Preparing for the AP World history exam is no easy feat. Although the content covered is relatively straightforward, the breadth of content that you need to study can make it difficult to study for. For this reason, it is recommended that you plan at least a couple of months before you are due to sit your exam or you may find yourself running out of time.
Fortunately, we have compiled the best resources available to get you a good mark on the AP World History exam. These resources include the best books and study guides to purchase, as well as some websites that may prove useful in your endeavors.
AP World History Exam Information
Like most AP exams, World History Is broken down into several sections that account for your final grade. AP World History has two sections, and four parts. The first half is a multiple choice segment, which should take you about an hour to complete. Answering the multiple choice section will account for 40% of your overall score.
The second part of the AP World History exam consists of four short answer questions, and is weighted at 20% of your grade.
The third is a document-based question, and is worth 25% of your final grade.
Lastly, the AP World History exam contains a 35 minute essay that accounts for the remaining 15% of your exam.
It may be useful to consult past papers that have other students have taken on the AP World History exam. It should be noted that this exam has changed for the 2017 school year, so don’t expect the content and layout of the past paper to be identical to this year’s standard.
The good news is that there is less writing involved overall for the 2017 school year, with more multiple choice questions used and short answer segments.
Review Materials
Barron is well-known and respected publisher in the field of review and study guides. As such, the company has published their AP World History Crash Course Book Review. This guide is widely considered one of the best resources available for students who are taking the AP World History exam.
The book does an excellent job at explaining everything you need to know in order to get a good mark in the AP World History exam, with clearly explained answers to questions you’ll be asked to write about. You’ll learn tools and strategies that you can use in the real world.
One of the best parts of Barron’s Crash Course is that the book comes with a series of free online practice tests for you to master the art of essay writing. Getting as much practice in as possible will be the pivotal determinant of your success in World History, so these practice tests will give you some much needed experience when it comes to writing essays.
Barron’s AP World History Best Prep Book 2017
The other book offered by Barron is the AP World History Prep Book 2017. This new publication reflects the changes that affect the 2017 school year, and is revered as a source of the most up to date information about the AP World History examination.
The book is large and heavy, containing a wealth of information. Due to its size, you are recommended to spend at least a month going through all the exercises and reading through its contents in its entirety.
You can also use it as a point of reference and as a quick refresher course without consuming the whole manual.
The book contains various study strategies, as well as techniques for answering the different questions that will presented to you in the exams.
Self-Study Tips
Although the AP World History Exam may not be as difficult as some of other subjects, you will still need to spend at least two months memorizing all the material before you sit your test. Two months is bare minimum, which is due to the amount of information you are expected to memorize and understand in order to get a passing grade.
You should take as many practice exams as you need to fully absorb the information contained n the text books. Re-read the sections that you find harder to remember or understand. You will need to go into the exam confident that you can tackle any question that they may throw at you.
Both of the books offered by Barron can be found by clicking the links above, which will take you to their respective product pages on Amazon. You’ll be presented with a list of prices, as well as bonuses that could include free or discounted delivery.
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