Getting ready to take the AP Statistics exam? Create the perfect AP Statistics study guide these helpful tips from Olympia, WA tutor Tali H.
If you’re nervous about taking the Advanced Placement (AP) stats exam, you’re not alone. This college-level course can challenge even the brightest of mathematical minds. The good news is that there are many methods for maximizing your score on the AP stats test, and we’ll cover some of our favorites here.
About the AP Stats Exam
Unless statistics already come naturally to you, passing the AP stats test will take more time and energy than your average high school class. That’s because AP courses are meant to prepare you for the kind of critical thinking that college requires. If you take the time to learn the concepts, take the AP stats practice exam, and know your calculator inside-and-out, you’ll be in good shape on test day.
Many high schools and colleges give AP classes an extra grade point. While acing average high school classes can get you a 4.0 GPA, AP classes make it possible to get that number closer to 5.0. That’s because an “A” on your AP stats exam can give you five grade points. This also means that a “B” in AP stats equals an “A” in non-AP courses. Be sure to check how your particular school handles grade points when it comes to AP courses.
The three-hour AP Statistics exam consists of two sections: the 90-minute, 40-question multiple-choice section and the 90-minute short answer section (which will have four to seven 10-minute open-ended questions and one 30-minute investigative task).
The exam covers exploring data (describing patterns and departures from patterns), sampling and experimentation (planning and conducting a study), anticipating patterns (producing models using probability and simulation), and statistical inference (estimating population parameters and testing hypotheses). For more information about the exam content, visit the College Board Website.
Here are some tips for pulling together your AP statistics study guide.
1. Have Multiple Resources
The concepts in statistics are relatively easy to understand if the material is presented in a clear, concise way. However, for many students, the textbook doesn’t do the best job of quickly clarifying information. So, what materials do you supplement your textbook with?
- Check out StatTrek.com
This site is beyond helpful for AP preparation. It offers its own free online course, designed specifically with the AP test in mind. Most concepts have an in-depth explanation with examples and two sample questions to answer at the end (in the AP format style), and (this is the best part) excellent PowerPoint videos to visually illustrate almost every concept. Unlike many other instructional videos, these videos move quickly and have been expertly scripted ahead of time. This site also offers graphing calculator technology so you can compute online and on-site, plus links to cheap places to buy calculators and other study materials. Everything you would ever need to ace the exam can be found here.
For most AP courses, I recommend getting the Princeton Review AP Test Study Book. But for the AP Stats course, I don’t think it’s necessary, especially if you use the website listed above. The book covers exploring data, and the sampling and experimentation sections satisfactorily. Plus, it comes with two full-length practice tests. However, it is slightly repetitive and confusing when it comes to the anticipating patterns and statistical inference sections, which are the hardest to understand anyway.
2. Know Your Calculator Like the Back of Your Hand
Statistics is very “calculator-heavy,” meaning, if you don’t know how to use your calculator on the test, you’re toast. I recommend getting the Texas Instruments TI-Nspire CX Graphing Calculator, which can usually be found used online for about $60. Before the test, you should be extremely familiar with how to perform tests on your calculator and how to interpret the data. In many cases, especially on the multiple-choice section where no work needs to be shown, you can just plug in some numbers and solve the question. Make sure to bring extra batteries for your calculator when you take the test.
3. Understand the Equations Your Calculator is Doing
In order to get a good score, you need to know more than routine calculator calculations. You need to understand what is actually happening. This is especially important in the short answer section because showing your work is required. In fact, most of the points come from showing your work, and only 1 to 2 points come from having the right answer. This means relying on calculator tricks isn’t going to take you to the finish line on test day.
Keep in mind that some work points may be deducted if you get the wrong answer. At some point in your statistics course, it would be wise to attempt a practice test the “long-way,” using as little of the calculator as possible (for some problems, it’s necessary), and doing all the calculations by hand. After that, taking the test with a calculator will be easy!
The most difficult part about statistics isn’t actually doing the work (since most of that is done by your calculator), it’s knowing what process or test you’re going to use to solve the problem. You’ll need to understand both the terminology and the statistical processes to earn that 5. This is why repetition of material is key!
Working with a statistics tutor can be a huge help toward remembering and differentiating between all the subtle nuances of statistical tests. The array of excellent statistics tutors on TakeLessons.com can give you the personalized guidance you need to master the AP stats exam. Online lessons make it easy to instantly connect with your tutor, and get your questions answered fast!
Do you have any other tips on earning a 5 on the AP stats test?
Let us know in the comments below!
Tali H. tutors in various academic subjects in Olympia, WA, as well as through online lessons. Since 2010, she has worked with numerous students in elementary, middle, high school, and college in both group settings and one-on-one. Learn more about Tali here!
Suzy S.