Top Tips From a Science Teacher for Taking AP® Exams in 2023
Preparing students for AP® science exams is a year-long process, but as we get closer to May, students will benefit from resources to help them review and refresh. One important update from the College Board® is that all AP® science exams now approve the use of most TI graphing calculators, which includes Environmental Science.
Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule for science exams in 2023:
- Monday, May 1 — Chemistry
- Tuesday, May 2 — Environmental Science
- Tuesday, May 9 — Physics C: Mechanics, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
- Wednesday, May 10 — Biology
- Thursday, May 11 — Physics 1 (algebra based)
- Friday, May 12 — Physics 2 (algebra based)
Check the full AP® Exam Schedule for all the details.
Resources available to you
There are many resources available as you prepare to take this year’s AP® exams.
- Review concepts by watching videos: College Board® has put together AP® Live Courses to review content, including exam prep for each course. Texas Instruments Education has videos posted on math and science concepts, including “Office Hours” for AP® Calculus and AP® Statistics.
- Practice: If you are enrolled in an AP® course, you should have access to AP® Classroom where you can complete practice problems that are aligned with the new tests. Set up a space that will mimic what it would be like on the day of the exam. Try to reduce distractions, and time yourself to get a feeling of what it will be like on test day. Sit down with what you need: snacks, water, scratch paper, pen/pencil, formula sheets and a calculator. If you do not have a calculator at home, you can download software for the TI-84 Plus or TI-Nspire™ CX families of graphing calculators to use on your devices.
Preparing for the test
We have been preparing all year for this exam. We have covered the content. We have practiced constructing free-response questions, analyzed data, made connections, explained phenomena and many other things to prepare you for this.
In these final weeks leading up to the exam, try creating a few condensed note sheets. You can use these sheets to summarize main concepts, draw diagrams and show connections. Also, take any opportunity to explain this information to anyone who will listen. Create a video, teach a family member, or just talk to yourself in a mirror. By verbalizing the information, you can reinforce what you know and realize what material you need to review more. Remember, these questions will be asking you to analyze presented information or apply your knowledge to a new situation, not rote memorization.
On the day of the test, read the question carefully. Remember “ATP,” not just for cellular energy as in Adenosine Triphosphate, but A-T-P as in “Answer The Prompt.” Be sure you know what is being asked before you start answering, and try to answer completely. Review the Task Verbs you will need to determine how to answer the questions. For example, will you be asked to describe or explain, calculate or determine, identify or justify? Use these task verbs to help direct and complete your response. However, do not panic if you cannot completely answer all parts to a question. Do your best. It is better to turn in an incomplete answer than not finish in time.
With these free-response questions, you can show what you know and earn college credit. Take a deep breath and know that you’ve got this!
For a comprehensive look at exam resources available from Texas Instruments, visit the test preparation page on the website, including a chart that shows which TI technology is accepted on all high-stakes exams.
About the author: Jessica Kohout is a National T3 Instructor and enjoys introducing students to STEM through environmental issues. She is the Youth Climate Institute Manager at the Howard County Conservancy where she develops programming for high school students and mentors the STEM Action Team. Prior to this, she taught high school Biology for 17 years. In or out of the classroom, Jessica believes that teaching students STEM skills along with collective action are the ways to improve the future for all. Follow her on Twitter @MrsKohout.
AP® and College Board® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, TI products. Policies subject to change. Visit www.collegeboard.org.
Tagcloud
Archive
- 2024
-
2023
- January (3)
- February (3)
- March (5)
- April (3)
- May (3)
- June (3)
- July (2)
-
August (6)
- 5 Ways to Spruce Up Your Classroom for Back to School
- Day of the Dog: Which Dog Is Roundest?
- Women Who Code: A TI Intern’s Fascinating STEM Journey
- 6 Sensational TI Resources to Jump-Start Your School Year
- 3 Back-to-School Math Activities to Reenergize Your Students
- A New School Year — A New You(Tube)!
- September (2)
- October (3)
- November (2)
- 2022
-
2021
- January (2)
- February (3)
- March (5)
-
April (7)
- Top Tips for Tackling the SAT® with the TI-84 Plus CE
- Monday Night Calculus With Steve Kokoska and Tom Dick
- Which TI Calculator for the SAT® and Why?
- Top Tips From a Math Teacher for Taking the Online AP® Exam
- Celebrate National Robotics Week With Supervised Teardowns
- How To Use the TI-84 Plus Family of Graphing Calculators To Succeed on the ACT®
- AP® Statistics: 6 Math Functions You Must Know for the TI-84 Plus
- May (1)
- June (3)
- July (2)
- August (5)
- September (2)
-
October (4)
- Transformation Graphing — the Families of Functions Modular Video Series to the Rescue!
- Top 3 Halloween-Themed Classroom Activities
- In Honor of National Chemistry Week, 5 “Organic” Ways to Incorporate TI Technology Into Chemistry Class
- 5 Spook-tacular Ways to Bring the Halloween “Spirits” Into Your Classroom
- November (4)
- December (1)
-
2020
- January (2)
- February (1)
- March (3)
- April (1)
- May (2)
- July (1)
- August (2)
- September (3)
-
October (7)
- Tips for Teachers in the time of COVID-19
- Top 10 Features of TI-84 Plus for Taking the ACT®
- TI Codes Contest Winners Revealed
- Best of Chemistry Activities for the Fall Semester
- Best of Biology Activities for the Fall Semester
- Best of Physics Activities for the Fall Semester
- Best of Middle Grades Science Activities
- November (1)
- December (2)
- 2019
-
2018
- January (1)
- February (5)
- March (4)
- April (5)
- May (4)
- June (4)
- July (4)
- August (4)
- September (5)
-
October (9)
- Art in Chemistry
- Which Texas Instruments (TI) Calculator for the ACT® and Why?
- Meet TI Teacher of the Month: Jessica Kohout
- Innovation in Biology
- Learning With Your Students
- A first-of-its-kind STEM strategy charts path to help educators
- #NCTMregionals Hartford 2018 Recap
- The Math Behind “Going Viral”
- Real-World Applications of Chemistry
-
November (8)
- Testing Tips: Using Calculators on Class Assessments
- Girls in STEM: A Personal Perspective
- 5 Teachers You Should Be Following on Instagram Right Now
- Meet TI Teacher of the Month: Katie England
- End-of-Marking Period Feedback Is a Two-Way Street
- #NCTMregionals Kansas City 2018 Recap
- Slope: It Shouldn’t Just Be a Formula
- Hit a high note exploring the math behind music
- December (5)
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015