AP Tests

[T3h Nuub]

Re: AP Tests

The easiest way to take an AP test is to take the class and NOT take the final test.

[Nyokou]

Re: AP Tests

What? Our county pays for the AP tests so we HAVE to take them.

I'm only taking AP Language this year. I'm probably going to miss only 10 questions on the multiple choice. I'm guessing between 7-9 on my synthesis.. 4-6 on rhetorical analysis and 3-5 on argument. Taking it next Wednesday.

Next year I'll be taking AP Literature and AP Art History.

[~kitty~]

Re: AP Tests

You have a few in common with me.

I'm taking Calc AB, Chemistry, Statistics, and English Language.

What do you hope to get on your exams? (Well, better stated, what do you expect to get?)

I took my statistics AP exam yesterday... it was easy except for free response question #6.

EDIT: That is, because it was so restricting with time.

[lord_carbo]

Re: AP Tests

I hear Music Theory and languages tend to be the more difficult ones.

music theory is alright. It starts off easy but gets harder and harder depending on how good you are with identifying intervals and pitch.

For those taking music theory: if you're really good, you can bomb the sight singing and still manage a 5. but if you're really bad at both melodic dictation and sight singing then you'll never manage a 5. Maybe a 4. Maybe. But probably a 3 or lower.

Just think of the melodic dictation in terms of arpeggiated chords, and think in terms of typical chord progressions. that's actually kind of what it goes by a lot of the time; I mean, the notes aren't random. Harmonic dictation, well, this weekend be sure to play lots of typical chord progressions at the piano to get a 100% certain feel for how chord progressions sound.

Sight singing, well, by now you either suck at it or you don't. the best advice I can give you for practice at this point is 1) sing up and down scales in thirds. For example, in C major, you'd sing: C E D F E G F A G B A C B D C. And 2) try to keep a pitch in your head all day. It's important in the sight singing to start and end with the same tonal center. Not only does that make your singing so much easier, but in itself doing that will boost your score.

One last thing: the music theory test is the most fun test you'll ever take. I **** you not. Just don't get freaked out over the sight singing.

Also, go to the AP test site and listen to the sight singing examples and how the guy talks about why the examples are good or bad. It's hilarious how he trashes the bad singers.

[Jtehanonymous]

Re: AP Tests

I took my statistics AP exam yesterday... it was easy except for free response question #6.

EDIT: That is, because it was so restricting with time.

I started with number 6 since it was worth the most, and then did questions 1 through 5. I actually had time, so I got to go back to number 6, part d, and make some crap up for any partial points. XD.

All in all, the free response was pretty easy.....

[Turboyoshi]

Re: AP Tests

I actually looked over the Music Theory test and i thought "Yes, finally a test i can get a 5 on!". The only thing i don't know much about yet is all the compositional techniques. I personally think the sight singing will be easy, but eh...

AP English Lit and AP Euro taken as well this week, as well as both papers of IB Math Methods. I'm so tired i can barely think.

Thursday Morning: AP English Lit
Thursday Afternoon: IB Math Methods (SL) Paper 1
Friday Morning: IB Math Methods (SL) Paper 2
Friday Afternoon: AP European History

4 tests in a row=brain melt

[tangomango]

Re: AP Tests

I took Euro today, it was actually a little easier that I anticipated except for the first FRQ, which I pretty much BS'ed lol.

[BerZerkR]

Re: AP Tests

I took the test for US history today and I thought it was fairly easy, but I probably got a 2 on it. AP US history sucks btw.

[tangomango]

Re: AP Tests

Anyone take the Biology one last year? Any tips?

[lord_carbo]

Re: AP Tests

The only thing i don't know much about yet is all the compositional techniques.

You need that for a lot of the test -_- You'd get a 3 at most if you took it right now, and that's assuming you are super good at melodic dictation and sight singing and you have a good grasp of music in general. And by good grasp of music, I don't mean "I compose electronic music in Fruity Loops!" I mean, like, you've been playing an instrument in your school's band or orchestra for a while. Singing doesn't count; honestly, singers who don't play instruments are terrible musicians with no grasp of how to read and understand music.

I say all of that for two reasons: first of all, knowing how to write music is a big part of the test, and it's not as easy to pick up and do as you'd think. Naturally adhering to the rules-- which is something you're gonna have to do because the harmonic dictation examples are only repeated three times and there's only so much time on the multiple choice-- comes only with lots of practice. Second reason is that if you understand voice leading and that crap, the rest of music theory is much easier.

But I also doubt you're amazing at dictation and sight singing. There are whole college classes devoted to dictation and sight singing, and the sight singing courses in college barely gloss over singing techniques that you learn in chorus. So even singers have a hard time with sight singing because it's completely a cappella and you've never heard the melody before. You honestly don't realize how much you rely on those things when you're a singer. It's a completely different technique. I don't care if you can like, perfectly sing "Amazing Grace" a cappella, without changing the key even half a step. In sight singing you're likely to do that if you haven't practiced at all, even if you've been doing choir since elementary school.

Lastly, remember that the AP test is slightly adjusted to some sort of bell curvish thing. Some of the listening analysis questions are really really easy. Some are kind of eh in terms of difficulty; you'd just need to know vocab like "half cadence" and "appoggiatura." I'm pretty sure most people do pretty well on those parts in general because minus some of the vocab because some people are just really bad with vocab, it's really really easy. So it's the sight singing part, the dictation parts, and the parts that require knowledge of typical voice leading that are gonna make or break your grade.

tl;dr: the music theory exam isn't ridiculously hard IMO. But it's not a thing you can ace without the class. You'd think that, but no. If anything music theory especially requires the class because you need that constant training in dictation and sight singing and a good teacher to snap some sense into you.

[iCeCuBEz v2]

Re: AP Tests

I took the test for US history today and I thought it was fairly easy, but I probably got a 2 on it. AP US history sucks btw.

lol I took that class last year; and I agree. It sucks.

[speeddemon]

Re: AP Tests

Comp AB, really easy. Assuming you knew anything about sets and such.
US History, not bad.
AP Physics B, hoping it will be easy. Doubt it though, especially since we never actually went over quantum mechanics and nuclear physics.
English Lang and Comp, our teacher was kind enough to make everything ultra hard, so it should be extremely simple.

Oh and why does Alaska start sooner eh?

[Turboyoshi]

Re: AP Tests

Because, if they started at the same time, people from new york would be able to call people in Alaska and tell them what the test would look like. For example, take AP English Literature. Ends about 11:30-12:00 ish. Assuming it ends around 11:30, it would be 7:30 in alaska, before the test begins, allowing discussion of the exam.

PS:

tl;dr: the music theory exam isn't ridiculously hard IMO. But it's not a thing you can ace without the class. You'd think that, but no. If anything music theory especially requires the class because you need that constant training in dictation and sight singing and a good teacher to snap some sense into you.

Yes, i understand i need to take the class to get a good grade on the test. I should have explained myself better on my last comment, as i realize it did sound very haughty, "oh, i can get a 5 without even taking the class!" is NOT what i was trying to say. Once i will be taking the class, i think i'll have had enough prior preparation to be able to focus on the aspects of the class i'm not fully prepared for yet, eg, much of the vocab and the compositional elements. And on that subject, what i meant by i wasn't too sure about the compositional elements was a question like this:

10. The final vocal cadence is embellished with
(a) a suspension
(b) an appoggiatura
(c) an escape tone
(d) an anticipation

or

Question 7. (Suggested time—20 minutes) Complete the bass line for the melody
below, making sure to keep the portion you compose consistent with the first phrase.
Place Roman numerals with inversion symbols below the bass line to indicate the
harmonies implied by the soprano and bass.
Observe the following.
(a) Your bass line should make melodic sense in relation to the given soprano line.
1. Give melodic interest to the bass line.
2. Vary the motion of the bass line in relation to the soprano.
3. Use mostly quarter notes, but you may use note values ranging from half notes
to eighth notes.
(b) Your bass line and chord choices should make harmonic sense with the melody.
1. Use an appropriate cadence at each phrase ending.
2. Use at least two chords or two positions of the same chord per measure.
(c) Do not notate alto and tenor lines.

taken from the Music Theory course description. Yes, i realize if i took the test now, i'd probably get a 3 if i were lucky, as i don't know much about traditional voice leading and composition. Concerning the comments about singing, I do not sing, nor have I ever sang, but i have played piano for 11-12 years, and clarinet for 6 years, and In this time span i have also studied some theory, and have developed perfect pitch. However, much of the music writing part, such as Free response questions 5, 6, and 7 on the music theory course description, i would probably not be able to do well. With preparation from the class, i think i'd probably do pretty well overall on the test, however. Again, sorry to have sounded so disdainful in my last post, as i did not intend it that way. This past week has fried my brain. Sorry that my comment had to have prompted such a long response from you, and in advance, sorry if this sounds very disjointed, as I'm still recovering

[Wineandbread]

Re: AP Tests

4 tests in a row next week woo

[Nyokou]

Re: AP Tests

Should I take AP Government? Y/N?