Dear Margot
“Do I study for an AP test that I know I’m going to fail or do I only study an AP test that I might pass?”
Ah yes, the not so age-old question of ‘to study, or not to study?’ Well, my friend, it really depends on how prepared you feel. As a rule, I recommend you study to improve your chances of passing. However, on that same note, I would also suggest that you don’t worry too much about it because the way you think it’ll go is often quite different from how it actually turns out.
When I took the AP Human Geography test my freshman year, I studied very little if at all for it and felt woefully under prepared. I thought I was going to fail. The opposite turned out to be true; I got a 3 – which isn’t exceptional but is certainly leagues better than a 2 or a 1. Likewise, there were also kids in that class confident in their ability to score well who did poorly, scoring 2’s (and perhaps 1’s, though I wouldn’t know.)
Of course, this doesn’t mean don’t study, as it’s still important to your chances of passing. If you do decide to, then you should brush up on the topics you feel least confident about – a targeted study if you will. Just make sure not to overload yourself with too much information all at once, and you should be fine.
Best of luck to you, anon!