AP Physics B

As far as Physics goes, as long as you have some background knowledge of physics, it wouldn't be too hard to self-studying Physics B either.

I wouldn't really suggest any preliminary work to be honest. If you don't have any background in Physics, then you need to work a little bit harder. The test is really just plug and chug minus actually understanding the concepts.

The main thing you need to do is make sure you know what the formulas are and what they mean. Do not forget that you do not get your formula sheet or a calculator on the multiple choice section. You can't just type them into your calculator and wing it (I know that's what you were thinking about). So make sure you know the relationships between different variables! Also, on the free response section, you need to know exactly what formulas to use and what the letters stand for and where to put what numbers.

I can never stress this enough, use your logic! If you don't do anything else, just read the question twice. Sometimes you just need to read the question to figure out exactly which variables you need and which ones the test is trying to trick you with.

As far as review goes, just do practice tests and then explain why the right answers were the right answers. If you don't know, read the explanations! I used the Princeton Review AP Physics B review book. It has in-depth explanations into why things are wrong and how to get the right answers. The questions are also pretty similar to the ones that are on the actual AP test. You should also head to the College Board website and look at the past years free-response questions for extra practice. On the real test you will only be given about 15 minutes per question (and that goes by pretty quickly) so when you are practicing, make sure you keep an eye on the clock!