Sparkler equestrienne10 has proven she can come up with smart, interesting posts, and fast! We'd take her advice on AP Exams—she knows what she's talking about. —SparkNotes editors

It’s almost May, which means it’s time for the Kentucky Derby, the Stanley Cup playoffs, my birthday, and oh yeah, AP exams. I’ve taken AP exams for three years now, so for all of you just beginning the torture, here’s how to stay sane:

A few Sparklers have let us know that they’re worried about taking their AP exams. Last month, we shared strategies to help you prepare for the free response portion of the exams, but that only covers one part. You still have the multiple choice portion to deal with. To ace the multiple choice exam, you basically have to memorize information—a lot of it. Here are some strategies to help you get started:

As many of you know, it’s AP exam season. If thinking about taking your AP tests makes you nervous, you’re not alone. Here’s an email we received from one worried Sparkler:

I am currently taking AP USH and AP Eng. However, I am not doing so well when it comes to writing essays. The AP exams are coming up soon, and I would like to know what you guys would suggest I do to better prepare myself. I write plenty of essays, but I don’t get them back until many weeks later, and by that time, I've all but forgotten what the topic was over. Thanks for the advice!

Though it can seem like a challenge to prepare for the essay portion of any test when you don’t know what the essay topic will be, there are some simple things you can do to improve your AP essay scores. Here they are: