How Long Should I Self Study for Th Ecpc Exam Before Taking It Again

AP cocky-written report is when you written report for an AP exam on your own and then take the AP test without taking the class. This is possible because the College Board does not actually require you lot to have the class associated with a given AP examination to have the test!

Yous might be request yourself: why do people self-written report? Is cocky-studying right for me? Then, one time you lot've decided to self-study, and yous've called the AP test you lot want to study for, yous may detect yourself wondering how to become about preparing for the examination on your ain. Where should you beginning? What do you demand to comprehend? What materials should you use?

Never fear, intrepid cocky-studiers! My 7-step arroyo to self-studying, from deciding if cocky-studying is correct for y'all to taking the exam, will explain exactly how to self-study for an AP test and assist you tackle the task alee of you lot in a way that is manageable, makes sense, and prepares you for the exam. Onward and upwards!

Footstep one: Make up one's mind If Cocky-Studying Is Something You Should Exercise

Before nosotros get into how to self-study, brand sure it's the right approach for you.

You might cocky-study for a variety of reasons: your schedule doesn't allow you to take an AP course when it's offered at your school, your school doesn't offer an AP form in a subject you desire to study, y'all take a pre-existing knowledge base of operations in a field of study (like a foreign language y'all speak at home), and and then on. Some students also self-report for an AP exam while they are taking the non-AP version of a form. For example, you might self-written report for AP Biology while yous are taking Honors Biology and just supplement what you learn in class with the actress material that'south covered on the AP exam.

These are all valid reasons to self-study. When you do determine whether or not to self-study, you'll need to consider how self-motivated you are, how much time y'all really have to do extra studying exterior of grade, and how difficult the exam you want to take is.

In full general, yous'll want to self-written report for an AP exam that is limited in scope, not too conceptual (so no Calculus!), and that you are interested in. Some popular self-study choices include AP Environmental Scientific discipline, AP Human Geography, and AP Psychology.

For further info on self-study, as well as a guide to deciding whether or not to self-written report, you can see my introduction to AP cocky-study. To help y'all cull a cocky-study exam, you tin besides see my list of Best APs to Cocky-Study.

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Step 2: Figure Out What You Need to Learn

I'k bold y'all accept a general idea of what your chosen self-report test is about, or you wouldn't have picked it. But yous need more that to prepare—you need specific, actionable noesis on exactly what the test is going to comprehend.

Exactly what you personally need to embrace volition depend a lot on where you are starting from. If you lot already accept a basic proficiency in the skill or subject, y'all will non need to comprehend the material as comprehensively as you volition if you are starting from scratch. Similarly, if you are going to self-study for an AP while y'all are in the Honors (or other non-AP) version of the grade, you will but need to cover the material that won't be taught in the classroom.

No affair your situation, though, you will need to compare what you know with what you are required to know for the exam. And so you lot'll need a consummate listing of all of the core competencies necessary for the AP test.

For this, yous will desire to turn to your trusty College Board website. The commencement thing you'll want to look at is the "AP Course and Exam Clarification" for the form y'all are self-studying. Find this document on the chief class page which you can access from the College Board's AP Educatee list of AP courses. This document volition include a comprehensive description of the skills and content areas you need to know for the examination.

(Notation: for courses that haven't been revised for a long fourth dimension, the document will just exist called "AP Course Clarification.")

Examine this certificate closely; accept split notes on what things you lot all the same demand to learn based on the grade description. If yous have preexisting knowledge in the subject, you should also notation content areas listed in the description that you already have a handle on and things that y'all sort of know only might be shaky on. If y'all are self-studying concurrently with a non-AP class, it will help you a lot to accept a copy of the syllabus for your non-AP grade. This will allow you see what the exam covers but your class doesn't, and those are going to be the areas to focus on.

You should also look at the teacher resources on the AP course inspect folio for the course you are self-studying. There, y'all'll be able to await at sample syllabi for the course. This may help y'all clarify some of the competencies in the grade clarification if y'all aren't sure exactly what they mean. You can besides come across textbook recommendations from the College Lath on this page.

Essentially, you'll apply the College Lath's resource to develop your own document describing what yous demand to larn before the exam. It doesn't quite have to be a syllabus, merely that'south more or less how it will office for you—it volition assistance you keep track of what yous've learned and what yous still need to embrace.

This tin can be a working document—if you realize during the course of your prep that at that place's a topic expanse you missed, or i that doesn't seem particularly relevant for the exam later all, feel free to modify stuff around! This is only how you lot'll institute a starting signal for your training.

On your marker, become set, prep!

Step 3: Brand a Schedule and Stick to It!

In one case you've gotten a working document of what you lot demand to cover for the test, dissever it up into a schedule. Again, some topics may finish up taking you lot a picayune longer than you idea, and some may have less time. This is fine, only then long as you keep a steady step and don't fall way behind in your schedule.

In addition to having an overall schedule — cover topic X for two weeks, Y for three weeks—make a schedule of when you are going to sit downward and prepare every week. Having consistent times each week that you set aside for cocky-study prep will keep yous on track and make it easier to get through the material. To that end, you may as well desire to make up one's mind on a specific place where you're going to study: your kitchen table, the library, your grandma'due south back porch—wherever, but a consistent place where yous can work gratis of distractions will make preparation feel more than routine and go along you motivated.

Step 4: Find and Utilize a Diversity of Study Resources

Once you lot've drawn up a rough schedule, yous'll need to figure out how you're going to learn the material: what resource volition you use?

I recommend using a multifariousness of resource. Processing the information multiple ways and in multiple formats will help you retain it and keep the studying process interesting (well, as interesting as it tin can be). That said, exercise exist aware of how you learn all-time—if you aren't an auditory learner, for example, podcasts won't be a particularly useful written report tool for you lot.

Here are four kinds of study resource y'all might consider.

Textbooks

A good textbook is, in truth, the most important item in your arsenal for nigh AP exams. Information technology's your one-finish learning shop that will help you acquire the material, structure your preparation, and try out review questions. So, it's critical that y'all choose a good one (or good ones! There's no rule that you can't use more than one textbook to set up).

Here are some ideas for finding good textbooks:

• Cheque the College Board'southward list of textbook recommendations on the AP course audit page for your exam.

• If you're cocky-studying for an AP course that is actually offered at your school, you might see what textbook is used for the class. Ask students what they think of information technology and if they find information technology helpful.

• Read reviews of any textbook you lot are thinking about purchasing (or getting from the library). Pay special attention to whether or not students felt it prepared them for the exam.

• You tin also see our textbook recommendations for AP US History, AP Biology, AP Chemical science, and AP Psychology.

Review Books

A good review book is probably the 2nd-nearly of import resource a self-studier tin can take, afterwards a good textbook.

It isn't necessarily the best way to larn the material in a comprehensive mode, just a lucid, exam-focused prep volume will help you review everything that's near of import to remember for the exam. As the day of your test draws closer, review books will help ensure all the knowledge you learned by self-studying stays in your head.

To find a expert prep volume, read reviews! Nosotros have recommendations for AP US History, AP Biology, AP Human Geography, and AP Psychology, but you lot can also look on Amazon, Higher Confidential, and elsewhere for reviews. The Princeton Review and Barron's are ii mostly well-regarded AP review book sources, but making certain y'all're getting the best book for the specific class you are studying is important.

Don't practice this to your books if you got them from the library, delight.

Online Content Providers and MOOCs

You will probably get the existent meat of your cocky-study material from your trusty textbook(s) and review book(s), but there are other, supplemental resources that tin assist yous larn and review AP concepts. Online lecture videos and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are an excellent example of a supplementary resources you might use for self-written report.

Massive Open Online Courses are online classes created by educational institutions to make their educational resource accessible to a broader audition. They generally involve lecture videos; some also have boosted fabric similar practice exercises and assessments. Many of them are free!

You tin use online lecture videos and MOOCs to learn all kinds of cloth. Some will accept a more general, topical focus that is not AP-specific; others are specifically for learning AP material and review.

Fifty-fifty AP-specific MOOCs are by and large not accredited by the Higher Board (i.due east. they do non have the College Board's official seal of approval, similar an AP class at your high school). This just means that you should stick to the most reputable providers and look for reviews from other self-studiers if yous can find them. (Y'all might try to College Confidential forums or the Reddit AP pages.)

Some of the best online content and MOOC providers:

• Khan University offers tons of gratis educational modules on a huge variety of topics covered by AP exams. In improver to awesome video lessons, they accept helpful quizzes to check your skills. You can likewise find most of their videos on their YouTube channel.

• EdX, founded by Harvard and MIT, has tons of complimentary MOOC modules applicative to the AP, including some specifically targeted to AP exams.

• Coursera also offers tons of relevant MOOCs from a variety of colleges and universities.

One of the single most important parts of your college awarding is what classes you cull to take in high school (in conjunction with how well y'all do in those classes). Our team of PrepScholar admissions experts have compiled their noesis into this single guide to planning out your high school course schedule. We'll advise you on how to rest your schedule between regular and honors/AP/IB courses, how to choose your extracurriculars, and what classes yous can't afford non to take.

Podcasts and YouTube Videos

Podcasts and YouTube videos are some other great supplemental resource for learning about specific topics and concepts. You can discover channels on everything from WWII History to astronomy to strange language learning—definitely poke effectually to see what might be useful!

To give y'all a head-first, hither are some helpful resources you lot might desire to cheque out, sorted past topic:

General (Little Chip of Everything)

TedEd - a YouTube aqueduct from the people who bring you Ted Talks. Videos on all kinds of subjects that could be useful for your AP exam.

Scientific discipline

The SciShow — This YouTube aqueduct explains all kinds of scientific phenomena. Probably of specific interest to AP Bio self-studiers, as there are lots of explanations of biological processes (and answers to some very important questions, like whether or not you take to surrender bacon.)

The Naked Scientists — a podcast covering all kinds of science topics. Useful for self-studying any science AP. (But delight don't self-study AP chemistry or AP physics! I'm very serious! See my list of best AP classes to self-study if yous don't believe me).

History

Biography aqueduct — Their YouTube channel offers tons of "mini-biography" videos for notable historical figures. A good fashion to learn some key points most the major players in your history textbook.

APUSH review by Adam Norris — a YouTube aqueduct about, you guessed information technology, reviewing AP US History. He also has videos on AP Government.

The Podcast History of Our World — A podcast series focusing on earth history. About of the current episodes cover ancient history (so, periods 1 and 2 for the AP World History exam).

The History Chicks — A podcast by women about notable women from history. Mostly Euro-centric.

English

Grammar Girl — A podcast with super-short episodes on grammar and writing tips. If there's a particular idiom or grammatical rule that trips you up, this is a not bad resources!

Foreign Language

Audiria — A podcast site specifically for Spanish-language learners. You tin can pick podcasts by difficulty level and topic. How absurd is that?

An early podcaster in his native element.

Step 5: Take Notes and Self-Assess

While you're consuming all of your tiptop-quality study resources—reading your textbook, watching your Khan University videos, perusing your review volume—it'south very important that you interact with the material. That means take notes!

I know; taking notes is boring and not fun. Simply you lot will employ your cocky-written report fourth dimension more efficiently if you take good notes that you tin refer back to later. This way, when it'southward fourth dimension to review everything you've learned, you'll accept an piece of cake, comprehensive resource to expect at. Y'all don't have to take regular outline-based notes if you don't desire to. You lot could draw out a mind map or make flashcards for the content yous acquire instead. (In fact, I highly recommend making flashcards at some point for content-heavy courses like AP Biology or the history APs.) The of import affair is that yous are making a tape of the significant information equally y'all learn it, to help you retain it and to help you review.

On a similar note, it'due south also important that you occasionally test yourself to make sure you are actually learning the material. Your trusty textbook probably has practice problems at the finish of each chapter y'all can complete. As you learn more material, you'll probably want to use AP practice tests to make sure yous're really getting at the essential cognition for the examination (run across pace seven for more on AP practise exams).

Step half-dozen: Register for the Test!

This is an essential step that you will demand to complete in early March. If your school offers AP courses, you'll demand to talk to your school's AP test coordinator (probably a guidance advisor) about ordering the examination for you.

If your school doesn't offering AP courses, you will need to call AP Services (domestic number 888-225-5427) past March one to get the information for schools in your area that will test outside students. You will then need to become in touch with the school the College Lath directs you to past March xv.

Yous tin see complete instructions for registering for the test hither, including registering for an test your school doesn't offer.

Registering volition set up you back $94. If you authorize for financial assistance from the College Board, you'll go a $32 discount.

You lot should as well remember to make arrangements with your regular teachers since y'all'll exist missing form the day of your exam.

Not much else to say hither except that if you forget to complete this footstep, all your prep time will exist for naught!

Step vii: Exam Prep and Review

When the test starts to depict closer—I would say around the midpoint of your designated study time—yous'll want to offset reviewing material you already covered and prepping for the examination format. This is when you lot'll desire to bust out your notes/flashcards, your review book(s), and your do tests. Run across my article on finding the best AP practice tests for tips on how to find top-quality practice resource.

Do AP tests will help familiarize you lot with the exam format and permit yous know how to adjust your studying and what to focus on going frontwards. If you lot keep missing questions about the Enlightenment even though yous already covered it, y'all'll know to go dorsum and review that some more.

In terms of how many practice tests you should complete, that's somewhat dependent on how much fourth dimension you've allotted for self-written report, merely somewhere in the three-five range volition work for most students. You may exercise more individual free-response or short-respond practice questions than that, just in terms of complete practice tests, 3 to 5 should be sufficient.

You should plan to wrap up learning new content a few weeks to a month before the examination so you tin dedicate the concluding few weeks solely to reviewing content and practicing. This will help you make certain that everything is polished and ready, and you aren't scrambling to cram information on the Ceremonious Rights Motility into your head the dark earlier the test.

Once y'all're all prepped, all that's left is to take the test! Be sure to do all the usual test-taking best practices like getting a practiced dark'southward sleep and packing everything y'all demand the night before, and then go stone that thing!

Stone information technology like this stack of rocks!

Staying Motivated While Cocky-Studying

Even with a solid study plan, it can be hard to stay motivated when you lot are taking on a pretty big project like studying for an AP exam on your ain. So here are three tips for keeping on job when y'all self-study:

#1: Build in Rewards

If you can think of a reward to give yourself every time you complete a scheduled report session and for milestones in your self-studying procedure, you'll have an easier fourth dimension staying on track. Maybe you'll watch an episode of your favorite show to close out every report session or broil cookies every fourth dimension yous finish out a topic area. The central is to save that reward for studying—so no binge-watching your show outside of study sessions or baking cookies for no reason! That mode you'll continue the reward tied to your progress.

#ii: Recruit a Report Buddy

If you know someone else who is self-studying, study together! Information technology doesn't even have to be the same AP only so long every bit you are consistently meeting. This will help ensure that you show up for study sessions. Make a pact to assistance keep each other on rail, though—don't autumn into the habit of goofing off together during your study times instead!

#3: Be Accountable to Someone

Even if you don't have a defended study buddy, you tin can however brand yourself accountable to someone else—a parent, friend, or other trusted person in your life. Tell them your report schedule and enquire them to help you enforce it. If you can get them to text or call you when it's time for you to starting time studying and ask y'all most your progress throughout the year, information technology will help you keep on chore. At that place's cypher like knowing someone else expects you to get something washed to aid you push through!

I'm answerable to this donut...for eating information technology.

Key Takeaways

You'll observe cocky-studying much easier if you're armed with a plan. Hither are my half dozen steps to self-study success:

1. Figure out what you need to learn.
2. Make a schedule.
3. Detect a variety of high-quality materials.
4. Accept notes and self-assess as you larn.
5. Register for the test.
6. Prep for the exam and review what you lot've learned!

Fifty-fifty with a program, information technology tin be hard to stay motivated. Some strategies that might work for you include:

1. Advantage yourself for getting piece of work washed.
2. Observe someone to report with!
3. Exist accountable to someone else.

Now you know how to cocky-report for an AP exam. If you follow these steps and put in the piece of work, you'll be sure to hit your target score!

What'due south Next?

If you want to know all of your AP form and exam options, we have a consummate listing.

Thinking about online AP courses every bit an alternative to self-report? Encounter my introduction to online AP courses and reviews of the best online AP form options.

Be sure to check out our guide to the redesigned SAT to see what's been changed. You might as well think about taking the ACT instead.

Want to ameliorate your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by four points? Nosotros've written a guide for each test about the elevation 5 strategies you must exist using to take a shot at improving your score. Download information technology for costless now:

Take friends who too need help with examination prep? Share this commodity!

Most the Writer

Ellen has extensive education mentorship feel and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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Source: https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-self-study-for-ap-exams

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