Varsity Tutors can help you give your student the academic support they need to make the most of their AP Statistics course by connecting you with skilled AP Statistics tutors. The individual needs of your student will determine the design of the tutoring sessions, whether this means targeted prep before an exam or weekly maintenance sessions throughout the course. To learn more about what is covered in AP Statistics and how the experts at Varsity Tutors can connect you with a skilled AP Statistics tutor who can help your student, continue reading.
What is AP Statistics?
It's essential to understand what is covered in the course if you want to help advise your student on how to best prepare for their upcoming exam.
Understanding how the course is broken down can help make it easier for you and your child to conceptualize the program of study students will follow, and it may make it easier to identify areas that may be more challenging for them.
There are nine units in an AP Statistics course. The first unit explores one-variable data. The second unit explores two-variable data. The third unit covers collecting data. The fourth unit explores probability distributions, random variables, and probability. The fifth unit explains sampling distributions. The sixth unit includes proportions as it relates to inference for categorical data. The seventh unit explores means as it relates to inference for quantitative data. The eighth unit covers chi-square as it refers to inference for categorical data. The ninth unit explores slopes as they pertain to inference for quantitative data.
Some of the specific topics covered in the various units include using boxplots, analyzing scatter plot patterns, identifying sources of bias in surveys and sampling, probability, normal distribution, tests of significance, confidence intervals, center and spread, median, standard deviation, mode, sample surveys, range, planning experiments, proper conduction of experiments, statistical inference, chi-square test, and combining independent random variables.
It's important to note that the topics listed above are not comprehensive, nor should they be viewed as tutoring limitations. There are many ways a personal instructor can help your student with their studies as they progress through the individual units of AP Statistics. There are also a variety of other ways an AP Statistics tutor can help your student.
How can AP Statistics tutoring help my student prepare for the exam?
Working with an AP Statistics tutor can help your student prepare both for a chapter test or the AP Statistics end of course exam. The final exam is timed. Your student will only have three hours to complete both sections of the test. Section I has 40 multiple choice questions, which students have 90 minutes to answer. In Section II, students have 90 minutes to answer six questions. All six of these questions are written responses. Five items will be short answer questions, and one will be an investigative task. Each section of the final is 50 percent of the grade. AP Statistics scores range between one and five, with five being the highest possible score.
One of the reasons many students enroll in AP courses is so they can earn college credits while they are still in high school. The only problem with this plan is, students only receive college credit if they receive a certain score. The score they need to receive for the credit depends on which college they want the credit to transfer to.
Most universities who accept AP credits will accept a score of 5 for AP Statistics. If your student scores a three or a four on their exam, they may still be eligible to receive college credits at some universities. However, if they receive a one or a two, they are unlikely to have the option of transferring their work in their AP Statistics course into college credits.
When you consider that nearly 40 percent of recent AP Statistics exam takers received a score of one or two. Less than 35 percent of recent testers received the relative assurance of college credits that comes with a score of four or five. These statistics are terrifying for both students and parents. It is possible to complete all of the course work successfully only to have college credits denied due to one exam can dramatically increase the pressure that students feel as the exam approaches.
AP Statistics tutors can help your student with a comprehensive review of the course material, or they can target specific concepts and topics with which your student needs additional clarity. They may also help your child develop their test-taking strategies and skills such as time management so they may work on maximizing the time they are given for each portion of the final. Your child's private instructor may also work with them to help them improve their writing skills for the second portion of the test.
Whether your student needs a comprehensive review or needs help understanding probability distributions, probability, and random variables, working with a private instructor before a final exam can be an invaluable resource as they prepare for their upcoming exam.
How is working with an AP Statistics tutor different from being in a classroom?
When you're in an AP Statistics classroom, your teacher must be very focused on delivering all of the required content within the time constraints of the course. This doesn't leave a lot of time for reviewing, answering questions, or delivering the material in a variety of ways. When your student works with a personal instructor, the opposite is true. A private instructor can take the time to get to know your student. They can discover your student's learning style, academic strengths, academic weaknesses, learning goals, and areas of interest outside of their academic studies. All of this information can then be used to create a personalized plan of study.
Working with a private instructor means that each session is customized to accommodate your student's learning style and academic needs. As they grow in their understanding of the subject, their sessions can evolve and change to reflect their current educational needs.
In addition to reviewing the core topics and concepts covered in an AP Statistics course, your student's private instructor can also help them develop their writing and reading comprehension skills. Since half of the exam's score involves writing responses, it's crucial your student can quickly and clearly outline their response and stay on topic as they write.
Reading comprehension skills are used throughout the course and final exam. If your student struggles with understanding what the question is asking, they may find themselves inadvertently answering the wrong question during the test. Working on these skills are not typically covered within the scope of an AP Statistics class, but they are inextricably tied to your student's success in navigating the course material and the final exam. So, while an AP Statistics teacher is unlikely to spend time working with students to ensure their reading comprehension and writing skills are adequate for the course, this is something a private instructor can easily incorporate into your student's private lessons if it is needed.
Ultimately, the main difference between taking an AP Statistics class and working with a private instructor is that the personalized instruction your student can receive during every private session exceeds what is generally available in a typical classroom.
How can I get my student started with AP Statistics tutoring?
Varsity Tutors can help you connect with highly qualified AP Statistics tutors who can meet with your child in person or in an online learning environment. Both options give your child the academic support outlined above. The main difference between the two is in the amount of scheduling flexibility they each offer.
Most parents initially think of tutoring as something that needs to be done in person, and they spend time looking for someone local who can help their student. However, AP courses require a specialized understanding of the testing format in addition to subject area mastery, and it may be difficult to find someone with both locally. Even if you do find a private instructor who meets both of those criteria, they will likely be in high demand, and it may be challenging to find session times that are convenient for you and your student.
Working with a private instructor remotely means you have a wider pool of candidates from which to choose. Your student will still meet with their private instructor face-to-face. The only difference will be that instead of being in the same room with them, they will meet via our Live Learning Platform. During their sessions, your student will be able to see and hear their instructor and be able to ask questions and receive feedback in real time. Because instructors are available in many different time zones, it may be easier to find available times that are convenient for your student.
Instead of spending hours looking for recommendations from friends and interviewing candidates, you can contact the experts at Varsity Tutors. We can help you connect with skilled AP Statistics tutors quickly. If you're ready to provide the academic support your student needs to maximize their study efforts, Varsity Tutors can help. Contact us now to get started today.
