Testing Strategies

The Test Part I: 100 Multiple Choice 90 Minutes  1.11 questions Per Minute Part II: 4 Essay Questions 90 Minutes

Multiple Choice What to expect? - Easier questions to begin - Harder questions - Graphs and Data Questions - interpretation

Scoring 1 point for correct answers 0 points for answers left blank

Should you guess? YES!

The Essays Answer the question you feel most confident about first. Write for 22 minutes and move the next best question. Allot 22 minutes per question. If you finish a question early, go back and work on any that you could add information.

Essay Tips If the essay is broken into parts (a, b, c, etc.), answer the essay in parts. YOU MUST WRITE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES! Outlines and bullet forms are not read. Write legibly. Any math problem, no matter how simple, must have WORK and UNITS! - no matter how stupid you think it is

5. DON’T RESTATE THE QUESTION. 6 5. DON’T RESTATE THE QUESTION. 6. If asked for a specific number of examples, give ONLY that number. They will not read the extras. 7. Address the question. Your opinion is irrelevant. 8. DEFINE ALL TERMS. Assume the graders are dumb. Give examples.

9. Develop your thoughts and elaborate, but don’t be repetitive or blabber incessantly. 10. Don’t “word vomit” everything you know. ANSWER THE QUESTION. 11. TITLE AND LABEL YOUR GRAPHS! PLOT POINTS. DRAW THE LINES – see if any particular directions are given. If there are two lines, make a key.

12. You may add diagrams, charts, or graphs to AID in your explanation, but they must be described! These WILL NOT substitute for the essay.

Experimental Design Questions: Generate a hypothesis as a question. Test ONE variable. Identify the control and the standards. Describe how the variable will be tested. Give a simple but clear description of the experimental set up. Describe how the results will be measured. State what type of results will indicate for your hypothesis/conclusion.

REMEMBER! These essays are designed to make you draw relationships between different topics. This means you may not “know” the info right away. Not all the answers are simply factual. Take the time given, think and process.

The Essays 1 Data Set Question 1 Document Based Question 2 Synthesis Questions

Document Based Questions Given a small article to read Prompt for some type of environmental issue Respond to the issue (pros/cons)

Math Problems Set up a conversion table (fence post) Calculate the 2 year cost of power for a factor that uses 120 GWh of electricity per month at a rate of 0.05 dollars per KWh 0.05 $ 120 GWh 24 months 1000 KWh 1 GWh KWh month

Math Problems Set up a conversion table (fence post) Calculate the 2 year cost of power for a factor that uses 120 GWh of electricity per month at a rate of 0.05 dollars per KWh 0.05 $ 120 GWh 24 months 1000 KWh 1 GWh KWh month

Legal Arsenal CAA CWA SDWA ESA RCRA -Resouce Conservation and Recovery Act CERCLA (Super Fund) -Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act FIFRA – Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act NEPA - EIS

Processes: Know theses Back to Front Primary and Secondary Succession Water Treatment: Primary and Secondary Nuclear Power Generation/Generation of Electricity Global Warming/Climate Change Ozone Degradation (equations) Photochemical Smog Production Biomagnification of Methyl Mercury Nutrient Cycles Demographic Transition Model Formation of Acid Rain (equations)

Correct Multiple Choice What do I need for a ____ ? AP SCORE Correct Multiple Choice Correct Free Response 5 100 3 (75%) 75 4 (100%) 4 2 (50%) 80 60 3 1 (25%) 50

Two Days Before the AP Test (Sat) Review the Study Guides - at this point you should have gone through everything thoroughly Review the Major Themes Do a practice Math Essay Get a good night’s sleep – don’t get sleep deprived

Test Day Eve (the day before) Review the stuff you are not as familiar with Review the themes Hug a tree and tell the Earth you love it GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP 10:00 p.m.

TEST DAY Get up! EAT BREAKFAST – your brain needs energy to work - some carbs (cereal, toast or bagel) - some protein (eggs or yogurt) - a smidge of Caffeine GET TO SCHOOL ON TIME (7:45) – I will personally track you down and remove your spleen with my stapler and affix it to my wall if you are late RELAX – do your best that is all I can ask