Spring has halfway sprung. Prom is upon us. The end of the school year feels like more than just a calendar date.
There is just that one last hurdle. And it can feel like a mountain.
Research on AP/IB exam success consistently points to one dramatic factor that increases or decreases your likelihood of success on those brutally tough exams: your teacher.
Teachers that “get” the test have class averages that are much, much higher — even when you control for all other variables. It’s common for larger high schools to have 2 or more AP teachers teaching the same course. But Mr. Smith’s class may average a 4 on AP US History while Ms. Jones’ class averages a 2. Same town. Same school. The same population of teens. Wildly different results.
Myths About AP/IB Exams
Myth: AP/IB scores replace SAT/ACT scores. High AP/IB scores are “nice to have” features of selective college admissions. They don’t replace an SAT/ACT score. They’re a solid augment, one that is arguably becoming more important.
Myth: The only exams that matter are related to my intended major. This can be partially true. From an admissions standpoint, it may be better to do well on the exams that relate to your intended major. From a college credit standpoint, it can be the reverse–particularly in STEM. For example, some colleges will give credit for AP Bio as Bio 101 and 102, yet the college requires biology majors to take Biology 110 and 111. Alternatively, you may be able to skip Calculus 1, but if you’re a STEM major, you still may want to tread lightly. You don’t want to start years of college math on your back foot.
Myth: A few hours won’t make a difference for a yearlong class. AP and IB exams are integrative. Questions often span the breadth of the curriculum, and filling in the missing link can make the difference. More than that, there’s a “secret code” to the big open-ended questions. If you understand how the grading works, you can understand how to structure, format, and complete your responses.
Your objective is not to know all the material. Your objective is to get the highest score possible on the exam.
We offer tutoring for a wide array of tests, whether you need a couple of hours to hit the sticking points of AP Calc or you want a more systematic review of IB Bio.
Cut through the noise. Find the signal. We’re here to help.
