The AP Exam 24 Hour Checklist

AP Exams start next week, so both your stress and studying have probably reached a school year high. And, being so caught up in remembering content or prepping for exam day, it’s easy to forget how to keep yourself healthy and truly ready. So, we’ve compiled a collection of things you should do when you’re 24 hours away from your exam to make sure you’re staying motivated and prepared to get that 5.

The Night Before

Light studying

Being so close to the exam, you will probably want to cram a ton of information in a short period of time. Don’t do it! You (hopefully) have been studying for a few weeks by the time you’re about to take your exam, so you should only need to do some finishing touches. Glance over study materials or watch review videos to keep content fresh in your head. And, most importantly, don’t wait until the last day to do your most intense studying. Think about it this way: get yourself to a point where you can confidently teach any part of the course material to someone else, and only review what you struggled with. Don’t still need that teaching.

Lay out or pack up everything

The morning of the exam, your brain is going to be all over the place, and you’re way more likely to forget something at home. Get your bag ready to go prior so that you can make sure you have everything. Remember to bring your device, a charger, pencils, pens, erasers, and any other tool that you need for the test. Try to make your morning as easy as possible.

Go to sleep early

While that’s pretty self-explanatory to begin with, we’ll add a little more detail: do not stay up studying! Your brain needs time to rest, especially to be ready for exam day. Put away the study materials and get as much sleep as you can. Even try starting your bedtime routine early in anticipation that it might be harder to fall asleep right away.

The Day Of

Eat food and drink water

If there were ever a test where this was true, it’s this one. Eat a filling breakfast and drink enough water so that you’re not going to be wishing you had during the actual exam. Not only does your body need the energy, but if you’re hungry or dehydrated while taking the test, you’re just going to be distracted. Save yourself the hastle and start your day off in a healthy way.

Skim content

Review only a few things before the test that you want to remember well, and once that’s done, stop studying. You will have worked so hard to prepare that you have to trust yourself (but more on that below). Instead of rereading study guides or review packets, try to talk with your friends about content and group study just by having a conversation. It’ll kick your brain into action and put the finishing touches on the tons of studying you’ve already done.

Believe in yourself

Though cliché, you need to have an open mindset. Going into the exam thinking you’ll fail is only going to make that result more likely, so aim for the best. Trust that you studied enough, that you know the material, and that you are going to get a 5! Be your own cheerleader and take a deep breath. Then, walk into the testing room and know that you’ve got it.

It’s the home stretch of AP Exam studying right now, but in a few days, you’ll be taking that exam. So, do the most that you can to help yourself. Doing any or all of these items will ensure that you have a successful exam day and an even happier July 6 (when scores come out), so get working now to be great later. And, if you liked this, check out our other posts below or in the Blog page.