Varsity Tutors can help you connect with an experienced AP Statistics tutor to help your child do their best in their course. The unique needs of your child will steer the design of weekly study sessions throughout the course to prepare for the final exam. If you've been looking for tutors with limited success, you've already discovered how challenging it can be to find local AP Statistics tutors. Online AP Statistics tutoring provides the same individualized academic attention as that provided by a local AP Statistics tutor. To connect with a professional AP Statistics tutor, contact Varsity Tutors today. Continue reading for more information on the value of AP Statistics tutoring.
Why Work With a Tutor?
An AP Statistics tutor can work with your child on individual statistics concepts in a way that is simply impossible in a traditional classroom. You see, teachers who are facing a standardized exam and a large class of students have very little maneuverability in the structure and pace of their instruction. As a parent, you may be surprised at the notion of an exclusive AP classroom being large. However, even with a reduced class size, there will likely be a dozen or more students with one teacher. While this does provide each student with a greater measure of personal attention than what would be available in a classroom of thirty, it is a far cry from personalized instruction.
AP Statistics tutoring provides the missing piece of individualized instruction which many children desperately need, especially in higher stakes classes. AP Statistics tutors have the freedom to take the time to discover your child's academic strengths and weaknesses as well as their individual learning style. That information can then be used to create custom lessons that are designed to engage your child and make the information more personally accessible to them.
Another benefit of working with a tutor is that they can go beyond the core course material and work with your child on reading comprehension and essay writing. These may initially seem beyond the scope of AP Statistics tutoring, but reading comprehension is instrumental in successfully navigating multiple choice questions and strong writing skills are necessary for the short answer responses.
Can AP Statistics Tutoring Help with Final Exam Prep?
Working with an AP Statistics tutor can definitely help your child with their final exam preparation. However, the tutor doesn't have to be local to provide your child with high-quality tutoring that can have a significant impact on their studies.
If you've been searching for AP Statistics Tutors in an effort to give your child the support they need as they prepare for an upcoming final exam, it can be helpful to know exactly what is covered throughout the course. The table below provides a list of some of the topics covered in an AP Statistics course.
AP Statistics Topics (non-comprehensive)
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Center and spread
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Using boxplots
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Median, mode, range, standard deviation
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Analyzing patterns in scatterplots
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Sample surveys
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Sources of bias in sampling and surveys
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Planning and conducting experiments
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Probability
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Combining independent random variables
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Normal distribution
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Statistical inference
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Tests of significance
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Chi-square test
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Confidence intervals
Your child's AP Statistics tutor is not limited to the topics listed above. Your child's tutor can cover the full range of topics covered in their AP Stats course.
Another way AP Statistics tutors can approach the breakdown of statistics information is to focus on thematic information units. In all subject areas, the assumption is that new information builds upon information that was previously mastered. For example, if your child were studying data inferences it would be assumed that they had mastered the types of data and data collection methods. However, if there was a piece of the puzzle missing in one of these earlier units, it might not show up until they began studying inferences. Your child's tutor may then go back to a previous unit to facilitate a greater understanding of those themes before moving on to the current material. The table below provides a breakdown of the units covered in an AP Statistics course.
AP Statistics Course Units
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Unit 1: Exploring One-Variable Data
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Unit 2: Exploring Two-Variable Data
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Unit 3: Collecting Data
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Unit 4: Probability, Random Variables, and Probability Distributions
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Unit 5: Sampling Distributions
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Unit 6: Inference for Categorical Data: Proportions
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Unit 7: Inference for Quantitative Data: Means
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Unit 8: Inference for Categorical Data: Chi-Square
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Unit 9: Inference for Quantitative Data: Slopes
Understanding the breakdown of the units can also make it easier to conceptualize your child's learning path and may help you identify potentially challenging areas.
The final exam is timed which can increase the pressure and anxiety students feel as it approaches. To better understand the testing environment and process your child will face during their AP Statistics final exam, we have put together pertinent testing information in the table below.
AP Statistics Exam Overview
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3 hour exam
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Two sections
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Section I
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90 minutes
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40 questions
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Multiple-choice
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50% of exam
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Section II
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90 minutes
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6 questions
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Free response
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5 short answer questions
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1 investigative task
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50% of exam
An AP Statistics tutor can work with your child to address any specific testing concerns. They may offer your child testing techniques and tips on essay writing, time management, and efficiently evaluating multiple-choice options. All of these tips can help make the process of taking a standardized exam less stressful.
Are Tutors the Best Solution?
AP Statistics tutors are the best solution if your child struggles with the core academic material in their statistics course. If they are experiencing testing anxiety orneed help with the auxiliary skills associated with standardized testing, such as writing and reading comprehension, we can help. Best of all, the tutor doesn’t need to be physically in the same room or even the same state. There are many reasons you may want to consider having your child work with a tutor in an online environment such as those offered by Varsity Tutors.
AP courses are offered throughout the country, but finding a qualified tutor nearby who is available at a convenient time can be impossible for many families. Online tutoring provides the same academic advantages and a number of other benefits. It is usually easier to find a tutor who can accommodate your family's busy schedule when you are able to widen the pool of candidates. Working in an online environment also means your child can complete their studies regardless of where they are and without the added time of a commute to a designated tutoring area. Your child can have their tutoring at school before or after an extracurricular activity, at home in the living room, at their best friend's house, or anywhere else with internet access.
College Credit
Parents who want to give their child the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school often have to decide between AP courses and dual enrollment. There are advantages to both. Dual enrollment only requires the child to receive a passing grade in the course to receive credit for both. AP students must also score within a specific range on their final exam to receive that college credit. To further complicate things, the score the student must receive for credit varies by both subject and the college that will be accepting the score for credit. If you have decided to leverage AP course offerings at your child's school, you already know exactly how important this final exam can be.
AP exams are scored on a scale of one to five. If your child scores a 5 on their AP Statistics exam, they should receive college credit for the course at any university that accepts AP credits. If your child scores a 3 or 4 on their exam the assurance of receiving credit diminishes. Because of the variance in scores accepted, it is best to seek out the guidelines of any colleges your child is considering to know the exact threshold.
By looking at recent AP Statistics exam scores, you will find that nearly 40 percent of students who enroll in an AP Stats course will not qualify for college credit regardless of their grade in the course. Only about 35 percent of those students scored in the 4 and 5 range which is required by the majority of universities. This is a terrifying reality for both parents and students. The realization that there is a possibility of completing all required work only to have college credits denied due to a poor showing on the final exam dramatically increases the pressure students may feel as the deadline for the exam approaches.
For a complete look at the distribution of scores for an AP Statistics exam, please see the table below.
2018 AP Statistics Exam Scoring Distributions
Score |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Percentage of Students |
23.4 |
15.9 |
24.9 |
21.2 |
14.6 |
Considering the importance of the AP Statistics Exam as well as the number of students who fail to score a 4 or 5, it makes sense for parents to arrange tutoring for their child.
Working with an online AP Statistic tutor gives your child the same benefits as working with an in-person tutor, but offers far greater benefits when it comes to scheduling and location flexibility. You've already given your child the opportunity to lay a solid foundation for their university career by enrolling them in AP classes. If you want to provide the resources to help them make the most of this opportunity with AP Statistics tutoring, Varsity Tutors can help. We would love to help set you up with an online tutor who can work individually with your child and help guide them as they navigate their AP Statistics coursework and prepare for the final exam. If you're ready to get started, contact Varsity Tutors today.
Varsity Tutors can help you give your students the academic support they need to make the most of their AP Statistics course by connecting you with qualified, reputable tutors. The individual needs of your student will shape 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 tutor, 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.
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Unit 1: one-variable data.
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Unit 2: two-variable data.
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Unit 3: collecting data.
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Unit 4: probability distributions, random variables, and probability.
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Unit 5: sampling distributions.
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Unit 6: proportions as they relate to inference for categorical data.
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Unit 7: means as it relates to inference for quantitative data.
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Unit 8: chi-square as it relates to inference for categorical data.
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Unit 9: 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, and so much more.
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 you with your studies as you progress through the individual units of AP Statistics. There are also a variety of other ways a tutor can help your student, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.
How can AP Statistics tutoring help my student prepare for the exam?
Working with an AP Statistics tutor can help you prepare for a chapter test or the final exam in your AP course. Typically, you 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 that 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 that 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, you can see why hiring a tutor may help. Less than 35 percent of recent testers received the relative assurance of college credits with a score of four or five. These statistics are terrifying for both students and parents. It is possible to complete all coursework successfully only to have college credits denied due to one poorly taken exam. This 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 a specific area of statistics, 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 course time constraints. This doesn't leave a lot of time for reviewing, answering questions, or delivering the material in a variety of ways. When you work with a personal instructor, the opposite is true. A private instructor can take the time to get to know you. They can discover your learning style, academic strengths, weaknesses, learning goals, and areas of interest outside of your 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 learning style and academic needs. As you grow in your understanding of the subject, your sessions can evolve and change to reflect your current educational needs.
In addition to reviewing the core topics and concepts covered in an AP Statistics course, your private instructor can help you develop your writing and reading comprehension skills. Since half of the exam's score involves writing responses, it's crucial you can quickly and clearly outline your response and stay on topic as you write.
Reading comprehension skills are used throughout the course and the 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. You don’t typically work on these skills in 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 a 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 the idea of personalization. The catered lesson plan 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 who possesses both in your area. 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 remote, private instructor 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.