I took about 6 AP classes in my high school career(which ended this year) and the rigor of each class ranged from teacher to teacher. I would HIGHLY recommend taking AP classes + Honor classes because colleges DO look at the rigor of your secondary education. For instance, when I applied to UCLA + Berkeley, they asked me what classes I took all 4 years, and if they were either IB, AP, or Honor courses. Also, I disagree with 93LS on the fact that most students lose points on the essays. The multiple choice is actually the hardest part of the exam and depending on which test, it either accounts for more or equal to your essay. The essay portion is where I believe you have the biggest chance of making points because you do not get penalized for being wrong or going stray. Mention anything and everything that relates to the topic. This year when I took the U.S. History exam, I thought I may have been in trouble with one of the essay questions since I felt like I didn't mention too much about how the 1920's era in idiology differed from that of the 1900s-20s but I still ended up with a 5. Also, when preparing for the AP exam, it is a great idea to go buy a Cliff's Notes AP Review book or something along that line (a basic review of what will be on the exam). Lastly, STUDY HARD FOR YOUR ACT/SAT BECAUSE THEY ARE A LARGE DETERMINING FACTOR IN ACCEPTANCE/REJECTION, ALONG WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AND ESSAYS!!!