Since the start of the school year, students have worked tirelessly in their classes. In May, many will be tested on their knowledge through AP exams.
Haven offers 28 AP courses, according to the school profile. The profile notes that 442 students—about 38% of the student body—took 863 AP exams in 2024. Over 80 percent of students earned a 3 or higher.
For many juniors and seniors, and even some sophomores and freshmen, this is their first time taking an AP exam. As a result, many are worried that they will be unprepared. Students who have taken AP tests in the past, however, have learned important study skills and tricks.
“I think starting to make practice materials earlier is important because it’s less added stress when I’m actually trying to study,” junior Ainsley Sullivan said.
Along with gathering necessary study materials ahead of time, students should also give themselves adequate time to study.
“I’m probably going to start studying earlier, because last year it was mostly just the week before,” junior Sofia Tsetseni said.
Students may be studying differently or devoting different amounts of time to studying depending on which class. Some classes involve more in-class preparation, while others rely more on students studying outside of class.
“I think I’ll be mostly prepared for AP Seminar studying in class, so I probably won’t do much studying outside of class for that,” junior Maisie Strachan said. “But for AP Environmental Science and AP Calc, I’ll probably start studying a few weeks before.”
Many students may also study differently depending on which semester they took the class. Taking an AP in the fall compared to taking it in the spring can change the way you study immensely.
“If you’re taking it in the fall, I would start making practice materials while you’re taking the class because a big break can make information harder to recall,” Sullivan said.
First-time AP takers may feel stressed or overwhelmed when taking them.
“A lot of upperclassmen told me to try not to get overwhelmed with the APs because they’re really not as bad as people make them seem,” sophomore Brendan Hogg said.
Students may feel unprepared to take AP exams, but Strachan offers advice for taking and worrying about upcoming exams.
“The exams are pretty much the stuff that we do in class,” Strachan said. “The actual exam itself isn’t necessarily super difficult, and you really don’t have to be super prepared for them either. You don’t have to know everything to do good.”
