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This year's Advanced Placement exams are now looming.

 

We have finally finished the readings for all six countries in Comparative Government. Now we're reviewing US Government, Comparative Government and trying to also squish in enough Latin review for the Lukeion Latin 2 final.

 

I added some comments and tips for the government courses to the AP Government social group.

 

I'm definitely noticing that the boys haven't dealt with US Government for a semester. They feel much less fluent with those questions, even though we covered them well in the fall/winter. Many deer in the headlights looks.

 

I had them take a practice multiple choice section from one study book. Then they went over their answers and noted areas of difficulty. With one son, I saw that there were several categories where he needed to review. I also noticed that he was struggling with "negative questions" (all of the following are reasons EXCEPT). So he knows that he needs to read those carefully.  I'm having him review the sections for those categories within that specific study book. 

 

Also, my library has online practice tests for a range of more common AP exams.

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We are feeling the heat here even though we decided to drop the AP European History test. Ds has learned a lot and we finished with a few weeks to spare for study, but his primary focus has been the AP English Language test. He is a bit anxious about the fact that his earlier essays received better grades than his more recent ones. Part of that is having to adjust to the time limit, but it's getting better with practice - a lot of practice.

 

In fact, practice really seems to help for students like my son who struggle with speed issues. His first multiple choice practice section took him over two hours to complete. He has honed that down to finishing within the time limit with a few minutes to spare. That's been a huge relief.

 

Ds has done a ton of standardized testing and usually never bats an eye. This time he's anxious. I think it's because there is a ton of hard work on the line.

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Feeling the heat here too.  We just returned from the local high school where dds were filling out demographic info on answer sheets in preparation for next week.  Both girls have Psych on Monday, and dd2 has CalcAB on Wednesday and then Latin on Thursday.  I won't lie--it has been really stressful around here!  I think we are all having second thoughts about doing them.  They've done a lot of multiple choice practice questions, but we probably need to work more on FRQ's in order to feel more comfortable next week.  

 

We're going to have a big party Thursday night. :cheers2:

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Just one here, but in half prep mode because a paper for another class is due Friday.  We went to the high school yesterday for orientation and paperwork.  I think that helped because we saw the room where the test will be given and met the proctor.

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GOOD LUCK!! We used CLEP exams instead of AP when I realized that delay in studying until the AP test date meant that my DS was much less likely to remember everything for the test.  With CLEP, they could finish the subject, take the test, and move on.  Given that the CLEPs they took were mostly in subjects they are NOT majoring in in college and have no interest in further, it worked well for us as an option.  They got the college credit for the courses and didn't have to take those as core classes when they got to college.  My boys are appreciating the ability to jump right into studies that pertain to their majors. ;-)   JUST thought I'd mention CLEPs in case they may work better for you in the future. Best Wishes!

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I will be very happy on May 12, but I am willing to bet my daughter will be happier.

 

Practicing, practicing, practicing here... ready to take them ...NOW! Or at least she'd rather just be done than work on it any longer.

 

Both of my daughters have felt that the CalcBC from PA Homeschoolers was a good class and excellent prep for the exam.

We have loved APEngLit with Mrs. Walker. This was a great learning and stretching exercise for my dd.

We all think PhysicsB just has too much *stuff* in there... but lucky for everyone ... starting next year it's redesigned.

 

Best of Luck to All!!

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My son will take his first AP Exam...AP Stats...next Friday, and like others have mentioned, he is ready NOW. He took the class final earlier this week and will probably just tread water until the actual test. He tends to be susceptible to burnout, so I won't push any more review.

 

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DS will be taking the AP Latin exam and the AP Physics B exam.  He has worked hard and done well in class.  He is still finishing up exams/FRQ practice in those classes.  He took AP Chemistry and AP Computer Science last year and did well on the exams.  Hoping he does well this year!

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My son has five AP exams coming up. English and APUSH will be the most difficult ones for him, but the one he is worried about the most is Ă¢â‚¬Â¦ next year's AP Latin! He's already sweating bullets about that one. LOL.

 

Good luck to everyone. :)

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My ds is taking his first AP exam this year, European history. He loves history and has a great memory, but he has had issues for years with handwriting. I'm amazed at how much he has improved this year. I hope the test goes well for him, but regardless it's been a great experience. Next year he's planning to take two, or possible three, AP exams. I'm glad he only has one this year!

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My oldest 2 sons are taking AP microeconomics, and my oldest is taking US Gov.  They are really well-prepared for the micro exam, but my oldest is not that prepared for the government one.  He self-studied for it this year, and it just consistently wasn't his top priority.  Sigh.  I am reviewing with him each day, but I worry about the essays.  His handwriting has never been the best, and writing just isn't his strength!  He is much more comfortable with the FRQ format of microeconomics, which is a lot about interpreting graphs and whatnot, and not just pouring out tons of information by pen.  We'll see. I'll be glad when its all over!  Both boys have to take SAT IIs on June 3--chemistry and US history--but no one is anywhere near as stressed about those!

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This is my first year since 2005 that I haven't had someone taking two or more AP exams.

 

I sympathize with all of you moms and the general stress caused by them! :grouphug:

I realized yesterday why I was so relaxed this spring---no APs for our family!

 

Hang in there, everyone :grouphug:

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Just dropped dd off. CalcBC.

I hope it goes well... this is her first and the test about which she is most confident ... just hoping the stage is set nicely, that's all.

 

Ready, set..... wait!

 

 

ETA: Picked her up... went to lunch... all is well. She said it was fine. :)

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My son takes the APUSH test next Wednesday.  His teacher is on the national AP board, instructs other AP teachers, and grades APUSH exams every June.  He knows what is expected from the students and does a great job preparing them.  He has been holding study sessions for the past 6 weeks.  The first couple of weeks it was once a week, then twice a week, and now 5 nights a week.  It is optional to attend but my son has really got a lot out of going.  The teacher also gave them a book to study from that includes previous questions and gives them weekly take home tests as practice.  The teacher told them that he will provide all of the practice materials that they want.  My son and three other students (one is the teacher's daughter) have been holding group text testing sessions.  One will post a question and the other three respond.  They have been doing this all year and it has really benefitted them.  Praying that all of the studying pays off next week.

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Just dropped dd off. CalcBC.

I hope it goes well... this is her first and the test about which she is most confident ... just hoping the stage is set nicely, that's all.

 

Ready, set..... wait!

 

I think science or calc are good ones to start off with.  They're much more "you know it or you don't," unlike history, for instance, of which one can never know it all.

 

My sophomore daughter is in a STEM Magnet this year, so getting her ready for APs isn't my problem.  Yippee!  When she was taking them as a homeschooler, though, it was awful for me, so I fully empathize with the rest of you.

 

This year, she has APUSH, AP lang and Physics C coming up starting Friday.  Weirdly, she actually enjoys AP season.  Her school isn't terribly high-performing overall, but their STEM magnet has lots of high-achievers, so the administration treats them really, really well.  They get muffins, cookies, bottled water, spare calculators and extra batteries at the exams.  If you take an AP, you have the option of not going to school the rest of the day.  Even if you do not have an AP exam one day, but much of the rest of your class does (most of the juniors in her APUSH class, for example, are taking chem and calc this week--she has already taken both), you can either skip the class or sit there and watch a movie or study for something else.   Between her own three exams, the DE calc class that has already finished because it is tied to the college calendar and she was exempt from the final, and the popular exams that have emptied her APUSH/AP lang class, she's not working too hard for a couple of weeks.  I keep sending in notes to the attendance office that say, "SuzieQ skipped second block today because everyone else was going to be out taking an AP exam," and attendance keeps getting befuddled by not knowing whether that is excused or unexcused.  She has worked awfully hard this year, so I am happy that she is getting a little reprieve before summer.

 

 

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I have been so pleased with the way our local school has handled the AP's.  They've been so accommodating to my girls, and everything has gone extremely smoothly.  They even handed out bags that read, "You've got this in the bag!" with water, fruit snacks, pencils, and pens. It was a nice touch.   :001_smile:  So far, the week leading up to AP's was worse than the actual thing (the doubting and cramming, etc.).

 

Dd felt good about Calculus this morning (her favorite subject), so just Latin to go now.... 

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Wow, that's nice of the schools to do those extra things. My son's high school doesn't do anything like that. They do provide a special breakfast and snack during the week of mid-terms and finals.

 

Kids taking the AP tests here are exempt from the classes they miss but they still have to turn in homework and take missed tests. My son has to make up two class tests tomorrow during his lunch and free period. Then just two more to go here.

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One down three to go. :)

 

Dd took the psych test Monday afternoon and felt good about it. She's says maybe a 5 but at least a solid 4. We'll see.

 

She has the lit exam tomorrow and then European history and macro-econ next week.

 

This year she took pysch and Euro through PA Homeschoolers and lit and econ through The Potter's School.

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It's great to see students feeling confident after their tests. I can't wait until Friday afternoon when it's over. My rock-steady test taker is looking a bit green about the gills, but I think that's because it's his first AP and he's worked like a dog for that course.

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It's great to see students feeling confident after their tests. I can't wait until Friday afternoon when it's over. My rock-steady test taker is looking a bit green about the gills, but I think that's because it's his first AP and he's worked like a dog for that course.

 

Similar here with an earlier deadline.  When the Lukeion practice test scores were posted this afternoon, the emotions evened out.  I'll feel better tomorrow night when it is over!

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Shew, mine made it out of CAl BC.  His comment was "it was ridiculously easy or I failed in a fantastically horrible fashion with a bang."      He had a 5 on the AB last year so I hope it was the former.   He's cramming now for AP Latin which he should be relaxed over and awfully nonchalant about the two Physics tests Monday.  I think it is harder on me than him.

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DS will be taking the AP Latin exam and the AP Physics B exam.

Mine took those 2 exams last year. The Physics B was a real grind -- lots of material to cover. He took AP English Lit this morning and will take Stats tomorrow afternoon, and then he's done!!!!

 

(BTW, if anyone is taking AP Stats next year and wants to buy a used book & fathom software, we're selling ours for $65ppd. I've also got the AP Latin books from last year that I want to sell. PM me if interested).

 

Brenda

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DD was prepped to take AP English tomorrow, but the HS where she planned to take the test call today to say they were short a test and bumped her to the 23rd. They're searching to see if there are enough tests for the history test she signed up for and planned to take next week. Darn! The high school already cashed my check. My tip: Make sure the place you plan to take the test has the test.  

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Yes, AP Latin went very well.  DC said afterwards that the SAT was more stressful and harder.  We actually got there only 5 minutes before the start time (over an hour driving), but they were very understanding and had everything ready to go.  They even brought out cold drinks at break time, and had lots of extra pencils and pens ready.  I sat in the guidance office waiting at the end, and the receptionist was utterly delightful to talk to.

 

So different that the local high school.  Unfortunately their county superintendent has decreed that only county residents can test there next year, or I'd consider going there again.  Our high school has a nasty attitude. The head of guidance talks like every teenager is a criminal and every homeschooler is an illiterate slob living under a rock.  At the SAT he was outside with his bullhorn keeping order, barking at the kids.  Every conversation I've had with him has been unpleasant.  One of mine will do the AP English exam there next year or the following year. So I'll have to deal with him again.

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DD was prepped to take AP English tomorrow, but the HS where she planned to take the test call today to say they were short a test and bumped her to the 23rd. They're searching to see if there are enough tests for the history test she signed up for and planned to take next week. Darn! The high school already cashed my check. My tip: Make sure the place you plan to take the test has the test.  

 

That's awful!  Can she show up anyway in case there is a no-show?  I think there are often several no-shows.

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Anyone know how small the print on the tests are?  The only test prep material we could find for AP German was what was on the College Board site.  Dds have started taking the practice tests in there, and one of my dds is having problems with the tiny, tiny type for the reading passages.  She's fine with the font size for the questions themselves, it's the reading samples (like articles, etc.). 

 

She definitely would qualify for accommodations - she flunked the eye test at school, with her glasses on!  Unfortunately, she's had glasses since she was 18mos old, has had VT, and goes regularly to a Developmental Optometrist - those were brand new glasses - this is as good as it's going to get.  She is a voracious reader and can manage fine with normal font size in books, but this stuff on the practice AP was too small for her to read, especially quickly and in a foreign language to boot.  Any idea if the reading samples are really that small on the real test, or is it just the samples on the college board site?

 

Apparently it says we should have asked for accommodations way back in Feb - but she's never had a problem with teeny tiny type on any other tests - it didn't occur to me she would need any accommodations!

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Mine took those 2 exams last year. The Physics B was a real grind -- lots of material to cover. He took AP English Lit this morning and will take Stats tomorrow afternoon, and then he's done!!!!

 

 

Ds is glad Latin is over.  He was quite worried about it.  He is not nearly as worried about Physics...LOL!!!  I hope the exams go well for your ds :001_smile:.

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Anyone know how small the print on the tests are?  The only test prep material we could find for AP German was what was on the College Board site.  Dds have started taking the practice tests in there, and one of my dds is having problems with the tiny, tiny type for the reading passages.  She's fine with the font size for the questions themselves, it's the reading samples (like articles, etc.). 

 

She definitely would qualify for accommodations - she flunked the eye test at school, with her glasses on!  Unfortunately, she's had glasses since she was 18mos old, has had VT, and goes regularly to a Developmental Optometrist - those were brand new glasses - this is as good as it's going to get.  She is a voracious reader and can manage fine with normal font size in books, but this stuff on the practice AP was too small for her to read, especially quickly and in a foreign language to boot.  Any idea if the reading samples are really that small on the real test, or is it just the samples on the college board site?

 

Apparently it says we should have asked for accommodations way back in Feb - but she's never had a problem with teeny tiny type on any other tests - it didn't occur to me she would need any accommodations!

 

You may have already tried this one, but here's a link to a practice exam that you can print out and have her look at: http://social.rollins.edu/wpsites/maerchenpaedagogik/files/2011/10/German-Language-and-Culture-Practice-Exam-and-Notes1.pdf

 

The print size for Latin was the same as the practice exams that we used, so I'm assuming it's probably the case with German as well.  Good luck to her!!

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DD was prepped to take AP English tomorrow, but the HS where she planned to take the test call today to say they were short a test and bumped her to the 23rd. They're searching to see if there are enough tests for the history test she signed up for and planned to take next week. Darn! The high school already cashed my check. My tip: Make sure the place you plan to take the test has the test.  

 Oh no, that's rotten of them!!  Ugh.  Hope she gets in to history next week.

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Anyone know how small the print on the tests are?  The only test prep material we could find for AP German was what was on the College Board site.  Dds have started taking the practice tests in there, and one of my dds is having problems with the tiny, tiny type for the reading passages.  She's fine with the font size for the questions themselves, it's the reading samples (like articles, etc.). 

 

She definitely would qualify for accommodations - she flunked the eye test at school, with her glasses on!  Unfortunately, she's had glasses since she was 18mos old, has had VT, and goes regularly to a Developmental Optometrist - those were brand new glasses - this is as good as it's going to get.  She is a voracious reader and can manage fine with normal font size in books, but this stuff on the practice AP was too small for her to read, especially quickly and in a foreign language to boot.  Any idea if the reading samples are really that small on the real test, or is it just the samples on the college board site?

 

Apparently it says we should have asked for accommodations way back in Feb - but she's never had a problem with teeny tiny type on any other tests - it didn't occur to me she would need any accommodations!

I don't know the answer to your question, BUT my daughter who has no vision problems has also had problems with old exams printed off of the CB site.  The answers weren't showing up, or they were squiggly or something.  I suggested she try a different browser, as that always seems to clear up formatting issues I find on the 'net.  She didn't listen to me, so I don't know what the problem was.  But, I do remember from my days of pulling off old world history exams that the old exams are not uniformly formatted on the CB's site, so I think there's a good chance that the exam itself will be readable.  Can she take a magnifier just in case?  I guess that would depend on the flexibility of the proctors, but I can't imagine how they would say no to a clear piece of  glass.

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We are all done with AP's for the year!  :hurray:   Dd felt great about Latin and said that Mrs. Barr's essay assignments were harder.  I'll admit to being sad that Latin is over, though.  We've been with Lukeion for four years, and it's hard to imagine a year without them!  Luckily I have two little ones waiting in the wings.... :001_smile: 

 

Overall, I'm really happy with our AP experience this year.  I don't feel like we jumped through weird hoops to make it happen--just took challenging classes that were terrific preparation for the tests in and of themselves.  I was having second thoughts last week when the girls were stressed, but it was short-lived, and I think the experience has been a confidence boost.

 

Here's a run-down of our preparation, for anyone that's thinking of doing AP's next year:

 

AP Psychology: I wrote up a syllabus for a one-semester course and submitted it to the College Board for approval.  Used Myer's Psychology, 9th ed. and some free online videos (Education Portal).  Used Barron's AP Psych review book.  Both dds said that if they were to do it over again, they would have just used the Barron's book from the beginning and skipped the other stuff, but that wouldn't have felt like a real course to me.

 

AP Calc AB: Dd took Derek Owens online course and loved it. (We did his Physics course last year, so we were familiar with his style.)  We also used the eIMACS review course and the Princeton Review book for test prep at the end.

 

AP Latin: Four years of Latin with Lukeion was terrific preparation for this one.  I think dd is more proud of this accomplishment than anything else she has done to date. :001_wub:

 

Good luck to everyone taking tests today and next week--here's to great scores in July!! 

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You may have already tried this one, but here's a link to a practice exam that you can print out and have her look at: http://social.rollins.edu/wpsites/maerchenpaedagogik/files/2011/10/German-Language-and-Culture-Practice-Exam-and-Notes1.pdf

 

The print size for Latin was the same as the practice exams that we used, so I'm assuming it's probably the case with German as well.  Good luck to her!!

 

That one looks much better (especially since at first it was zoomed - but it's still better even at normal size ;) ).  The practice exams we printed off were from the College Board site. The content and questions in test you linked and the one I printed from the site appear to be the same, but the font size of the selection in the one I have is in fact much smaller - so that gives me some hope! 

 

They don't have full tests at the site, they have a hundreds of pages document in which the sample test material is embedded.  I notice yours looks like the real test, with all the A's on top and "go to the next page", and the multiple choice in two columns, whereas mine has the tiny font reading selections followed by the multiple choice in single column with a larger font, with "Targeted Learning Objective" in a gray box under each question to show what that question's supposed to test.

 

I hope I hope yours is like the real exam - I think she could handle that text size fine.  I will show her yours when she gets home (heck, I'm going to print off the reading selections so she has something more workable to use to practice!).  That will make her much relieved.  She did go to the guidance counselor this morning to ask about accommodations, but I think it's too late at this point, so the exam font being in a reasonable size would be the best outcome! 

 

Thank you thank you thank you for linking that!!

 

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Didn't realize that the AP Stats exam was in a difficult time slot until...this morning. FRIDAY AFTERNOON???? When we have baseball games and a birthday party and tickets to the local minor league's game this weekend...etc. etc. It never occurred to me that I typically start thinking "weekend" on Friday morning...lol! I just hope my son doesn't do the same and can concentrate from 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. today. I sure know that I couldn't (but maybe it is just my age and gender that can't seem to compartmentalize...).

 

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English Lang underway.  My 16 yo woke up in, shall we say, not the best of moods.  She said she didn't get to sleep until late last night.  Not, of course, that she's nervous or anything. . .. The AP kids were promised Chick-fil-A biscuits before the exam this morning, so there's that to look forward to, but when I left, she was brewing up some strong iced tea to keep her awake.  Looking forward to a report, which should be imminent.

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:party:   

Yeah!!!!  English Lang is done!!  Ds said he felt better about it coming out than going in.  He is toast now, though..  That type of stress is exhausting.

 

Now, he has to do it all over again next Friday for Comparative Govt. and Politics.

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:party: English Language exam done here as well. There were 175 kids taking the test and they were there from 7:30-12:30pm. Apparently, they were missing a test after the multiple choice and had to do a recount.  Ds was a bit concerned over the multiple choice, but actually enjoyed the essay portion. I think it is a high compliment to his teacher that Mr. Cynical could walk out of a test like that and say that he was looking forward to taking another class next year from her.

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Confident of a 5 on lang today. She is in a much happier mood after a CFA biscuit, a solid exam and cookies at the break. "Only" APUSH and Physics C left. Her only comment on the exam was that the reading passages were boring. I read IRS regulations for a living--not sympathetic!

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