The Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs are both high school programs that offer college-level courses and the opportunity to earn college credit.
So what's the difference between AP and IB? Does one look more impressive than the other? Which will improve your odds of getting into a top school the most? We will introduce you to both programs and explain which one will look more impressive on your college applications.
A lot of students wonder if there's a specific AP English reading list of books they should be reading to succeed on the AP Literature and Composition exam. While there's not an official College-Board AP reading list, there are books that will be more useful for you to read than others as you prepare for the exam. In this article, I'll break down why you need to read books to prepare, how many you should plan on reading, and what you should read—including poetry.
Preparing for AP exams can feel like a Sisyphean task. On top of keeping up with the demanding coursework and all your other obligations, you have to prepare for a three-hour, multi-part exam?
Yes, you do—but more importantly, you can! If you don't know how to study for AP exams, this is the guide for you. I'll cover all the major steps to AP success, including content review, exam skill-building, and prepping for triumph on test day.
If you're planning to take the AP Language (or AP Lang) exam, you might already know that 55% of your overall exam score will be based on three essays. The first of the three essays you'll have to write on the AP Language exam is called the "synthesis essay." If you want to earn full points on this portion of the AP Lang Exam, you need to know what a synthesis essay is and what skills are assessed by the AP Lang synthesis essay.
In this article, we'll explain the different aspects of the AP Lang synthesis essay, including what skills you need to demonstrate in your synthesis essay response in order to achieve a good score. We'll also give you a full breakdown of a real AP Lang Synthesis Essay prompt, provide an analysis of an AP Lang synthesis essay example, and give you four tips for how to write a synthesis essay.
Let's get started by taking a closer look at how the AP Lang synthesis essay works!
One great thing about the AP Physics 1 exam is that exam takers have access to a table of equations and formulas to reference during the exam (which is often referred to as the "AP Physics 1 equation sheet").
But the AP Physics 1 reference tables include a lot of information! If you aren't already familiar with the formula sheet before you take the exam, you might end up wasting valuable time trying to navigate the different equations and remember when and how to use them.
To help you out, we've developed a PrepScholar Physics 1 equation sheet. This sheet contains all the equations you'll see on the actual AP Physics 1 equation sheet plus additional explanations to help you use it as a study tool.
In the rest of this article, we're going to give you a detailed explanation of each table of information supplied on the AP Physics 1 equation sheet and explain how it can be used on the exam. We'll also give you three tips for using the formula sheet on the exam, and three tips for using the formula sheet to study for the exam.
If you've taken AP exams, you might be wondering how to send AP scores to colleges. How do you ensure that colleges get your AP scores? Is it possible to send official AP score reports?
Here, we give you a complete guide that goes over how to send AP scores, which colleges want to see these scores with your applications, and how you can save money on sending scores.
If you have started high school recently or are due to start soon, you might be wondering, "What are AP classes?" You might have heard that they are extra-advanced or that you can earn college credit by passing AP exams. But how do these classes work exactly?
Read on for our guide to AP courses and learn how these special classes can get you ahead.
As you begin to prepare for your AP exams, you’ll need to consider which kinds of study tools will help you make the most of your prep time and help you meet your target score.
One of the most important study tools in your arsenal is the AP practice test. This is true no matter which AP exam you’re taking. In this article, I’ll go over why you should use AP practice tests, what roles they can serve in your studying process, and how to find the best AP practice exams for any AP.
Once you've decided to self-study for an AP, you'll need to choose an exam that's right for you. With dozens of potential choices, it might seem overwhelming.
I can demystify the choice for you. First, I'll give you four important factors to consider when you make your choice. Then, I'll list the five easiest APs to self-study for. After that, I'll touch on some other solid self-study choices before wrapping up with a few AP exams you should not try to study for on your own.
Most AP tests are very challenging, and scores don't always turn out the way you imagined they would. If you're concerned that you've forfeited any chance of getting college credit, can you retake an AP exam? In this article, I'll show you how you can bounce back from a low AP score to end up with college credits and AP Scholar Awards.
So you’re taking a couple AP classes, they’re going well, and you feel pretty good about most of the material. The exam in May seems a long way off. Do you need to start studying? The answer is, that depends! Every student and every exam is different.
However, my general advice is to start studying no later than the midpoint of the school year. (That would be after winter break for most of you.) Why the midpoint of the year? Keep reading to find out!
I’ll also discuss how many hours you should plan to prep based on how the course is going and what score you are aiming for. Then I’ll present some strategies for determining how you should balance general conceptual review of the material and dedicated exam prep like taking practice exams. Finally, I’ll make suggestions as to when and how you should study based on overall course subject (math, science, foreign language, and so on.)
Note that in this article I’m going to generally assume that you are taking the class for which you are going to take the AP exam. For self-study, see my article on studying for AP exams without taking the class.
It's hard to know where to start with your AP US History review. It's one of the tougher APs based on the thinking skills it requires and the amount of content it covers. You can't just read over your notes and expect to get a high score on the final exam in May.
In this guide, we give you a basic outline of what's on the AP US History exam, provide study tips, and lay out a step-by-step prep plan that you can customize to your needs.
AP US Government can be a fascinating class for students who are interested in how the American political system works and what factors led to its formation. While the exam is less difficult than many other AP exams, it's still important that you understand the types of questions and the most efficient ways to study for AP Government.
In this extensive AP Gov review guide, we'll go through sample test questions, list a step-by-step AP Government review process, and give you tips for making the most of your prep.
Are you taking AP classes this year and wondering how long AP tests are? Or maybe you are thinking about taking AP classes in the future, and you're curious about how long AP exams are and what they're like.
In this post, we break down the typical length and structure of AP tests and give you tips on dealing with fatigue during the test. We'll use some of the most popular tests as examples, including the AP English tests, Biology, AB Calculus, and US History. But we'll also give tips and advice that will help you for any AP test.
Taking the AP Calc BC exam can feel like a lot of pressure: you want to earn college credit for your AP class, but the test is pretty tough!
But there are a few things you can do to make the AP Calculus BC exam a little easier, like understanding the exam's format, the topics it covers, and how it's scored. Knowing what to expect before you take the AP Calc BC exam can help you earn a higher score!
To give you all the inside information you need about the AP Calculus BC Exam, we’ll explain the following in this article:
The regularly scheduled date for the AP Calc BC exam is May 5th at 8:00 a.m., so you'll want to start preparing as early as possible. (Good thing this article has you covered, huh?)
So let’s get started!
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Holly R.
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