs work on the exam and what to expect
  • A six-step process for writing a great DBQ
  • Four tips for studying for and answering the APUSH DBQs

We’ll also give you an APUSH DBQ rubric and APUSH DBQ examples That’s a lot to talk about, so let’s get going!

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How to Ace the AP World History DBQ: Rubric, Examples, and Tips

AP World History is a challenging class, and in order to get credit for it you’ll have to take an equally challenging exam. And one of the toughest parts of the test is the AP World History document-based question, or AP World DBQ. This question asks you to read and analyze documents on the fly, then write an argumentative essay…all in one hour. 

It can be hard to know what–and how–to study for the AP World History DBQ, especially when you don’t know which documents you’ll receive on test day. But don’t worry: we’ll break down everything you need to know about the AP World History DBQ so you can ace it on test day. (We’ll even give you AP World History DBQ example questions and an AP World History DBQ rubric example!) 

Here’s what we’ll cover:

  • An explanation of what the AP World History DBQ is 
  • A look at how the DBQ works on the AP World History exam
  • A step-by-step process for tackling the AP World History DBQ
  • A guide to studying for and answering the AP World History DBQ

Let’s get going!

 

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