Curious what your kids did to prep for an AP test. Mini is taking AP computer science and being a freshman has never taken an AP test.
Curious how kids are prepping these days. Are test prep books still a thing or is it done online? Where?
At least when I took them we took a class and they taught us what we needed to know.
Prep classes were for SAT ACT LSAT and Bar.
I used a test prep book for mine. With practice tests. And study sections for the parts of the practice test you did bad on.
Interesting especially since I believe we’re around the same age
I also had taken the SAT and done prep for that before I took an AP test.
This will be the first “official” test Mini takes. So the basics of standardized test taking have not been drilled into her yet. Hence the desire to have a little prep/ practice.
Can’t help with the AP bit, as my kids are behind yours, but I think they are very familiar with standardized testing. Multiple test a year.
in my city there are many test prep outfits that will test you for free (as a come on). It gives you a sense of the test under real conditions and if you have time to do both, which one suits best.
as i’m sure you know, taking any standardised test multiple times flattens out the learning curve for the test itself. Online works fine , just be sure it’s the current year samples because they change the tests up from year to year.
My kids took AP classes but didn’t do any sort of prep for the test outside of the class. I don’t think it ever occurred to us that that was even a thing, certainly didn’t to me.
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On the AP, schools will count them as college credit (if passed), but some schools may not waive the class requirement.
If she majors in CS, the school may still require her to take their CS 101. Depends on the school and major. Psych 101 is usually waived with AP.
So, if the goal is to accumulate credits coming into college there are easier ways. Eg local community college near me has a dual enrollment program for HS kids, where they take classes that are less rigorous than AP, and transfer the credits. Saves tuition $$.
Some schools also will allow you to take a free class per semester as a way to entice you to go there.
My daughter took quite a few AP classes and tests in HS, she always used the latest prep books, which was available at our local Barnes and Noble. Considering she passed all her tests I’d say the books were sufficient.
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To clarify, in my example, the cc credits are transferable to 4 year schools as well (VA)
To answer the op, my kids didn’t do any extra AP test prep. Treated it like any other HS classes.
It’s pretty easy these days to have at least a semester of credits by the time you start college for relatively little money.
I said, wait, we have to take a test…on a Saturday?!?
I would talk to her instructor. They’re pretty good at this game. My youngest daughter took AP history exam last year and was frankly over prepared. She ended up with a five which was great, but even she thinks that she probably did more than was necessary.
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So far we have no plan past - mom my friends are taking AP computer Science and say the teacher is super fun - can I take it too?
I should probably look into it as she requested a few more for next year.
But she also wants to take a learn how to fly a plane class that is at a different building already. With sports I’m not sure how many different places she should go to logistically.
I didn’t know one “passes” AP tests. Don’t AP tests give scores from 1 to 5? One of my daughters got a 4 on the AP CS test, and the other daughter got a 5.
(my wife teaches AP Computer Science and gets the best scores in her district of five high schools, and AFAIK she has never been asked about prep outside of her class)
That’s what I thought and schools decide what score is sufficient for you to receive credit there.
Sometimes a three gets credit
Usually a four does
Always a five
Passed was a poor choice of words, obviously I didn’t take AP english myself.
It’s been 4 years for me now, but I also recall a scoring system of 1-5, but needed a 3 or better to get the credit. Though I thought college board set that standard, not individual high schools. All I know she took a bunch, passed a bunch, and hit college about 1.5 ahead of her peers.