Earning a 3 or above on an AP test is a great way to earn college credit and let college admissions officers know that you are capable of handling college-level coursework. 

It’s important that you are well-prepared for your AP exams so that you are able to do well on the test and open doors for your future.

To earn a good score on an AP exam, you need to make sure you spend adequate time studying. This means you need to know when your AP test dates are far in advance so that you can map out a study plan.

2022 Test Dates

With the exception of the AP Chinese and the AP Japanese Exams, which are always administered on computers, all of the AP tests will be administered on paper and in person over the course of two weeks: May 2-May 6 and May 9-May 13.

Here are the specific dates for each AP test administration that will be offered in the spring of 2022 (note: the times posted below will be your local time):

Test Date	Morning (8 a.m.)	Afternoon (12 p.m.)	Afternoon (2 p.m.)
May 2, 2022	Japanese Language and Culture United States Government and Politics	Chemistry Spanish Literature and Culture
May 3, 2022	Environmental Science	Psychology
May 4, 2022	English Literature and Composition	Comparative Government and Politics Computer Science A
May 5, 2022	Human Geography Macroeconomics	Seminar Statistics
May 6, 2022	European History United States History	Art History Microeconomics
May 9, 2022	Calculus AB Calculus BC	Computer Science Principles Italian Language and Culture
May 10, 2022	English Language and Composition	Physics C: Mechanics	Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
May 11, 2022	Chinese Language and Culture Spanish Language and Culture	Biology
May 12, 2022	French Language and Culture World History: Modern	Physics 1: Algebra-Based
May 13, 2022	German Language and Culture Music Theory	Latin Physics 2: Algebra-Based

When you are aware of the test dates, you can create a study schedule to help you manage your workload and ensure you’re covering all of the material you need to know before you take the test.

Preparing for AP exams

Now that you know the test dates for the AP test, you can start preparing to take your exams.

Here are a few steps you can take to get started:

Map out the test content

Before you can start studying effectively, you need to know what information is going to be on your test.

Fortunately, the College Board has an AP course index that details the content that will be taught in each class.

You can look at an overview of the different units here or click to visit each course page where you will find in-depth explanations of each unit as well as the percentage of the exam that will be spent on each topic.

Many students also use course materials like the graded papers, practice quizzes, and major assignments from their AP classes. This is a good starting point if you want to see what information will be on the test, but it should not be your  main resource.

Remember, AP teachers have some leeway when it comes to the topics that they cover, so while looking at their syllabus and materials will give you a good idea of what to expect on test day, it may not be an exhaustive list. 

I highly recommend reviewing the AP course index linked above so that you can get a full picture of all of the concepts that will be covered.

Another resource you can use is an AP test prep book for the exams you signed up to take. This will give you helpful tips and content review that will be useful as you study for the test.

When you gather these resources together you can put together a list of the essential information that you will need to master before test day.

Create a study plan

Once you know the topics and units that will be on the test, you can create a study plan that will help you tackle all of these subjects before May.

I suggest that you focus heavily on test content for the majority of your study time and start including test-taking strategies and prep as the test gets closer so that you are able to have a solid understanding of the test material.

Review AP test practice materials

When it comes to preparing for just about anything in life, practice makes perfect. If you incorporate daily practice and review into your study schedule, you will be better off when it is time for you to take the test.

The College Board provides many practice videos and materials you can use to review through AP Classroom.

Ask your teacher to give you access to these materials so that you can study released practice questions, watch AP Daily Videos, and track your progress as you take the course. 

Work with a private tutor

Working with a private tutor will help you master the material that will be covered in your AP exams. While AP teachers teach students the content that is tested on the AP tests, it can still be hard for some students to do well on the exam.

This is for a few key reasons:

• AP classes can be structured differently, and some teachers may make the class more difficult than others.
• AP classes require teachers to focus on the class rather than individual students, so when the class is ready to move on to a new concept, students who are struggling to grasp the previous concept may have to move forward before they are ready.
• AP classes prioritize teaching content over teaching test-taking strategies and ways to game the test.

This means that some students who take an AP class might feel like they are not completely prepared to do well on an AP exam. 

If you are in this boat, a private tutor can help. Because you will be working one-on-one with your tutor, you will be able to move at the pace that is best for you, and your tutor can slow down and spend more time on the topics that give you the most difficulty. Your private tutor will also be able to assess your strengths and weaknesses, allowing the two of you to come up with an effective studying strategy. As they monitor your progress and test day approaches, you will be able to strengthen your weaknesses and increase your confidence and your capabilities on test day.

Prep Expert offers affordable private tutoring that will help you prepare for your AP exams. All of our expert tutors have the teaching expertise to effectively communicate difficult concepts and strategies, and they all scored highly on their own AP tests.

Sign up for private tutoring today!