For a student to self-study in preparation for taking an AP exam (rather than taking an AP course prior to the AP exam), the following steps may be helpful:
1) Choose an exam to sit for:
- Research the complete list of AP exams available, based upon the
current AP course list by College Board - Look into the
credit and placement policy for the colleges/universities to which you plan to apply.
- While any exam in a child's areas of interest may be appropriate, in general, the AP exams for which a score of "5" is granted the least amount of college credit are the easier exams. These may make a good first exam for a student interested in self-study. One example might be
AP Environmental Science. Exploring the college board website will uncover many
curriculum and
exam preparation tips and ideas. Course overview, course details, and course description/resources are also provided on the college board website. You may wish to print these. Lists of recommended text books may also be found.
- Contact local exam sites and verify that the particular AP exam is offered locally, and that a homeschool student may register to sit for the exam. Allow sufficient lead time (up to one year) so that your timely exam fee payment assures you a seat.
2) Organize and plan your studies:
Gather your printed materials into a project box, ring binder, or other organization method you prefer. Using these as a checklist or guide, you may wish to make a calendar and set goals for progress through the material.
3) Learn and Practice:
Read the recommended text books, perform the activities, take the practice test(s) online. Purchase study guides if desired. These may be current year publications or prior year editions, purchased as used books at a significant discount.
4) Immerse yourself in the subject:
Read any other material on the subject you can find, including magazine articles and online resources. Seek out and participate in related topical seminars at museums, libraries, etc. If you find a free online college-level course (MOOC) on the subject, you may wish to enroll. Leave no stone unturned in your quest for knowledge on the subject.
5) Be sure to bring appropriate ID, pencils, etc, to the test, and NO disallowed materials:
Parents of young students without a photo school ID may wish to look into helping their child obtain other ID listed as acceptable by the college board, such as a picture pass port (this two-syllable word was separated into two monosyllabic words to avoid the spam filter removing the two-syllable word.)
Best wishes to your child with self-studying for an AP exam!
