Make it stand out.

The Standard Process for Any Subject

1. Pick a subject.
   If you keep scrolling, we’ll lay out our recommendations for which subjects to study at each age or grade level.

2. Gain general knowledge on the subject through online videos and documentaries.
   Get a nice overview. AP exams do not usually test detailed knowledge, but instead test your ability to apply the big ideas of the subject in unexpected ways. You must approach the subject as a whole, not memorize and forget it piece by piece. 

3. Find an easy textbook on the subject.
   Don’t use an “AP Recommended textbook”, as they are needlessly detailed, way too long, and way too expensive.

4. Now it’s time to start preparing for your pretest: the SAT subject test.
   SAT subject tests are also made by the College Board (the creators of AP exams). They are each 1 hour long, and only multiple choice. They are easier than AP exams, and are thus a nice warmup. But they are still hard and require serious preparation!

5. To prepare for the SAT subject test, get the Barron’s book for that specific test.
   You can buy them at Amazon, or get them free at most libraries or at archive.org. Go through the prep book from start to finish, doing all the multiple choice and reading the answer explanations. This should take about 3-6 weeks.

6. Take the SAT subject test.
   They are offered several times a year, and you can retake them as much as you like. The SAT subject test is scored from 200-800. Before starting AP training, you should have a 750+ SAT subject test score in the corresponding subject. This may take several attempts.

7. Once you have a 750+ score on the SAT subject test, you are ready to seriously start AP exam training.
   Do not attempt an AP exam with an SAT subject test score below 730 at the lowest, as the AP exams are significantly harder. We recommend at least a 750 before you take the AP exam, but we have had students with 730s who have then gotten 5s on the corresponding AP exams.

8. Get the Barron’s book for the relevant AP exam, go through it cover to cover.
   Do all the multiple choice, and read all the answer explanations. Do all the free response as well, and read all the sample answers and explanations.

9. Take the exam in May.
   If you’ve gotten lower than a 5, you can retake it the following May!