AP Statistics with Justin Kim at MEK

MEK’s Advanced Placement Course & Exam Prep classes are opening in January 2024. We’re offering small group virtual and in-person classes and private tutoring designed to give students the strategies and skills to ace their challenging AP classes and earn a 5 on the AP exam in May.

This Spring, we are offering AP Statistics taught by expert instructor Mr. Justin Kim.

Mr. Kim is a graduate of Boston College and an expert math and science teacher here at MEK. His experience with math and science topics make him a versatile educator, and his approach to teaching is both analytical and fair. He encourages students to take autonomy of their education through practice and diligence beyond the classroom.

We interviewed Mr. Kim to get his thoughts on what skills students should have for AP Statistics, actionable steps students can take to succeed in both the course and the exam, and how students can become confident in their AP Statistics skills.

Read on to see what he had to say!

A Breakdown of the AP Statistics Exam

Can you walk us through the AP Statistics Exam?

Kim: The AP Statistics Exam will be administered on May 22nd, 2024. 

The exam is divided into two sections:

Multiple Choice: 40 Questions, 1 hr 30 min, 50% of Exam Score

• This section is comprised of basic multiple choice questions covering the entire curriculum of AP Statistics

 
Free Response: 6 Questions, 1 hr 30 min, 50% of Exam Score. The breakdown of this section is:

• 3 Multipart questions about collecting data, exploring data and probability
• 1 question with a focus on inference
• 1 question combining two or more skill categories
• 1 investigative task that assesses multiple skill categories

What are the skills assessed or the breakdown of question types students will find on the exam?

Kim: College Board groups the questions on the AP Stats test in 9 Categories:

• Exploring One-Variable Data
• Exploring Two-Variable Data
• Collecting Data
• Probability, Random Variables, and Probability Distributions
• Sampling Distributions
• Inference for Categorical Data: Proportions
• Inference for Quantitative Data: Means
• Inference for Categorical Data: Chi-Square
• Inference for Quantitative Data: Slopes

Succeeding in AP Statistics

What can students do to succeed in their AP Statistics class?

Kim: With regards to succeeding in your AP Statistics class, students must:

• Be familiar with all of the formulas and equations in any given unit.
• Understand how to interpret questions in order to answer a wide variety of different problems.
• Constantly review notes from older units since a lot of the material in the course is connected.
• Be comfortable with basic math skills.

Is there a lot of memorization required for AP Statistics?

Kim: There are a lot of formulas that you learn for AP Statistics, but I would not waste time trying to memorize all of them for the test. It is more important to understand the formulas and how they can be applied to specific situations. You are provided a very lengthy formula sheet for the exam. You need to be familiar with every one of them and how they are used.

Course Grades vs. Exam Grades

Are good grades in AP Statistics class transferable to doing well on the AP test?

Kim: Yes and no. A lot of the material that you see in your AP Statistics class will appear on the AP test. However, the reason why the AP test is difficult is because it covers a wide range of topics. Unlike in school, where tests usually focus on a single topic, you need to remember many things for the AP test. It is a challenge to organize all of these different concepts.

Preparing for the AP Statistics Exam

What is the best way to prepare for the AP Statistics test?

Kim: The best way to prepare is to be familiar with every single topic that will be presented in the test (linear regression, scatterplots, confidence intervals, etc). Flashcards or study guides can be a good idea to understand all of the material. Be comfortable with using the formula sheet and your calculator. That said, you don’t want to be too reliant on your calculator, but be aware of the tools that you have.

How should one approach the free response questions on the AP Statistics test?

Kim: The free response is very important since it is 50% of your exam score. A lot of the advice for studying for the multiple choice section applies here. You need to be familiar with all of the formulas and key concepts. One good thing about the AP Statistics test is that it has changed very little in the past 20+ years. So, looking at past Free Response Questions is a great resource to use to know what to expect.

Progress & Skill Mastery

What have you done to help other students succeed in AP Statistics?

Kim: AP Statistics can be challenging for a lot of students because it is unlike any other AP math class. There are a lot of topics that are unique to statistics. I do my best to help students be able understand what is needed from them on the exam. That includes being able to quickly understand and classify questions, knowing what formulas to use, and other shortcuts that are useful for the test.

Next Steps

Although AP courses are tough and may seem intimidating at first, a solid study plan and good study habits can help students get high grades and ace the exams.  

Many AP teachers focus on only the course material, leaving students underprepared for the actual 2-3 hour exam. At MEK, we take a two-pronged approach to AP Prep. Through providing students with both lectures by experienced teachers and practice exams, students gain a solid understanding of the material and learn test-taking skills to maintain their performance under time pressure.

Click here to learn more about our AP Course offerings for Spring 2024!

Interested in registering for AP courses with MEK? Fill out our Registration Form to get started.

Or if you have questions, contact us! We look forward to hearing from you.