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ACT Tips and Tricks to Reach Your Target Score

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ACT Tips and Tricks to Reach Your Target Score

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After 30 years of helping students get the ACT scores they need to get into their dream schools, here's the biggest secret we know: A smart test taker is a strategic test taker.

The ACT is different from the tests you take in school, so you need to approach it differently too. These simple strategies are tailor-made for the ACT and come from our proven test-cracking methods. Following these tips are some of the best ways to improve your ACT Score.

5 Simple ACT Tips & Strategies to Maximize Your Score

1. Work questions out of order.

Spending too much time on the hardest problems means you may rush through the easiest. Instead of working questions in order, ask yourself whether a question is a Do Now, Later, or Never.

No need to agonize-this decision can be made very quickly:

NOW: Does a question look okay? Do you know how to do it? Do it now.

LATER: Will this question take a long time to work? Leave it and come back to it later. Circle the question number for easy reference.

NEVER: Know the topics that are your worst, and learn the signs that flash danger. Don't waste time on questions you should never do. Instead, use more time to answer the Now and Later questions accurately.

2. Choose a "Letter of the Day."

Just because you don't work a question doesn't mean you don't answer it. There is no penalty for wrong answers on the ACT, so you should never leave any blanks on your answer sheet. When you guess on Never questions, pick your favorite two-letter combo of answers and stick with it. For example, always choose A/F or C/H. If you're consistent, you're more likely to pick up points.

Don't waste time on ACT questions you should NEVER do.

3. Forget the right answer-find the wrong ones.

Multiple-choice tests offer one great advantage: They provide the correct answer right there on the page. ACT hides the correct answer behind wrong ones, but when you cross off just one or two wrong answers, the correct answer can become more obvious.

4. Know the best way to bubble in.

If you're worried about accidentally filling in the wrong bubble on your answer sheet, this tip will save your score.

Work a page at a time on English and Math and a passage at a time on Reading and Science. Circle your answers right on the booklet. Then, transfer a page's worth of answers to the answer sheet at one time. It's better to stay focused on working questions rather than disrupt your concentration to find where you left off on the scantron.

5. Tailor your strategy to each section of the ACT.

Check out our test-taking tips for each section of the ACT:

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These ACT tips may be simple, but they are extremely effective. Learn how to use the ACT strategies that will help you raise your score.

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Do you need to raise your ACT score, ASAP? Do you want to make a huge score improvement, from good to amazing-from 25 to 32?

It's not easy, but you can take huge strides toward the ACT score of your dream in just 10 days. In this article, we show you how to pinpoint your weaknesses, create an effective study plan, and significantly raise your ACT score.

Who Should Use This ACT Study Plan?

Because this is only a 10-day plan, you'll have to commit to between two and five hours each day to see major improvements. Unfortunately, there's no substitute for putting in ample prep time, whether that's an hour a day over five weeks, or a more concentrated plan like this one.

If you do have more time before your test date, we highly recommend spending at least five weeks studying for the ACT. It's easier to guarantee a score boost of 25 to 32 if you give yourself more time to practice.

But if you want to improve your score quickly, or have already taken the ACT and want to improve your score before college apps are due, keep reading.

This plan integrates a key component of all good study plans: focusing on your weaknesses. When time is of the essence, you need to make every hour count. How well you can do this will ultimately dictate how much you improve on the ACT.

Now, let's take a look at the three steps you'll need to take to get your 10-day study plan started.

Step 1: Take a Practice Test

Your first step is to take an official, full-length ACT practice test. Even if you've taken the ACT before, you need to find out exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are before you begin studying.

Remember to simulate actual test-taking conditions, including using a bubble sheet, and to follow official timing restrictions exactly.

After you've taken the test, calculate your score out of 36 for each section to get your composite score (i.e., your total ACT score) and subscores. You can read our guide to learn more about how ACT scoring works.

As you go over your answers, note where you lost the most points. For example, maybe your geometry subscore was super low but your other math subscores were good. Or maybe you lost points randomly, meaning you'll have to dig a little deeper to figure out which concepts you're struggling with.

The ultimate goal is to pinpoint your weaknesses so that you can study the most effectively. Reviewing your mistakes is essential to formulating a solid prep plan.

Your 10-day plan could look very different based on how you do on the practice test. Let's use three hypothetical students as examples: Student A, Student B, and Student C.

Student A's Practice Test Scores

English: 23

Math: 25

Reading: 26

Science: 25

Composite: 25

Student A has work to do across the board to get her composite score up to 32. Although we'd recommend this student definitely devote some serious time to studying ACT grammar rules to raise her English score (her lowest section score), every single section score must see significant improvement for her to hit her goal score of 32.

Student B's Practice Test Scores

English: 30

Math: 24

Reading: 24

Science: 26

Composite: 26

Student B should spend the majority of the 10 days practicing Math, Reading, and Science. They can improve their English score by 2 points (up to a 32) by simply scoring 2 or 3 more raw points on that section-which shouldn't require hours of extra studying. However, they'll need much bigger raw point gains for the other sections.
Don't worry, Student B. By following this 10-day study plan, you'll be able to meet your ACT score goals! (Valerie (Vee) Bordeleau/Flickr)
Student C's Practice Test Scores

English: 30

Math: 20

Reading: 32

Science: 22

Composite: 26

Student C needs to make serious gains in Math and Science but is already strong in English and Reading. He should focus his 10-day program on figuring out his content weaknesses in Math and Science, addressing them, and then drilling practice questions.

He can also spend some time working to improve his English and Reading scores so as to lessen the burden on his presumed Math and Science score increases. Any additional composite point he can gain on English or Reading is one he doesn't have to earn on Math or Science. For example, he could aim for 34 on both English and Reading and 30 on both Math and Science and still get a composite score of 32.

Step 2: Set Raw Score Goals for Each Section

For this guide, we are assuming an ACT goal of a 32 composite score. But how many raw points (i.e., the number of questions you answer correctly) do you need to aim for to get this score?

Here are the number of questions you'll need to get correct on each section:

English: 70 out of 75

Math: 54 out of 60

Reading: 38 out of 40

Science: 38 out of 40

We added an extra raw point to these target scores compared with the ACT scoring charts, since the scaling can change slightly from test to test. If you can achieve all these raw scores, you will most likely get a 32 composite score.

Remember, the ACT composite score is averaged, so you could get two 30s and two 34s and average out to 32 for all sections. You can use our scoring guide to set your own raw score goals if you have different section goals or a different composite score goal in mind.

Note that at this level, you should be answering every question. Don't just do 70 English problems and leave the rest blank. Answer every question with the goal of getting them all correct, so that if you do have some wrong answers, you can still get a total of 70 raw points.

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Step 3: Gather ACT Prep Materials

The final step is to gather the ACT study materials you want to use throughout your study plan.

For step-by-step guidance, we highly recommend our PrepScholar ACT program. We go through the process of identifying your weaknesses for you, giving you more time to focus on filling in content gaps and improving your score.

If you're going at it alone or just want more tools, though, here's what we recommend for your ACT prep:

#1: ACT Prep Books

Use our guide to the best ACT prep books on the market as a starting point for building your ACT prep book arsenal. These prep books contain practice problems, tests, and the content information you'll need to fix your weaknesses and get a 32 on the ACT.

Definitely start by getting The Official ACT Prep Guide and the Black Book, plus subject-specific books if your performance on your practice test shows weaknesses in certain areas. For example, we'd recommend Student C from our example above get books specifically for Math and Science.

#2: Test Accessories

Pencils, erasers, a calculator, a watch- think of these as tools you need to do well on the ACT.

It might seem trivial, but getting used to using a (ACT-approved) watch to time yourself can help you save time on the test. Plus, if you aren't used to telling time on a watch (as opposed to a cell phone), it's better that you get used to doing so before a high-stress situation like a standardized test.

The same goes for your calculator: you want to make sure you're familiar with the calculator you'll be using on the ACT so you don't waste valuable time on test day fiddling around with it.

Using non-mechanical pencils and erasers instead of pens on the test will get you into the right mindset for the test as well. If you're doing the ACT Essay, writing with a non-mechanical pencil is even more important because you need to get used to writing in pencil for long stretches rather than just for bubbling in answer choices.

#3: Our Free Online ACT Resources

We've got a lot of free ACT prep resources to offer you at PrepScholar.

Our free eBook gives you a more in-depth guide to improving your ACT score and identifying and fixing your weaknesses.

We also strongly recommend reading our article on how to get a perfect 36 on the ACT, written by our resident perfect scorer; this guide will help put you in the right mindset for a 32 or higher. Even if you're not trying to get a 36, you'll need to use these principles to improve your ACT score, especially in such a short time frame.

Finally, we've consolidated all of our writing on the ACT sections into ultimate prep guides. Whether you want general tips or specific strategies, these guides have them all. Learn the principles and get the tools you need to propel your composite score to a 32 with our complete study guides to ACT English, ACT Math, ACT Reading, and ACT Science. If you plan to take the ACT with Writing, be sure to also check out our ultimate guide to the ACT Essay.

#4: Free and Official ACT Practice Tests

Sitting down and taking realistic, full-length ACT practice tests is key to preparing for the ACT. Not only will it familiarize you with the test format, but it'll also help you pinpoint your weaknesses and work on them, as well as give you an idea of how your studying is going. Use our collection of free and official ACT practice tests to get started.

General Advice as You Begin Studying for the ACT

Before we go over our 10-day plan, here are some of our best tips for getting the most out of your ACT prep. Follow these to help you get the biggest score improvements in the least amount of time.

#1: Always Guess

There's no guessing penalty on the ACT, so even if you're at the end of a section and have two questions left you can't answer, it's best to just fill in random answers. You have a 20-25% chance of getting a question right, so take the shot!

#2: Use the Process of Elimination

Eliminating wrong answers is a good way to approach tough questions, and will increase your odds of getting points if you encounter a question you're not sure about and end up guessing on. Even though the right answer isn't always obvious, it's usually easy to spot at least one or two wrong answers, raising your odds of getting a question right to 33% or even 50%.

#3: Don't Get Stuck on Hard Questions

A great strategy is to mark difficult questions and come back to them later. Timing is key on the ACT as you have less than a minute per question. This means that if you waste five minutes on a hard question, you are losing the opportunity to work on five more questions, which can seriously tank your score. See our guide on ACT length for more tips on pacing yourself.

#4: Mark Questions You're Unsure About

When practicing, don't just correct multiple-choice questions and tally your score. Rather, star any questions you weren't sure about. That way, when you correct your answers, you can make sure to study that type of question and see why you struggled with it (even if you got it right).

If you only focus on wrong answers, you could actually leave some content gaps unfilled. Remember, the goal isn't to study until you can get most of the answers right-it's to study until you're confident that you won't get any questions wrong.

#5: Identify and Fix Weaknesses

When correcting your answers to ACT practice questions, don't go over the answer explanations too quickly. You need to figure out why you got an answer wrong as well as how you can keep yourself from making this mistake again. Just drilling practice questions without understanding your true weaknesses won't help you improve your score.

We suggest taking notes on your mistakes in a notebook. This will help you keep track of your content weaknesses and guide your studying.

#6: Don't Sweat the Essay

The ACT Writing section, or Essay, does not affect your composite score. So if getting 32 is your main goal, don't spend tons of time practicing for the Essay. You only have 10 days, and you'll need to use them wisely!

While we recommend preparing for the Essay to an extent (I suggest reading our guide to writing the ACT Essay), don't waste precious hours practicing for this section when you still have big point improvements to make on other, more important sections.

10-Day ACT Study Plan

Now that we've gotten the basics out of the way, here is a 10-day ACT prep plan you can use to go from 25 to 32. Again, be aware that this a very time-intensive plan. To truly benefit from it, you'll need to clear your schedule as much as you can and give yourself adequate time to study.

Days 1-4: Fill In Content Gaps

Time: 3-4 hours per day

As you start studying, your first priority is to pinpoint topics you don't know and learn them. You can't expect to get 32 with major content weaknesses. Whether you struggle with interpreting scientific studies, solving plane geometry questions, or remembering grammar rules, your first step is to find out what you don't know and then master it.

Use your results from the practice test to determine what to focus on during these first four days. You should then use your prep program, books, and/or other study materials to concentrate on subject areas you're struggling with the most.

On each day, focus on a single ACT section: English, Reading, Math, or Science. Take practice sections and use practice questions, but don't worry about taking full practice exams just yet.

For example, Student A above would devote one day each to all of the sections, whereas Student C should probably spend two days on Math and two days on Science.

Suggested Time Breakdown

1-2 hours: Find weaknesses in the section. Use your prep books and online resources to fill in your content gaps. After you've learned the new content, quiz yourself on each individual weakness.

For example, if you realized you always miss subject/verb agreement questions on the English section, first read up on subject/verb agreement and then do practice problems that quiz this topic specifically.

35 minutes-1 hour: Take a full section from a practice test, strictly timed. If pacing is an issue for you, experiment with doing a combination of untimed sections, time-and-a-half sections, and officially timed sections.

1 hour: Review mistakes from the practice test and make sure you understand them. Remember to take notes on your mistakes in your journal! Research additional content weaknesses if needed.

Days 5-7: Take and Review Practice Tests

Time: 4-5 hours per day

During this time you'll take a full practice test each day (excluding the Essay section at the end). Even if you have strong sections, like Student C above, do the practice anyway so you can identify any silly mistakes you tend to make and can ensure you'll do just as well on test day as you do in your practice. Consistency is key!

As you test, star questions you're unsure of to make sure you revisit them while correcting, even if you end up getting them right.

Spend time afterward identifying your mistakes and figuring out why you made them. Don't just brush off an answer and say, "Oh, I forgot the Pythagorean theorem, so I guessed." Figure out why you couldn't remember the formula and then make a plan so you can get similar questions right in the future.

Also, revisit questions you starred even if you ultimately got them right. It's important to address any stubborn content gaps.

Suggested Time Breakdown

3 hours: Take a full ACT practice test (ideally, an official one) without the Essay section.

1-2 hours: Correct your test and carefully note all of your mistakes in your notebook. Figure out where your remaining weaknesses are and research any content gaps you still have.

Days 8-9: Review and Target Weaknesses

Time: 3-5 hours per day

Based on your performance on the practice tests, you'll now do more fine-tuned work on areas you still have weaknesses in. Here are some examples of what you could focus on in your prep:

Drill areas you're still making mistakes or have content weaknesses in. Maybe you're struggling with the trigonometry questions on Math. In this case, head back to your study materials to review the content before you do any more practice questions in that area.

Do more practice sections if you're running out of time or struggling with pacing. Remember to wear a watch and keep an eye on how much time you spend on each question.

If you're consistently hitting 32, continue to take full practice tests and grade them. Your goal is consistency, so keep practicing, even if you think you're set to go.

Spend some time working on the Essay. Again, the Essay does not affect your total ACT score, but you don't want it to be extremely low in comparison. Check out our guide to writing an ACT essay to help you get started.

Day 10: Brush Up On Weaknesses and Rest

Time: 1-2 hours

You don't want to study too intensively the day before the test-this will burn you out and do more harm than good!

At this stage, it's best to do some practice problems in your weak spots, or one or two practice sections if you're working on pacing, to keep your mind warmed up.

That said, remember to focus on relaxing and getting rest before the test, too. Read our tips for getting ready the night before and the morning of the test. Additionally, make sure you don't forget anything important when you go to take the test!

What's Next?

If you're not sure you can handle this on your own, check out PrepScholar's ACT study program. We go through the process of identifying your weak points for you. We also give you rigorous practice questions designed by 99 th percentile scorers.

One important part of studying is keeping your motivation in place. Check out our list of automatic scholarships for ACT scores. The higher your score, the more money you can earn!

You can also use your dream colleges to adjust your target ACT score. See our guide to what a good ACT score is to find out the score you need to aim for. We also have a guide specifically for the Ivy League.

Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

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25 to 32: Fast ACT Prep Study Plan in 10 Days

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Do you need to raise your ACT score, ASAP? Do you want to make a huge score improvement, from good to amazing-from 25 to 32? It's not easy, but you can take huge strides toward the ACT score of your dream in just 10 days.

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Understanding Your ASVAB Summary Results Sheet

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You, the college or university you designated in My AP, and educators in your school and district, including your AP teachers, will automatically receive your scores once they're released. You can also submit an online order to send your scores to additional colleges and universities for a fee. Your parents don't have access to your scores, unless you've given them your College Board account information.

If your school, district, or state partners with other educational organizations, your scores and/or personally identifying information may be shared with those specific educational organizations. To find out whether your scores will be shared with any of these organizations, ask your school.

If you're a resident of the state of Kentucky, your AP Exam scores will automatically be sent to the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). If you don't want your scores sent to KHEAA, send us a request. Your request must be received by June 15 of the year you took the exam. Write to: AP Program, Educational Testing Service, 1425 Lower Ferry Road, 29Q, Ewing, NJ 08618. Be sure to include your full name, mailing address, date of birth, sex, eight-digit AP ID, and your six-digit high school code number.

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You, the college or university you designated in My AP, and educators in your school and district, including your AP teachers, will automatically receive your scores once they're released. You can also submit an online order to send your scores to additional colleges and universities for a fee.

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As with any test, how well you do depends in large part upon how well you prepare. To study effectively for the ASVAB, you really need to begin studying at least two months before you plan to take the test, if not more!

Here are some basic steps to take:

Find a comfortable, quiet area to study.

Gather paper, pens and pencils, a calculator and other tools.

Make a basic study schedule.

Making a Schedule

Probably the most important thing is to make a schedule and stick with it. Some days, you will be a little tired, and you may not concentrate as hard as you should on other days, but if you are consistent, you will reap great rewards.

When you first begin studying, you should make a list of the areas you are good at and those on which you could use improvement.

If you're not really sure, it would be a great idea to take a practice ASVAB test.

Related: Take an ASVAB practice test

This will help you figure out what you're good and not so good at. For example, you might make a table like this:

Focus on Your Weaknesses

Focus on the four essential sections, those critical to the AFQT score, first. From the example above, it seems that your verbal abilities are at least OK: you gave yourself a four on the word knowledge section and a three on paragraph comprehension. However, your math skills could use some work -- especially with mathematics knowledge, as you only have a skill level of two. This tells you that you'll have to work extra hard on the math sections.

After you know the problem, the solution will come much easier. In the example above, you probably would want to spend about 60% of your time with math studying and about 40% with verbal. If you are really ambitious, you could throw in some studying time for the nonessential sections -- GS, AS, MC, EI. An hour-a-day study schedule might look something like this:

What's the most important day out of the above? Hands down, Sunday. Review is essential if you want to make progress. If you never review what you've done, how will you know whether or not you've improved?

"We know from our many years offering ASVAB test prep courses that studying and practicing are essential to getting a good score. Since your score determines the military career path opportunities you may have, it's worth it to put the time and energy into getting ready for the test." said Elizabeth Barry, director of marketing for Peterson's Test Prep, a leading test prep provider.

Though you may be intimidated by studying 5-7 nights a week, remember that this is only for a few months. The investment you make now in yourself can have great rewards -- if you put in the time! Just be honest with yourself, find out what you need to work on the most and stick with your schedule. You also may want to set goals, such as: "I want to take a practice test and score 80% or better on it within a month." However you choose to study, be consistent, be confident and you will be successful!

General Study Tip: Developing good study habits is key for lifelong achievement and not just testing.

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As with any test, how well you do depends in large part upon how well you prepare. To study effectively for the ASVAB, you really need to begin studying at least two months before you plan to take the test, if not more! Here are some basic steps to take: Find a comfortable, quiet area to study.

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Download eight official SAT practice tests for free. For practice on the digital SAT, explore full-length linear (nonadaptive) practice tests and full-length practice tests on Bluebook™.

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Downloadable Full-Length SAT Practice Tests

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Eight official SAT practice tests are available for free, both online and on paper.

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Preparing for AP exams can feel like a Sisyphean task. On top of keeping up with the demanding coursework and all your other obligations, you have to prepare for a three-hour, multi-part exam?

Yes, you do- but more importantly, you can! If you don't know how to study for AP exams, this is the guide for you. I'll cover all the major steps to AP success, including content review, exam skill-building, and prepping for triumph on test day.

5 Essential Steps to AP Test Preparation

Once the school year is underway, it can be easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of classes and clubs, and completely forget about test prep. And even once you do remember, you might not know how to study for AP tests.

Never fear-read on for our five-step AP prep plan!

Step 1: Establish What You Need to Review/Learn

About halfway through the school year is when you'll want to start studying for AP exams. This is the ideal time since you'll have plenty of time to prep and will know enough information to really get into reviewing content.

A crucial first step to AP prep is to establish what you need to review or learn for the purposes of the exam. There are a few resources you'll want to gather in order to do this:

Syllabus for your AP class

Any of your old tests, quizzes, or papers

AP Course and Exam Description for the course

You can find this last document on the main course page for the class, which you can access on the College Board's AP Student list of AP courses. This document offers a comprehensive description of the skills and content areas that will be tested on the exam.

You'll want to review, at least on a high level, all the major content areas from your AP course. But since it's not efficient to try to retain every single piece of information your teacher tells you, your AP prep should be specifically focused on reviewing what you need to know for the exam.

Once you have all your documents gathered, compare your class's syllabus with the AP Course and Exam Description. Your class should cover all the major content areas-the syllabus had to get approved by the College Board, after all! That said, teachers do have some discretion on the specifics of what they can cover within the College Board's broader structures.

By comparing the two documents to see whether there are areas your class syllabus focused on in less (or more) detail than is necessary for the exam, you'll get an idea of what you should target in your own studying. Concepts you covered sparsely in class should be reviewed more closely, while things you covered more in depth might not need to be reviewed as much.

Your tests and quizzes are also important in establishing areas you should review. You don't need to spend as much time reviewing material you got high marks on. By contrast, you should be sure to focus on reviewing content areas for which your test and quiz scores were weaker.

The AP Course and Exam Description will also clarify for you what exam skills you need to build. Are there free-response math questions? Short answers? Essays? You'll want to make sure you know how to succeed on all parts of the AP test, so plan to practice working on all question types.

In sum, this is what you'll want to review:
Content
High-level review of all major content areas of your course/test

Focus more on areas where your knowledge is weaker, as determined by your AP quiz and test grades and the AP Course and Exam Description when compared with your class syllabus
Exam Skills
Be prepared to answer all question types on the AP exam
Student diligently reviewing the AP Course and Exam Description (artist's representation).
Step 2: Make a Study Plan

Once you've figured out what you need to review, you'll need to come up with a review schedule. This doesn't have to be super specific-you don't have to know exactly what you are going to cover every single day. But you should have a general idea of what content areas you'll be reviewing and what skills you'll be working on every week leading up to the test.

This is another time your class syllabus will come in handy, as you'll be able to plot out your review schedule in a way that makes sense. You'll want to review all the major content areas you have covered or will cover in class. But it doesn't make a lot of sense to review something before your teacher has gone over it! So schedule the things you're going to learn later for later review.

You'll want to weigh your prep plan more toward content review when you begin to prepare, and then shift it more toward exam prep as you get closer to test day. Assuming you're preparing over the course of several months, the first few weeks of your prep schedule should be dedicated almost entirely to reviewing content, and the last few weeks should be dedicated mostly to taking practice exams and doing practice questions.
Here's a sample study plan a student might make for the few months leading up to her AP Euro exam:
Week Learning in Class Content to Review Prep to Complete
See, this business suit lady gets the importance of making a study plan.
Step 3: Find Content Review Resources

A high-quality review book is your best friend in AP prep. We currently have guides to the best review books for AP Psychology, AP Biology, AP US History and AP Chemistry. Beyond that, The Princeton Review and Barron's generally make reliable review books for AP tests.

Supplemental resources can be helpful as well. Your textbook for the course, beyond providing explanations of key concepts, likely includes practice questions or tests at the end of each chapter. You can also look for podcasts, watch YouTube videos, and use websites such as Khan Academy for content review purposes.

Another option is to make your own resources. I can't recommend Quizlet enough. With this website, you can make your own flashcards and then quiz yourself using various tools. You have to make an account to be able to use it, but the service itself is free.

Once you've amassed all your review tools, you'll be ready to review content. However, you'll still need to practice AP exam questions.
Be sure to really drill down in your search for high-quality AP resources.
Step 4: Find Practice Exams and Questions

In addition to content review materials, you'll want to find practice exams and questions to build specific AP test competencies. The best AP practice questions and tests are those created by the College Board-the group that makes the AP exams. As a result, their materials will be most similar to the real AP test you'll take in the spring.

So where can you find College Board AP resources? In three places:

AP Course and Exam Description: Remember the AP Course and Exam Description booklet I mentioned above for figuring out what you need to review? It also has sample exam questions (of all types) in the back. Hurrah!

Official free-response questions: The College Board has kindly released free-response questions (and sample responses) from previous testing years. You can get these by going to the College Board's AP exam information page and clicking on your desired exam; scrolling down from that page will take you to the free-response questions.

The College Board sometimes releases complete exams from past years for free: You can usually find these on the College Board exam overview page for your specific test; however, some of these are hard to find even though they're hosted on the College Board website. If you're having trouble finding tests for your exam, Google the name of your test along with "previously released materials college board" or "complete released exams college board" to find free exams.

For your convenience, here are the previously released materials pages for some of the most popular AP exams:

We've also gathered some practice question and exam materials for you here:

Step 5: Get to Work and Stay on Schedule

Once you've gathered all your materials-content review as well as practice questions and tests-it's time to get to work!

How many hours you need to spend on studying for AP tests every week is going to depend a lot on how much material you need to review and how comfortable you are with the format of the exam questions. In general, though, you should expect to study for several hours a week split over two to three sessions. Setting specific times and places for your AP studying will help you stay consistent and keep pace with your review schedule!

With good content review and a solid approach to practice exams (more on this later), maintaining a consistent studying pace and schedule will catapult you to exam success.
The true path to AP success: the trebuchet.
AP Review: 3 General Tips

As you review course material in preparation for your AP exam, here are some things to keep in mind.

#1: Be Aware Of Your Own Learning Style

Focus on review methods that work for you and not against you. If you're a visual learner, don't force yourself to listen to recorded lectures; draw diagrams or mind maps instead. If you're an auditory learner, find podcasts and audio books to listen to for concept review.

#2: Review Material More Than Once

It's generally accepted that you need to encounter a piece of information several times before you really start to retain it. Therefore, plan to review essential information for the test more than once. The more important it is, the more times you should go over it.

#3: Engage With the Material

The more you interact with the material you're studying, the better you'll retain it. If you can do some kind of activity with the information-such as practice problems, outline-writing, flashcard-making, etc.-you'll be able to remember it better.
Not THIS kind of engagement!
How to Make the Most Of AP Practice Tests

Since College Board AP practice tests and resources are limited, you want to make sure you make the most of them. Here are my top three tips for how to do this effectively.

#1: Take an Entire Practice Exam Under AP Test Conditions

It will be a huge help for you to take an entire practice test under actual AP-like conditions. So with a timer, in a quiet room, with short breaks-the whole nine yards.

If you only have one complete practice test you can use, do this toward the end of your prep time (maybe a few weeks before the test), when you've reviewed most of the content already. This will help you get a feel for what the actual test day will be like. And the more comfortable you feel, the better you'll do on the exam!

#2: Track Your Progress

If you have access to more than one complete practice test, it's a good idea to also take a practice test toward the beginning of your prep time so you can figure out what areas you need to work on the most. This will give you a rough benchmark of where you're starting, so then when you take another practice test toward the end of your prep, you'll be able to see how you've improved.

Looking for help studying for your AP exam?
Our one-on-one online AP tutoring services can help you prepare for your AP exams. Get matched with a top tutor who got a high score on the exam you're studying for!

#3: Prep for Individual Sections

Apart from complete practice tests, practice questions serve as great prep for individual parts of the AP test. Because the College Board has released so many free-response questions, you can practice those over and over again. You don't necessarily have to do a complete, timed essay every time, though you should practice that. You can also practice outlining your essays or even writing thesis statements for prompts. Work specifically on the skills you need to build.

In addition, be sure to look over practice multiple-choice questions closely so you can get a sense of the feel and format of AP multiple-choice questions.
Make like an astronaut and prepare for everything!
Critical Test-Taking Tips for AP Exam Day

When test time arrives, you'll want to maximize your study time investment with positive test-taking strategies. Here are my top tips to remember for test day.

Before Your AP Test

Get a good night's sleep the two nights before the exam. This will help you stay alert and remember everything you've studied.

Pack your bag for test day the night before. You don't want to stress yourself out running around looking for your calculator five minutes before the bus comes on exam day. Be sure to also pack a snack and water-you can't have them during the test, but you'll appreciate the nourishment during the break!

Eat breakfast the morning of your test. Again, you want your brain to be running at full power. Try to stick with a balanced meal that isn't too sugary.

Bring lots and lots of pencils and erasers. The College Board requires #2 pencils on exam day, so don't forget to bring a bunch. Also, bring a good eraser for back-ups and mishaps.

During Your AP Test

Pace yourself. You'll be under time pressure for every section, so make sure you know what pace you need to be working at. Periodically check that you're on pace. You can (and should) bring a watch, just so long as it doesn't beep or have an alarm.

Maintain positive self-talk throughout the exam. If there's something you don't know, don't waste time beating yourself up about it. Just keep telling yourself that you are awesome and will crush the rest of the test.

Don't get hung up on a question you're stuck on. This is true even on the free-response section-move on to the second essay if you're getting stuck on the first. If you try to break through a mental block full-on, you might end up running out of time.

Answer every question-there's no penalty for guessing! Go through the ones that you know first, and then go back over the test and answer any remaining questions in the time you have left.

With all these best test-taking practices, you'll be set up to succeed on your AP test, guaranteed!
Don't neglect this critical aspect of test day (bananas optional).
How to Prepare for AP Tests: Key Takeaways

The AP prep process can be overwhelming. To lend you a hand, though, I've summarized how to study AP exams into digestible steps below.

Choose an AP Exam

1. Figure out which classes your school offers and which fit into your schedule.

2. Consider your interests and abilities.

3. Consider how much time you'll have for studying.

Prepare for the Test

1. Establish ways you need to review/learn.

2. Make a study plan.

3. Find content review resources.

4. Find (official) practice questions and tests.

5. Get to work and stay on schedule!

AP Content Review Tips

Be mindful of your own learning style.

Review things more than once.

Engage with the material!

AP Practice Exam Tips

Take at least one complete practice exam under full test-day-like conditions -and do this more than once if there is more than one practice test available to you.

Practice individual exam sections, especially free response, to work on skills for those specific sections. Look closely at all sections to ensure you're familiar with the way AP questions are worded.

AP Test-Taking Tips

Do all the usual best test practices-get a good night's sleep, eat breakfast, pack your bag the night before, and bring extra pencils.

Pace yourself and stay on track.

Think positive!

Don't get hung up on a single question -if you find yourself stuck, skip it and come back.

Answer every question -there's no penalty for guessing!

Ultimately, just remember that breaking down the AP into little steps will make it manageable for you to scale the whole AP mountain!
AP Mountain (artist's rendition).
What's Next?

Looking for more information about your AP exam? We've got expert guides to AP US History, AP Chemistry, and AP Psychology.

If your AP exam has a Document-Based Question, or DBQ, check out my total overview of the DBQ and my how-to DBQ essay guide.

Looking for AP exam resources? Take a look at our guide to finding quality AP practice tests.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

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Struggling with AP prep? We explain how to prepare for AP exams, including creating a schedule, finding study materials, and taking practice tests.

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10 Classroom Tips to Improve Test Scores

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10 Classroom Tips to Improve Test Scores

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As your curriculum runs down and anxiety ramps up, you may think that there's nothing more you can do to prepare your students for test day. But, there are always ways to help students. Here are ten tips to make sure that they have every chance to succeed!
Prepare students for the test itself
Tests change even more often than standards based on such things as contractor changes, technology upgrades, and other factors. The testing services provide demos for a reason. Make them available to your students, and ensure that students know how to navigate any software that is needed. This is particularly true in math, where helpful tools like calculators may be hidden under a button or setting.
Benchmark your learners
Conduct one more benchmark assessment before testing season just to make sure that there isn't one last topic in which everyone can improve with just a bit more practice. You've done a lot of benchmarking up to now, but things change quickly during the school year.
Leverage your data
Make one more pass at wholesale data study to make certain that there isn't something missing from your students' skill sets. In fact, bring in the students so that they understand the skills they need and learn where they must progress in order to score well on the test itself.
Provide students with incentives
Students aren't known for intrinsic motivation, and a lot of practice can test their patience even further. Whenever possible, make practice a game, and offer consistent rewards to keep the students striving forward.
Practice previewing
Previewing test sections before answering questions can be a valuable skill on test day, saving time and closing gaps of understanding. Although it's great to practice previewing in the context of a larger testing item, devoting some time to previewing itself can help all students get the point.
Let parents help
Although local news reports run the occasional story about upcoming testing, parents won't know what's going on with their individual children unless you tell them. Keep them informed of the schedule, the process, and the preparations the class is taking. That sets up parents to having meaningful conversations and helping with practice at home.
Create a positive culture
Help students set some goals and then never let them act as though they won't reach those goals. Celebrate every little success during practice, and model that culture for other students as well. This can alleviate much student anxiety when test day comes.
Practice, practice, practice!
The cliché is true: practice does make perfect. Create a review plan that provides multiple chances for students to practice not only the content they will need to know but also the testing format. Make sure that your plan includes modalities beyond taking practice tests-games, writing, and speech exercises can help students retain information and gain a deeper understanding of concepts. The more exposure that students have to the material and testing environment, the more comfortable they will be when testing day arrives.

Need a practice tool? Try Study Island for FREE!
Be the students' "catering manager"
On testing day, students' minds are in their stomachs. Research has proven repeatedly that hungry students perform more poorly on tests than those who are well fed. Come to testing day with granola or energy bars, and ask parents to do their best on the home front. Some local fast-food restaurants even offer free breakfast for students during testing week, so check out participating ones and make sure that parents know about them.
Keep students moving
Just like a rumbling stomach, an aching back or neck can drag down a student's score. Spend some time showing students some proven seated stretching techniques and breathing exercises. When the test offers a break period, allow students to use it to move around, not stay seated in the same place they've spent the past hour or more.

Looking for more ways to aid in your test-prep efforts? Check out this resource on Four Steps to Design Your Own Test-Preparation Boot Camp!

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10 Classroom and School Tips to Improve Test Scores

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As your curriculum runs down and anxiety ramps up, you may think that there's nothing more you can do to prepare your students for test day. But, there are always ways to help students. Here are ten tips to make sure that they have every chance to succeed!

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