How to Score Higher on the Advanced Placement U.S. History Exam

Taking the Advanced Placement U.S. History Exam and achieving a high score can help you save money and earn college credit. You can use these tips and strategies to score higher on your Advanced Placement U.S. History exam.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Take Advanced Placement U.S. History classes in high school. While taking Advanced Placement courses in United States history is not required to take an Advanced Placement exam, taking one of these courses can prepare a student for the exam.

2. Have a dedicated study time. Aim to spend a certain amount of time each day to preparing for your Advanced Placement U.S. History exam. History is a subject that needs to be periodically reviewed.

3. Identify your history textbook's publisher. History textbook publishers like Prentice Hall, Houghton Mifflin and American Pageant often have practice and chapter tests available at their websites to help students review and remember material.

4. Get Advanced Placement review CD-ROMs. You may purchase these CD-ROMs online, at stores or check them out of libraries. CD-ROMs allow you to study at your own pace, provide practice multiple choice tests, tutorials and test-taking tips.

5. Review important terms, dates, and themes in U.S. history. Pay special attention to intellectual, cultural, political, diplomatic, social and economic events that have occurred and have been reviewed in your textbook.

6. Visit websites dedicated to U.S. History. These websites can supplement the information you have learned from your textbook. Search for websites that are dedicated to prepare students for the Advanced Placement U.S. History exam; websites like this are often created by Advanced Placement U.S. History teachers.

7. Study the exam's form. Break down how much time you have to complete each section. Use the estimated times to try and complete sample questions on your own.

8. Practice finishing 80 multiple choice questions within 55 minutes. You'll only have 55 minutes to complete the multiple choice section of the test. Familiarize yourself with the exam's point deduction system. One point is deducted from your score if you leave a question blank, but 1 1/4 points will be deducted for an wrong answer. Learn when it's advantageous to guess and know when to skip questions instead.

9. Write essays on sample free-response questions. Find an Advanced Placement U.S. History grading rubric and read over the requirements for a "5." Get previous, official free-response questions from a teacher or from the Advanced Placement program. Write your essays and compare them to the pre-graded essays that have come with the free-response questions.

10. Find sample document-based questions. Train yourself to review and choose relevant documents for an essay based on an essay question. Limit your choices to four documents.

11. Prepare for your test like you would any other test. Get adequate rest before the test, eat a nutritious breakfast and relax.

Tips & Warnings

• When responding to free-response questions, formulate a strong thesis that clearly answers the question. Support the thesis with clear, correct and detailed examples pulled from your knowledge of U.S. History. However, avoid using superfluous information in an essay. Keep your essay focused.
• Keep track of elapsed time during the test.
• Avoid taking stimulants before an exam. Caffeine and sugar may increase your distractedness and affect your mood while taking the exam.

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