(Approx. Reading Time: 7 mins. It’ll be worth it, I promise!!)
Hello there!
If I sent you the link to this article, then it means the AP exams are approaching. To succeed on the AP exams and get a great score, it is very important to make the most of the last month. So please read this article carefully. It includes advice regarding both AP Calculus and AP Physics exams.
AP Calculus Last Month Advice
Remember I’m Always Willing to Help If Needed
If you don’t feel confident about a unit, if you’d like to refresh your mind about a topic, or if you want to do practice but can’t decide what would be a good resource for it, and so on, always feel free to reach out to me. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the form of tutoring lessons, you can message/text/email me as well!
Re-Explore the Great Resources I Shared
If we were doing lessons, then it means I have already sent you my “index of resources” PDF. Now is the time to read it again! Perhaps you have already read it earlier in the year. Still, since some of the resources were inaccessible then, you may have ignored them until now (the past full exams, the mixed practice problems etc required you to have completed all the units.) This is the time to re-read the “index of resources” PDF and reconsider all the resources mentioned there. You’ll find full past AP exams, mixed practice problems, and more.
Do MCQ Practice Using the Sets I Shared
In the past MCQ archive I provided, you’ll find numerous MCQ sets and their answers/solutions. I recommend solving at least 5 of the MCQ sets (solve the ones from more recent years first.) The more you can solve, the better, of course. Compare your answers to theirs.
Solve the Recent FRQ Sets, and Read the Scoring Guidelines
On the Collegeboard website, they publish the FRQ sets from recent years, and their scoring guidelines. I recommend you solve at least 5 of the sets (prioritize the most recent years.) The more you can solve, the better, of course.
Past AP Calculus AB FRQs from Recent Years
Past AP Calculus BC FRQs from Recent Years
After you solve the problems, compare your work to theirs AND read the scoring guidelines (Read their explanations of how they grade the work, don’t merely skim the answer). Learning what they look for in FRQ solutions when grading is crucial for us to make sure that we get all the points.
Reading the scoring guidelines is particularly important for Calculus:
Math teachers are trained to be pedants, they are meant to be pedants. They’ll expect very rigorous and clear solutions, in the format they want. If you don’t match their expectations, you won’t get full credit even if you solve the problem correctly (I suffered a lot from this when I was undergrad, I would solve the problems correct but I would get penalized because the graders would think my solutions did not include all the details or justifications). This paragraph is not a criticism of it or a complaint, this is how math courses work (Have you heard the short “black sheep” story?).
To prevent you from suffering from the same issue, you’ll learn their grading standards by reading the scoring guidelines carefully. Even if you solved the problems correctly, check out how they present the answers, and read the scoring guidelines. Especially for calculus!
Don’t Forget the Past FRQ Archive
If you don’t feel confident about a particular unit and want to solve FRQs from that unit specifically, remember that you have access to the Past AP Calculus FRQs Categorized by Topic (and Their Solutions) Workbook as well.
Use the Past Full AP Exams as Mock Exams
If you’d like to do practice under actual exam conditions, consider using the past full exams as mock exams. You can print them and work on them as if it is the actual exam, by using a timer and so on.
Past AP Calculus AB Full Exams
Past AP Calculus BC Full Exams
Are You Confident in Your Calculator Skills? Desmos or TI?
Starting 2025, with AP Calculus and AP Physics exams becoming hybrid, Desmos will be available for your exams through the Bluebook software. So you’ll be able to use a TI calculator or Desmos. Since Desmos is typically faster and more convenient, I recommend learning to use it too if you haven’t already.
If you’re not confident in your calculator skills (Desmos or TI), my calculator guide PDF includes tutorial videos you should watch. The good news is they are very time efficient: In less than a few hours, they’ll teach you pretty much every calculator skill you need in the context of high school AP exams. (Desmos videos I recommended are 27ish minutes in total, and TI calculator videos I recommended are 40ish minutes in total.)
I wish you the best of success on your tests!
AP Physics Last Month Advice
Remember I’m Always Willing to Help If Needed
If you don’t feel confident about a unit, if you’d like to refresh your mind about a topic, or if you want to do practice but can’t decide what would be a good resource for it, and so on, always feel free to reach out to me. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the form of tutoring lessons, you can message/text/email me as well!
Re-Explore the Great Resources I Shared
If we were doing lessons, then it means I have already sent you my “index of resources” PDF. Now is the time to read it again! Perhaps you have already read it earlier in the year. Still, since some of the resources were inaccessible then, you may have ignored them until now (the past full exams, the mixed practice problems etc required you to have completed all the units.) This is the time to re-read the “index of resources” PDF and reconsider all the resources mentioned there. You’ll find full past AP exams, mixed practice problems, and more.
Do the MCQ Problems in the Past AP Problem Workbooks I shared
You know about the past AP Problem Workbooks; we use them often in our lessons. If you haven’t already, I recommend solving the MCQs in them for every unit. MCQs are a good investment of your time: They help you learn a rich variety of different stuff by investing a relatively short amount of time. I highly recommend solving all the MCQs in the workbooks, and comparing your answers to theirs.
Past AP 1 Problems Categorized by Topic (And Their Solutions) Workbook
Past AP C Mechanics Problems Categorized by Topic (And Their Solutions) Workbook
Past AP C E&M Problems Categorized by Topic (And Their Solutions) Workbook
Solve the Recent FRQ Sets, and Read the Scoring Guidelines
On the Collegeboard website, they publish the FRQ sets from recent years, and their scoring guidelines. I recommend you solve at least 5 of the sets (prioritize the most recent years.) The more you can solve, the better, of course.
Past AP Physics 1 FRQs from Recent Years
Past AP Physics C Mechanics FRQs from Recent Years
Past AP Physics E&M Mechanics FRQs from Recent Years
After you solve the problems, compare your work to theirs AND read the scoring guidelines (Read their explanations of how they grade the work, don’t merely skim the answer). Learning what they look for in FRQ solutions when grading is crucial for us to make sure that we get all the points.
Don’t Forget the FRQs in the Past Problems Workbooks
If you don’t feel confident about a particular unit and want to solve FRQs from that unit specifically, remember that you have access to numerous FRQs categorized by topic in the past AP problems workbooks.
Past AP 1 Problems Categorized by Topic (And Their Solutions) Workbook
Past AP C Mechanics Problems Categorized by Topic (And Their Solutions) Workbook
Past AP C E&M Problems Categorized by Topic (And Their Solutions) Workbook
Use the Past Full AP Exams as Mock Exams
If you’d like to do practice under actual exam conditions, consider using the past full exams as mock exams. You can print them and work on them as if it is the actual exam, by using a timer and so on.
Past AP C Mechanics Full Exams
Are You Confident in Your Calculator Skills? Desmos or TI?
Starting 2025, with AP Calculus and AP Physics exams becoming hybrid, Desmos will be available for your exams through the Bluebook software. So you’ll be able to use a TI calculator or Desmos. Since Desmos is typically faster and more convenient, I recommend learning to use it too if you haven’t already.
If you’re not confident in your calculator skills (Desmos or TI), my calculator guide PDF includes tutorial videos you should watch. The good news is they are very time efficient: In less than a few hours, they’ll teach you pretty much every calculator skill you need in the context of high school AP exams. (Desmos videos I recommended are 27ish minutes in total, and TI calculator videos I recommended are 40ish minutes in total.)
I wish you the best of success on your tests!