Disclaimer: I am by no means an expert on physics, but I took the exam last year and scored a 5, so maybe some of my tips might help! Studying works differently for everyone, but this is how I personally studied for the exam.
Prerequisite - an AP Physics class is strongly recommended as this is the hardest AP test. If you are self-studying, you must put in a lot of effort!
test prep book / online test material
AP prep books are seriously life savers. I prefer the Princeton Review (for all my AP tests) because of its thoroughness, difficult practice problems, and relative accuracy (the tests/problems are similar to the actual AP test). However, some of the practice problems might have errors in the solution so look out for that. Barron’s is an alternative book that many test takers use.
Princeton Review 2019 Premium
Princeton Review 2019 Regular
Princeton Review 2018 Premium (the one I used)
Princeton Review 2018 Regular
If test books are too pricey, you can also try a 2017 version, or try finding one in the library! Additionally, Khan Academy has good online prep, and you’ll just need to download some practice tests.
Start off with a diagnostic test, which should be in the beginning of the test prep book. This should give you a good idea of what score you should aim for, how much you should study, and what areas you are the weakest in. Look at the score range that you get (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) and your goal for the actual AP test should be 1-2 scores higher than this.
Highlight which topics you need to cover the most! Spend most time on these subjects.
You should know by now which subjects you need the most work on. In the table of contents, the review book should have a list of topics that are covered on the AP exam. The Princeton Review covers these topics:
Uniform Circular Motion, Newton’s Law of Gravitation, and Rotational Motion
Electric Forces and fields
First, ask yourself, how many days/weeks do I have until the exam? (You should start probably during spring break or the second week of April)
Second, how many exams am I taking?
Let’s say that you have exactly four weeks until your exam. You begin studying on 4/9/2019 and your exam date is 5/7/2019. You have two other tests that you will take–AP US History and AP Lang.
1) Prioritize your tests. Look at the test dates. AP Physics is on Tuesday 5/7/2019, AP US History is on friday 5/10/19, and AP Lang is on Wednesday 5/15/2019.
In my case, AP US History and AP Physics are equally high priority. AP Lang is easy for me, and I have an entire weekend to study beforehand, so I won’t study for that until after the AP US History test.
2) Look at your calendar. On what days do you have time to study (2+ hours of time)? Circle those dates. You should spend half of those dates on AP Physics, and the other half on AP US History.
Because you have 10 subjects of AP Physics to cover, reserve 13 of those days to study for AP Physics (10 days reviewing subjects, 3 days review in general). After all, you do have three extra days to study for AP US History.
3) Mark on your calendar what days you will study each subject. For example:
4) Review those chapters. Make sure to do the practice problems at the end of each chapter as well.
Additionally, you should have taken notes during the school year for those subjects. If there are any missing holes in those notes, use the prep book to fill in the missing information.
You should take at least three practice tests:
A test in the middle of review
A test after you have finished reviewing the prep book
You can get these practice tests either from your prep book, or you can take them from online (collegeboard should have some, just google).
My school also offered study sessions so during the weekends where we took practice tests, which I recommend.
A few days before the exam
1) Take that practice test after you finished reviewing the prep book.
Not many people do this. It was helpful for me, but if you have different ways of studying, then you do you!
What I did was compile every single formula / equation / broader concepts / rules / Newton’s Laws, etc on a poster paper/very large piece of paper. This was far more comprehensive and elaborate than the equation sheet provided by the test.
This served as another way to refresh concepts and embed information into my head.
Or, you can simply use the notes that you took during the test!
Try not to cram too much information. You should do either a short answer practice section, or a multiple choice practice section–whichever you feel you need the most work on. Then, read over your notes/your compiled study guide.
Bring all necessary materials such as your study ID, a snack, water bottle, pencils/pens, etc.
In the morning, skim over the compiled study guide (not your full notebook) one more time, and only slow down if you are unfamiliar with a concept. If not, don’t study anymore after that!
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