AP US History: Secrets of the AP Exam

Reasons to take the AP course and try really hard to pass the exam…  Colleges and universities see AP experience as a huge plus.  AP experience will give you the reading, writing and thinking skills so important to college success.  Passing the AP exam will give you college credit and save you money in the long run.

How is the Exam Structured?  Part I—Multiple Choice  50% of the final score  Part II—Writing Section  50% of the final score. Of that, the DBQ counts for 45% and the 2 essays combined for 55%.

The National Pass Rate  Only 53% of students who take the AP exam pass with a score of 3 or better.  This is not to scare you, but to show you how much work we have to do to make sure you all are one of the 53%!  Set aside 2 hours each day for study

How well do I need to do on the multiple choice section?  In order to score a 3 (or pass) on this section, you must have 48 points (60%). Remember, there are no penalties for guessing  Eliminate the obvious incorrect answers, move on to the next questions, address these if you have time.  Pace yourself!

Multiple Choice—BREAKDOWN BY ERA

BREAK DOWN BY GENERAL SUBJECT MATTER

EXPLANATION OF CHARTS  A BIAS TOWARD THE CONSTITUTION THROUGH WWI  POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES EMPHASIZED  LITTLE ABOUT ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL TRENDS  AT MOST TWO OR THREE QUESTIONS PAST 1985 and Reagan era.  Read the question first and then the illustration/chart/cartoon  More than one answer might be true, which on is supported by the graph?

NO MILITARY HISTORY AND TRIVIAL PURSUIT THE APUSH EXAM DOESN’T ASK ABOUT MILITARY HISTORY WHEN IT ASKS ABOUT WAR, THE QUESTIONS CONCERNS THE POLITICAL OR SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF A WAR RATHER THAN THE DETAILS OF WARFARE Political, social, or diplomatic implications APUSH QUESTIONS NEVER TEST ROTE MEMORIZATION ONLY. WHILE YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR FACTS TO DO WELL ON THIS TEST, THE QUESTIONS ALWAYS ASK FOR INFORMATION IN THE CONTEXT OF LARGER HISTORICAL TRENDS.

Objective order?  Random order  Questions become more difficult as you progress  1 st 20 – easy  21 – 60 medium  61 – 80 difficult  All questions are weighted equally, don’t give the early questions a short shrift!

Essays  Three essays 1 DBQ 2 FRQ’s  Each FRQ will have two choices, you choose one 5 different eras for each question

What about the DBQ?  An essay question that requires you to interpret primary source documents. 8 – 12 documents  Documents might include the following: Newspaper articles/editorials Letters/diaries Speeches Legislation Political cartoons Charts and graphs

A Different DBQ  The US History DBQ is different than the World History DBQ.  For the US exam, you have to not only discuss the documents, but also include outside information to prove that you know more about the topic.  Without outside information, it is impossible to get more than a 4 out of 9 on your DBQ!

Structure of DBQ essay  60 minutes total  Thesis and opening paragraph most important! Readers grade for 7 days! Over 1 million essays! Each reader grades 150 essays/day Around 2 minutes to grade each essay Impress them immediately!

What Is the Free-Response Question?  Two part essay section Pre – 1870 (one prior to 1740) After – 1870 (one after 1950)  Two questions in each group – select one from each group  70 minutes to plan and write both essays

What Is the Free-Response Question? Continued  Yes and No Multiple arguments  All outside information  Not as long or in-depth as DBQ  Defensible thesis  Information to support thesis  Evidence, Evidence, Evidence

Classic arguments 1.Three good points 1.Brainstorm everything you know about the topic 2.Pic the three best points supporting your position 3.Argue each point in a separate paragraph 1.From weakest to strongest

Cont.  Chronological “development of... “ Answer by addressing trends in chronological order  Comparison Compare/contrast a different event or issue in each paragraph

Cont.  Straw Dog State the position opposite yours State their arguments and tear them down Summarize your opponent’s position in para 2 Criticize them in para 3 Summarize your position in para 4

Summary  Read the question carefully  Do not start writing until you brainstorm, develop a thesis, write an outline  Follow your outline  One idea/paragraph  Write clearly and neatly  Use transition words: first, second,  Support your ideas with historical evidence  Details, explain historical names, bills, persons, etc

Stay confident!  Scores are relative to the rest of the country  You will compare well!  Set the curve!