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The AP US History exam is one of the most popular Advanced Placement exams administered by the College Board. It consists of two parts: Multiple Choice and Free Response. There are 80 multiple choice questions which count for 50% of the test. The other 50% is made up of two types of essays: standard and document-based (DBQ). Students answer two standard essays (55% of the Free Response section) and one DBQ (45%). Here are my top ten tips for doing well on the challenging AP US History exam.
1. Multiple Choice: Time and the Test Booklet
You have 55 minutes to answer 80 multiple choice questions which gives you about 40 seconds per question. Therefore, you need to use your time wisely answering the questions you know best first and eliminating obvious wrong answers as you go through. Dont be afraid to write on your test booklet to keep track. Mark through the answers you know are wrong. Clearly mark when you skip a question so you can return to it quickly before the end of the test.
2. Multiple Choice: Guessing and Points Deducted
Remember, an additional 1/4 of a point is deducted on the test for each wrong answer. For example, if you leave a question blank, your score is impacted by 1 point. However, if you make an incorrect guess, your score is reduced by 1 1/4 points. If you cannot eliminate any answers, it is better to leave the question blank. That being said, you should try not to leave more than 4-6 questions blank.
3. Multiple Choice: Reading the Questions and Answers
Look for key words in questions such as EXCEPT, NOT, or ALWAYS. The wording of answers is important too. In the AP US History exam, you are choosing the best answer which may mean that several answers could appear to be correct.
4. General Essay Writing: Voice and Thesis
Be sure to write with “voice” in your essay. In other words, pretend that you have some authority on the subject. Make sure to take a stand in your answer and not be wishy-washy. This stand should be stated immediately through your thesis which is one or two sentences that directly answer the question. The rest of the essay should then support your thesis.
5. General Essay Writing: Data Dumping
Be sure that your essay includes historical facts to prove your thesis. However, “data dumping” will not gain you any extra points and can result in a lowering of your score. It also runs the risk of you including incorrect data which would hurt your overall score.
6. Standard Essay: Question Choice
Avoid broad survey questions. They appear easy because you know a lot of information about them. However, they are often the most challenging because of the breadth required to answer them effectively. Writing a provable thesis can