It is the night before an Advanced Placement (AP) test and students everywhere have yet to open their textbooks to study. They finish their other homework and sit down to try and learn all of the information they need. Thus begins the cramming.

Cramming for AP tests is a long-respected and followed tradition of high school students. The goal is to learn a lot of information in a short amount of time, and though most students know that studying in small increments before the test is probably the best way to get a 5, cramming is time and time again, the preferred way for students to avoid failing.

Here are some tips to cram in the most efficient way possible:

Take Practice Multiple Choice Tests

As most people know, AP tests are not only about knowing the information well, but also knowing how to to answer the questions. It is possible to know the content backwards and forwards, but if a student does not know how to answer the multiple choice questions, it means nothing. The best way to perfect the highly valued skill of test taking is to simply practice taking tests. There are many released AP tests online and there are often practice questions at the end of each chapter in the textbooks. Although it seems time consuming, practicing to read and answer questions efficiently is the best way to breeze through the test when the dreaded day comes.

Review Old Notes

It is pretty much impossible to remember everything learned during the year. A good way to try and revive a foggy memory is to take a trip down memory lane and read old work. It may be painful to relive the stress of trying to get this work done, but all of this work was not done for nothing! Re-reading the information that is essential for the test is best remembered when it is in that same student’s handwriting and style of writing.

Time is Everything

The problem most students face while taking an AP test is time. When a student is used to having an ample amount of time to think over what a question is asking, the thought of being rushed is anxiety inducing. It seems impossible to find a healthy balance between efficiency and comprehension. To combat this problem, it is essential to practice answering questions with a time limit so when the time comes to take the test, the thought of having to rush is not as daunting as it was before.

Review the Textbook

Textbooks may be boring and dense, but they are also extremely helpful and include everything that is needed for the test. Though it is not smart to try and read everything in the textbook right before the exam, reviewing the summaries at the end of each chapter is a fast way to absorb the bulk of the information the night before. More often than not, something a student reads the night before will show up the next day while taking the test.

Study Only What is Needed

Cramming is all about time, and all of the limited time given should be spent studying topics that are not known well. However, it is often hard to accurately decide which topics are needed to review more than others. “You should spend no time on the stuff that you feel really good about and focus primarily on the things that if you spent a little bit more time on, you will be able to have a good understanding,” said AP World History, AP Government and Government teacher Diane Boudalis. This is a good idea to decisively spend time studying. Students can even make a list of things they always get wrong on the practice tests or topics they know they were not listening to the teacher talk about that one time during class. This way they know the topics they are reviewing are things they otherwise would have gotten wrong.

GO TO SLEEP!

Even though cramming might help the next day, the only thing that is going to help more is sleep. Studying for four hours instead of two may seem like a good idea, but if a student cannot keep their eyes open during the test, those extra two hours meant nothing. “While you’re studying, it is really important to remember that you want to do your best, but it is really just a test,” said Boudalis. If a student finds themselves up at 1:00 in the morning still studying, they should just go to sleep. AP testing is more about being able to take the test well rather than knowing the information. To do that, students need to be awake, and the stress of staying up until all hours of the morning will not help.

Following these tips is the best way to help students cram to their full potential and most importantly, get a good grade. Happy cramming!