How should I go about studying for an APES Exam?

This question hits e every two weeks as I see my collegues getting A's and me settling for a B or C+. My 1st semester grade was an B (86) because I did great on homework and class work but did piss poor in the exams. I'd be fine with it had my school decided not to weigh AP courses over regular courses (WTF). Anyway my program of studying is always above minimal, he gives us roughly 60 terms from the 2 chapters, 4 long answer questions, and about 8 FRQ's, he tells us we only need to do 20 vocab, 2 long answers, and 4 FRQ's. However I always do 40 terms, 2 long answers and about 4-5 FRQ's and still end up with these lackluster grades. Can anyone give me tips to help me out its like whatever he tells me just goes straight over my head and its reflected in the exams, the effort I'm putting in is more than enough but my way of remembering, understanding and putting that to use seems to be lackluster. Thank you for any help!