When it comes to taking your AP exams, planning ahead is always the most important step in creating your study plan. Ideally, you should start getting ready for your AP exams at least two to three months before the test date. For some students, however, this is easier said than done. Advanced preparations can be challenging for students who struggle to maintain focus and motivation or find themselves in situations that are out of their control (such as a sudden illness, changes in their household, and other personal and academic responsibilities). So if one month is all the time you have left to study for your AP exams, we’ve got you covered. Below is a week-to-week breakdown of your one-month study plan for the AP exams.

Can I Study for the AP Exams in One Month?

Before we proceed to what you need to do and how you’re going to do it, you may be wondering if it is, in fact, possible to study for your AP exams in just a month. While we highly recommend allotting more study time for the AP exams, acing your AP exams is definitely still achievable even if you have less than the ideal preparation time. That is, if you create an effective study plan and give it your utmost commitment.

When preparing for the AP exam with only one month left, it’s essential to cover several topics and subjects while still giving yourself enough time to take a practice exam. If you’re taking multiple AP exams, divide each subject between the first two to three weeks and dedicate the final week to taking practice exams. Aside from the standard multiple-choice questions, you should also include free-response questions to familiarize yourself with the exam format and practice your writing. To make the most of your study plan, schedule at least two hours of study time each day for five days a week.

How to Study for the AP Exams in One Month

Depending on your study habits, one month can either be too little or just enough time to prepare for the AP exams. Regardless, successfully completing your AP exams begins with a study plan to keep you on track and help you stay focused.

Your one-month study plan for the AP exams should clearly identify your weekly objectives—what you need to accomplish and the amount of time you need to spend studying—and be flexible enough so that any unforeseen changes won’t disrupt your schedule and study goals.

But if you’re still unsure where or how to start, don’t fret. Here’s a guide on what you need to accomplish weekly with your one-month study plan for the AP exams.

Week 1 of Your One-Month Study Plan

It’s a good idea to start your preparations by taking a complete practice exam for all the AP subjects you will be tested on to assess where your current learnings and skills are at. Take this practice exam without much studying and answer the questions as best as you can from what you remember. This gives you a clear idea of which topics you need to focus on the most as well as the pace and format of the actual exam. (You can download AP practice exams from the College Board website and other online sources.)

Make sure to be honest with yourself about which areas you’re struggling with, and use your notes to help prioritize your review. When you don’t have the luxury of time, you’ll want to make sure you do some targeted studying and pay closer attention to concepts where you are the weakest. That way, you can set clearer goals for your study plan and create a schedule that works for you. You’ll want to study for about two hours a day, five days a week—focusing on one topic per day—so that you have plenty of time to go over the material in depth.

Week 2 of Your One-Month Study Plan

As you hit week two of your one-month study plan for the AP exams, you should have already covered most (if not all) of the topics listed in your first week of studying. You may also find that some topics are trickier than others or just too much to handle on your own. You’re not alone! This is the perfect time to reach out to your AP instructor for some extra help or join after-school review sessions.

If the review sessions offered by your school don’t fit your schedule, ask your instructor if there are other ways for you to receive help, whether it’s an online or a weekend meeting. If all else fails, they can always suggest some books or online resources that might give you a boost. It’s important to advocate for yourself and ask for help when you need it!

Week 3 of Your One-Month Study Plan

You should have already completed about 50 to 75 percent of your independent review by the third week of your study plan. Hence, you should now be ready to take another practice test to see how far you’ve come and how well you’ve managed your time since your last practice test. This time around, you’ll want to take the practice test under similar testing conditions as the AP exams by setting timers, finding a quiet room to work in, and taking short breaks.

If you’re still feeling unsure about your progress, don’t hesitate to reach out to your AP instructor again or even your peers.

Final Week of Your One-Month Study Plan

You’re down to the wire, and you’ve only got one week left until your AP exam. While most students’ instinct is to take in as much information as they could, this is actually counterproductive. Instead of cramming and overstudying, you’ll want to narrow down your focus. Choose three to five topics that you are having the most difficulties with or are frequently tested to review in-depth.

In the days leading up to your exam, pressure, stress, and anxiety are also all too common and can be quite overwhelming. It’s important that you set some time aside for you to clear your mind and prioritize stress management.

Steer clear of any last-minute cramming sessions the night before your test. Instead, spend the day doing some self-care and mindfulness exercises, eating nutritious food, and gathering everything you’ll need for the big day (such as pencils, pens, ID, and a calculator).

Get Tutoring Help for Your AP Classes with Stemly Tutoring

For some students, one month may seem like a lot of time to spend studying for the AP exams, but the fact is, days can go by fast, and before you know it, you’re just a few weeks out of your test day with no significant progress in your study plan.

In some cases, even when you commit to your one-month study plan for the AP exams, there’s still a good chance you’ll come across topics that are too difficult for you to understand on your own, especially in historically challenging subjects like math and science. While you can seek help from your teachers and take advantage of your school’s review sessions, they may not always be available or able to provide one-on-one instruction. That’s where an AP math and science tutor comes in.

Stemly Tutoring provides comprehensive and individualized virtual math and science tutoring to students of all skill levels, including AP math and science subjects. Our friendly, highly trained, and professional math and science tutoring experts are experienced in helping high school students master their AP classes and have extensive knowledge of AP math and science curriculums.

Whether you’re looking for a tutor who can help you fill the gaps in your AP classes or provide expert guidance as you study for your AP exams, Stemly Tutoring’s math and science tutors are here to help. We expert AP tutoring for the following subjects: AP Calculus AB tutoring, AP Calculus BC tutoring, AP Physics 1 tutoring, AP Physics 2 tutoring, AP Physics C tutoring, AP Chemistry, and AP Statistics.

We also provide math and science support for students, including Pre-Algebra tutoring, Algebra 1 tutoring, Algebra 2 tutoring, Geometry tutoring, Trigonometry tutoring, Pre-Calculus tutoring, Calculus 1 tutoring, Calculus 2 tutoring, Multivariable Calculus tutoring, Statistics tutoring, General Physics tutoring, Mechanics tutoring, Electricity & Magnetism tutoring, General Chemistry tutoring, Organic Chemistry tutoring, General Biology tutoring, and Biochemistry tutoring.

Reach out to Stemly Tutoring today to learn more about how we can help!