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Getting Started with AP Exams

March 1st, 2016

Getting started with AP exams requires a free practice test>. Diagnostic testing is an essential first step to any training program. After the student takes a diagnostic AP exam to get a baseline score, we will meet with you and your son or daughter to go over the results.  This meeting will lift the veil on where you stand now, what needs to be done to get where you want to be, and set a road map for how we can get you there.  We will break down the entire test with an accurate score report, complete with statistical analysis of your best and worst sections.  

Before we can attack this monster of a test, we will want to make sure everyone is on the same page.  At this free consultation we will address your fears and expectations leading up to the real test.  Once you understand what the test entails we can develop a study plan designed just for you, focusing on boosting your strengths and reinforcing your weaknesses.

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We will then set up a recurring time with one of our expert tutors.  Being with the same tutor every time maximizes efficiency and ensures your best results.  Our tutors are not only masters of that subject, but also know the test backwards and forwards, so you are sure to get the very best instruction.

We also recognize that the life of a high school student is already packed with activities.  Study Hut does all one-on-one training for AP tests, and is open seven days a week until 10pm.  We are flexible, and will match you with a schedule that works for you!

To begin the process of getting started with AP exams, just fill out the contact form below.  Your information will be sent to the branch nearest you, then the manager will call to set up a time that works best for you!  

AP Test Dates from Collegeboard

May 14th, 2013

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!! AP TEST DATES FROM COLLEGEBOARD.COM 

AP Test have started and we wanted to post all the AP test dates for everyone to see! These dates are posted on collegeboard.com. We are in the 2nd week of AP testing, so we wish good luck to all the students taking exams. 

May 6-10 and

May 13-17, 2013

 Exam Dates

Week 1

Test Date Morning (8 AM) Afternoon (12 PM)
Monday
May 6
AP Chemistry
AP Environmental Science
AP Psychology
Tuesday
May 7
AP Computer Science A
AP Spanish Language
AP Art History
Wednesday
May 8
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
AP Chinese Language and Culture
Thursday
May 9
AP English Literature and
Composition
AP Japanese Language and Culture
AP Latin
Friday
May 10
AP English Language and
Composition
AP Statistics

Studio Art: Last day for your school to submit digital portfolios and to gather 2-D Design and Drawing students for the physical portfolio assembly. Students should have forwarded their completed digital portfolios to their teachers well before this date.

Week 2

Test Date Morning (8 AM) Afternoon (12 PM)
Monday
May 13
AP Biology
AP Music Theory
AP Physics B
AP Physics C: Mechanics

IMPORTANT ALERT AFTERNOON (2:00 PM)
Special Exam time.
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
is the only exam given at 2:00 pm.

Tuesday
May 14
AP United States Government and Politics AP Comparative Government and Politics
AP French Language and Culture
Wednesday
May 15
AP German Language and Culture
AP United States History
AP European History
Thursday
May 16
AP Macroeconomics
AP World History
AP Italian Language and Culture
AP Microeconomics
Friday
May 17
AP Human Geography
AP Spanish Literature and Culture

May 22-24, 2013

Late-testing dates.

June 15, 2013

AP Services must receive written requests to change college score report recipients, and to withhold or cancel scores for the current year’s exam administration, by this date.

July

AP scores are released to designated colleges, students and their high schools

Free AP Diagnostic Test

March 14th, 2013

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! THE MANHATTAN BEACH STUDY HUT IS OFFERING FREE AP DIAGNOSTIC TESTS!!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get a 5 on an AP test? Well now is your chance!! We are offering free AP Diagnostic Tests and the first one is only 10 DAYS AWAY!

March 24th (Sunday) and April 20th (Saturday) are the two times that we will be offering the exams for all subjects.

If you would like to sign up please contact samantha@studyhut.com or call 1-310-546-2408.

For those of you that don’t know, AP stands for Advanced Placement – a program in the United States created by the College Board offering college-level curriculum and examinations to high school students. American colleges often grant placement and course credit to students who obtain high scores above a certain number on the examinations. The AP curriculum for the various subjects is created for the College Board by a panel of experts and college-level educators in each subject. For a high school course to have the AP designation, the course must be audited by the College Board to ascertain it satisfies the AP curriculum.

Some colleges use AP test scores to exempt students from introductory coursework. Each college’s policy is different, but most require a minimum score of 3 or 4 to receive college credit. Typically this appears as a “CR” grade on the college transcript, although some colleges and universities will award an A grade for a 5 score.

Grading the AP exam is a long and complicated process. The multiple choice component of the exam is scored by computer, while the free response and essay portions are scored by trained Readers at the AP Reading each June. The scores on various components are weighted and combined into a raw Composite Score. The Chief Reader for each exam then decides on the grade cutoffs for that year’s exam, which determine how the Composite Scores are converted into the final grades. During the process a number of reviews and statistical analyses are performed to ensure that the grading is reliable. The overall goal is for the grades to reflect an absolute scale of performance which can be compared from year to year.

AP History Classes – Tips and Tricks

November 8th, 2012

Taking Advanced Placement (or “AP”) classes in high school are very important to completing lower division requirements in college, yet they move at a fast pace and try to cover dense material as quickly as possible. AP History classes, such as U.S. History (APUSH), European History (EHAP), World History (WHAP), and Art History provide a very unique set of difficulties since they are all covering such a broad and substantial amount of information. Here are some good study tips that might make your life a little easier in these classes:

  1. Make a timeline – a list of dates or a timeline written in chronological order will help keep track of important events, the key players and the significance of the event.
  2. Keep multiple lists – This is a great way of keeping track and studying the various leaders, governments and political movements that occur. Write a small paragraph under each word to have short and easily memorable ideas that are easy to understand for complex essay writing assignments.
  3. Print out maps – both from the time period you are studying and the present. Coupled with your timeline, this is a great start to visually understanding connections between countries of the past and now. Everything will make more sense!
  4. Keep a record of vocabulary, chapter by chapter – A small vocabulary list is also important for quick studying, so when test time arrives you have cumulative, yet specific, information to look over instead of a huge textbook.
  5. Skim through the chapter first – This will give the overall sense of what the main purpose is, then you can go back to the beginning of the chapter and read it with that purpose in mind. For instance, if the main purpose of the chapter is Neolithic civilizations in Africa and their significance to archeology and present day African civilizations, then you know to read for types of Neolithic African civilizations, their region on a map, their artifacts, their religious beliefs, their language, etc.

 

Although history has a bunch of memorization, try not to think about it in that way. Understanding the concept is the most important thing. History is a story of the past, so when you read pretend it’s a story instead of a bunch of dates, names and facts. Furthermore, learning about history is really about understanding the significance of events to both the time period you are studying and the present day; when you read and take notes, always write the significance.

Example of a Pre-History Timeline one might use.

Summer Writing Workshops

June 13th, 2012

We’ve all been there.

It’s the dreaded blank sheet. The writing assignment stares up from the table, but you have no idea where to begin. Should you start with the thesis statement? Gather textual evidence first? Maybe it’s better to just wing it and worry about editing later.

It’s a frustrating situation, but there is help! Study Hut is offering a series of writing workshops this summer designed to review the different types of essays and prepare students for the next level of writing.

Each grade brings new expectations, particularly when it comes to writing. If a student enters the school year even moderately unprepared, it can turn from a small setback to a major problem in a hurry. It’s tempting to regard writing in terms of black and white; there are inherently good writers and bad writers. That, however, is far from the case. Good writing is a matter of discipline, strategy and lots and lots of practice.

The Hut’s summer workshop is designed to be all of those things and more. Each week, we’ll spend one-on-one time with students going over everything from correctly citing a source to crafting the perfect topic sentence. From college applications to AP tests to middle school lab reports, strong writing skills are always going to help students succeed.

Each student has one-on-one time with a tutor, so we can adapt the program to fit any skill level. We’ve put together instructional, age appropriate materials that will help any student prepare for the next step in the great journey of mega-awesome skillstastic writing! Also, we promise to discourage made-up words like “skillstastic.”

Contact us today by emailing Samantha@studyhut.com for more information on the writing workshop. Sample topics include: thesis writing, finding and citing sources, topic sentences and using evidence effectively in narrative, analytical, expository, synthesis and literary analysis essays.

Big tests coming up!

April 26th, 2012

As some of us are starting to wind down with summer on the horizon, some of you are getting ready to take the big test, the admissions killer, the SAT. It may sound overwhelming to balance school, extra curriculars, and studying for the SAT, but there are steps you can take to make it easier on yourself. Keep a balance to your life, and get help if you are struggling or just want to make things easier. At the Study Hut, we can give you that extra help you need. We’ll help you manage your time, stay ahead in your classes, and we also offer premium SAT tutoring if you want that 2,300 score. SAT time in high school is a stressful period, but get the help you can and come out on top. College is right around the corner and this is the last stretch, give it your all!

Some you may also be taking AP Tests. At the study hut we are offering a free AP Practice Test in the subject of your choosing this Saturday the 28th from 8am to 11am. If you are interested in taking it, which you should be if you’re planning to take the AP test in May, shoot Sam an email at Samantha@studyhut.com and specify the test you wish to take.

Remember, these tests may be overwhelming at first, but through slow and steady practice, improvement will show, and your confidence will rise. Once you have confidence that you are going to do well, the rest is cake, so use every resource at your disposal and ensure yourself the best score possible. Good luck!

AP Tests

April 19th, 2012

With AP tests just around a corner, I’m sure a lot of you are just now realizing what that whole last year of extra long AP homework assignments and tests were for. The AP class is meant to mimic the difficulty of a college course, and as a high school student it is very important to do well in both the class, and the test. Why is it so important? Because if you do well it shows you are ready for the level of classes that you are going to encounter at the college you’re applying at. If you do poorly, it shows a lack of preparation to tackle such high difficulty courses. Passing the test also gives you a head start to your college credits, and at times can even save you from taking a class. So it is important that you go into this test as prepared as possible.

To help gauge your preparedness, we at the Study Hut have two days where you can take a free AP practice test of your choosing. These are actual College Board tests, so it’s as close to the real thing as you can get. Study up, and come by the Hut on Saturday 4/21 or 4/28, and the tests will be administered from 8am-11am. If you are interested in taking advantage of these practice tests, send a confirmation email of the date, and test you would like to take to Samantha@studyhut.com

Study your notes, and if you feel like the year has gone by and you’re just as lost as you were in the start, buy an AP Study Book, which are available at most bookstores. They contain all the information you need in a refined way, and also have practice tests with full explanations.

Study hard boys and girls, and prove to them you’re ready for college!