Studying for any test can be exasperating–but AP exams literally bomb you with loads of stress, anxiety, and big expectations. Taking an AP class in high school is already a lot on one’s plate, but a standardized test… it’s a great deal to handle.

AP, or rather, Advanced Placement, are college-level classes that can be taken at any level grade of high school. All AP classes are extremely demanding of an individual, as they are expected to do more work and grasp the content much quicker. But the AP exams are meant to test how well one has mastered the skills of the course. If one scores well enough, it can help you earn college credit.

Exams are around 2 to 3 hours long in length–the first part is multiple choice, and the second is the free response. The MC is two-thirds of your final score, and the free response is the other third. It’s timed–and for you to do well, you need to study and prepare yourself as much as you can in order to get the best score that you can achieve.

Make a plan

You want to be able to make a good schedule that you can stick to it over the next few months. As you ease into it, start off with old material that you’ve covered. Look at worksheets, quizzes, and tests you’ve completed. If needed, research the information if you feel a bit fuzzy on your knowledge. Use the last few weeks prior to the exam to take practice exams and practice questions. Refreshing your memory daily will help retain the information you’re reteaching yourself, so maintaining your study times will assist you in the long run. The test will be much harder than you think, don’t overestimate it!

Stick to it

Make sure you dedicate your time to the subject(s) daily. Keep to your schedule–you want to pick times during the day where you are least likely to be interrupted or when you can concentrate the most. You should study each unit more than once. To help you retain information, it’s best to rewrite it. Rereading it does not aid you in remembering–you’ll most likely forget it after your study session and have trouble recalling it later on. Really, it depends on how much you need to review, and how well you can self-study. To help yourself even more, find out the best way you study, and look up tips on how to study better.

Get additional assistance

If you can’t study well on your own, receiving extra help is the best way to prepare. Or, if you want to become more aware of an AP exam and how it works, can be beneficial. There are many online tutors that can aid you in your studies. They can help you understand parts of the content you are unsure about, and clarify all your questions. It’s much easier this way, because you have someone to guide you. But to hire a tutor can be expensive, so there are lots of AP test prep books online and in bookstores that you can buy. Some are more in-depth than others. Needless of the price, all test prep books will teach you how to further ready yourself before the time comes for the exam.

Effective studying will prove to be worth it in the end. It might seem like a hassle, as life has its unexpected moments, but getting a good score on the AP exam for whatever subject(s) you’re testing on will really pay off. Better hit those books!