April 14, 2026
By Izzy Cruz
Staff Writer
With Advanced Placement tests taking place from May 4-15, students are finding ways to prepare for one of the year’s most important assessments.
Junior Gianna Montalvo, who will be taking the AP English Language & Composition test on May 6, said balancing test preparation with playing on the junior varsity softball team requires solid time management.
“[Softball practice] ends at 7 [p.m.], so I have to try and get some of my homework done in school so that I can have sufficient time to study,” Montalvo said.
She said she is preparing for her AP test by taking the practice tests that her teacher, Ms. Coppola, assigns.
“These are really helpful because I get a feel for what the test is going to be like, and I can look at what I got wrong and study that subject,” Montalvo said.
Junior Isabella Fata, who will also be taking the AP English Language & Composition test, said using a planner helps her stay grounded.
“Between homework and studying, I need some organization in my life. I can get overwhelmed at times if I don’t keep track of my work,” Fata said.
Even though her AP test is still three weeks away, Fata said she already feels prepared to take it.
“We have class conversations… about the test and [review] techniques on how to read texts on the test,” Fata said.
Sophomore Sebastian Lupinski, who is taking the AP Human Geography class and studying for AP Macroeconomics and Microeconomics on his own, said he is happy LHS is paying for AP students’ annual $79 subscription to the study website Albert.io, which allows him to access all of its test prep materials.
“There are also a lot of free resources [like Khan Academy], but the ones behind the paywall, they really give you all you need to know,” Lupinski said.
He said he purchased a Princeton Review book in late February to help him study for his AP Macroeconomics and Microeconomics tests.
“I think it’s awesome. It really does a great job,” Lupinski said. “I really like how straightforward the review book is. It explains concepts in layman’s terms and provides examples from previous AP exams.”
Lupinski, who is on the boys varsity volleyball team, said preparing for his AP tests — which will take place on May 4, 5 and 8 — requires discipline.
“Volleyball usually ends at 5 [p.m.], so I get home, I eat and do my homework, which is roughly an hour or two. Then, I try to study for the economics courses for one or two hours every single day,” Lupinski said. “I really have to be on track and be on pace and not skip days or miss days studying because every day is valuable.”
Spence, who teaches the AP Human Geography class, said he strives to use a variety of learning methods to prepare his students for the AP test.
“There is a lot of lecture and note-taking, but I also try to pepper in relevant projects throughout the year,” Spence said.
He said it is hard for schools in the Mid-Atlantic region to catch up with schools in other parts of the country, which begin their academic year in August.
“Between homework and studying, I need some organization in my life. I can get overwhelmed at times if I don’t keep track of my work.”
“Schools that start earlier in August have a month-and-a-half advantage on content, so I don’t always build time to review. Before the exam, I will talk to the students about how they should be preparing on their own,” Spence said.
He said he is happy to support any student who needs it.
“At this time of year, as we head towards the AP exam, I feel like my role stops being just a teacher or instructor, but also kind of a cheerleader,” Spence said. “[I am] telling my students that they can do it and that I believe in them, [that] they put in all this hard work up until this point and that [if] they’re doing what they need to do at home, they are going to find success,” said Spence.
