How to Get a 5 on the AP Computer Science Exam!

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 Physics taught by expert instructor Mr. Minjae Park.

As a Math & Science Teacher, Mr. Park works primarily with the Tutoring department. He is a student favorite, with his effective and engaging teaching strategies. He is also our Systems Engineer, making sure that all software and hardware is working properly and up to date so teachers can teach without a hitch.

Read on to find out Mr. Park’s top 3 tips for scoring a 5 on the AP Physics exams in May!

Tip #1: Watch the AP Daily Videos to get started on units that the school class has not covered yet.

If you want to get started on units your class hasn’t covered yet, your best resource is AP Classroom on the CollegeBoard website.

In the AP Classroom, students can get watch the AP Daily videos. These are short videos that discuss or work through a sample problem on a topic. There are also official Advanced Placement lecture videos on all the AP topics. I recommend students follow along with the videos and note the steps the teachers take in solving the problems. Any keywords or information they highlight in the videos might be worth paying attention to when students try to tackle similar problems on their own.

Tip #2: The first step to solving any physics problem is to organize your information.

Students often have trouble knowing where to start when solving physics problems. However, my recommendation is to always start by organizing information based on the following questions:

• • What information is given in the problem?
  • What information can be inferred from the problem?
  • What information is missing from the problem?
  • What information must be solved for in the problem?
  • Once the boundaries between what’s known and what’s unknown becomes clear, the connection from what’s known to find what’s unknown will be more clearly shown.

 
Similar to Computer Science, the past free response questions for physics will give students a better idea of how to approach a problem. Many free response problems are broken down into smaller sub-questions, where one part often leads to another. Trying to follow the same kind of structure for multiple choice problems will result in a more coherent and focused problem solving experience.

Tip #3: Be aware that not all free response problems are calculation problems.

The free response problems are not all calculation problems. There are lab-based and paragraph-length responses that students need to complete, to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts discussed in physics and their ability to formulate a procedure that can verify those concepts.

Paragraph length responses usually do not want students to explain things with numbers. But it’s completely fine to mention an equation or a formula to support their arguments. In fact, by verbally explaining the relationship the formulas illustrate is one of the key factors in higher scoring responses.

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.