Second semester is gonna start up soon so I’d really like to get a jump on prepping for the AP test in the spring. Does anyone have any good study plans that they’ve used in the past or are planning on using?</p>
Right now I don’t have any true test prep materials, other than AP World History Crash Course by Jay P. Harmon because my teacher recommended it. Not sure if there’s a better book out there? I saw a book called 5 Steps to a 5 at my local Barnes & Noble and wasn’t sure if it was worth the buy. Some of my friends have Princeton Review but I’d like to get more opinions before I spend the money.</p>
TL;DR: What’s your study plan and study materials for AP World?</p>
<p>Get Princeton Review and/or Barron’s. Those are the best prep books for AP World.</p>
<p>I used Barron’s. I got a 4… My advice to you is practice writing the essays and actually review the sections. I didn’t do it enough. The curve is generous.</p>
<p>I’m in the same situation right now: After doing some research on CC and the internets, I bought a Princeton Review practice book (latest edition). I heard that the new AP tests are going to be different from the previous years, so if you do get any study materials, try to go for the latest ones. I know that I’m going to be studying like a maniac, because I usually don’t do well on the essays (I usually get 6s), but I’m aiming for a 4 or 5 on the AP Test. I hope you do well! Good luck</p>
<p>@Apricityn: I didn’t think the AP World exam was changing? I know some of the others were, but I thought I was ok in this one. =P</p>
<p>I currently have a Princenton’s. I personally don’t like Barron’s, but that’s just a personal thing. I’m also planing to get the 5 steps, and I heard the Crash Course was also really good! My teacher has also been recommending the World History Crash Course videos by John Green. If you haven’t seen these, check them out! He’s hilarious, but covers all the material so well. Seriously. Spread them out until you’ve watched all of them. They’re not too long either. </p>
<p>Good luck! <3</p>
<p>@Almondjoy7 Oh, perhaps I’m wrong; but my teacher said something about the AP World exam having more passage-based questions in the multiple choice. This started happening last year (2011-2012). Hopefully there aren’t any major changes though 
Also, the Crash Course videos are awesome and it doesn’t even feel like tedious studying: learning without drudgery! (Turn on the subtitles if you haven’t already, they add humor and clarification to his mini lessons)</p>
<p>As a student who took ap world history last year and got a 5, my biggest advice is to READ your book.
Here’s what I did:
Take several practice MCQ. Just google them and they should pop up. Collegeboard ones are the best Time yourself as if it were the exam. Do make sure to go over the explanations. </p>
<p>Practice writing essays. On CB’s website they have the Free-Response from previous years. Don’t read the examples. Instead compare your essay with your peers and have your teacher give you feed back. If you feel like your essays are inadequate I can do another post on how to write CC, CCOT, and DBQ. I went from a 3 to a 7 two weeks before the exam. </p>
<p>Read your textbook from the beginning about 1-2 months in advance. Make sure you know your vocab too, but don’t stress over dates. Just know the time periods. My advice is to take notes and vocab cards for each chapter. </p>
<p>Review books are not necessary IMO. They tend to present information at a lesser or more advanced level than your textbook and MCQ’s are not very accurate. </p>
<p>Most importantly is your mentality. How you feel on the day of the exam will affect your performance. Nervousness will cause you to forget information and will slow you down. Relax. This is not the most important test of your life and certainly not the last. The curve for ap exams is very high so don’t worry. Essay graders take it easy on you. Think of all the thousands of essays they have to go through. As long as you are clear and logical a seven or above is definitely within reach. </p>
<p>In retrospect, last year’s exam was a bit different. A lot of the mcq was passage based. This got annoying because I had to reread the passages and had to slow down to find the answers. The FRQ was okay. The DBQ was the usual as was the CC. The CCOT was where everybody messed up. 60% got a 0. Our year was the worst in CB’s history. I felt it was my best essay though. </p>
<p>Finally, bring all the materials you need:
- A watch
-Many pens and pencils
-FOOD and WATER</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>