Even though switching to daylight saving time has made our mornings before school dark again, it is pretty fair to say that spring is here. The time our frozen selves wearily trudged through the day in a school that should really have invested more in heating are over. With spring also comes decision time for seniors as they receive college acceptance (or rejection, but if you say it in parentheses, they don’t exist) letters. But, something more stressful than college is also on our way before the school year ends: IB and AP testing.

. Here are the basics for those who forgot or who are testing for the first time. AP tests require a score of three out of five to get a weighted grade. IB tests require a three out of seven for a weighted grade. IB diploma candidates need to get at least a cumulative twenty-four points to pass the IB diploma counting the bonus points they can earn with their Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay.

But, let’s return to where we were. Good scores on AP tests can also give you college credits which could allow you, for example, to not have to retake the same calculus classes and go on to more advanced courses, but it really depends on the college you want to attend and their expectations. Same thing for IB testing, except it’s more valued in schools abroad, in Canada or Scotland for example. AP tests are usually two to three hours long and are done in one sitting with a break in the middle of the test, while IB testing lasts around three hours or more but is spread over two days usually.

Because the International Baccalaureate Organization, which administers IB tests, and the College Board, which administers AP tests, are two different organizations, their testing schedules can conflict. It is a good idea to check your testing schedule now if you are in both IB and AP classes. If you have conflicting AP and IB tests, the AP test will have a late-testing date at which you will actually take it. IB tests do not have late testing dates, so AP will have to be done later. The College Board has already posted when those make-up dates are on their website, so you can look them up online.

Now that you know all the dates and what you need to score to get a weighted grade, there is just some reviewing to do. There is no real science on how to approach testing except staying calm and using the resources teachers provide you. Remember, too, that resting and eating are very important. You don’t want to sugar crash in the middle of an AP test (which I did in the middle of the science section of the ACT). Also, the work you put in the class this year will definitely pay off, so there’s no reason for you to not do well. There, end of the PSA and thanks for listening. May the games ever be in your favor.