Hi. I’m currently a junior and I’m taking AP Comparative Government. My concern, though, is how well I’ll be prepared for the AP test. </p>
My teacher has been teaching the course for some time. However, last year he wound up way behind schedule and ended up having to cram in all the countries in the two months before the AP test. He had to fit Nigeria into the week before the exam. Since, apparently, about 50% of the questions on the exam concerned Nigeria, almost everyone got 3’s or lower.</p>
This year we’re more or less on track for the AP test. However, if we happen to fall behind again, I need to make sure that I’ll be able to self-study and adequately prepare for the test. The textbook I’m using is:</p>
Comparative Politics Today (9th edition) by Gabriel A. Almond, G. Bingham Powell, Jr., Russell J. Dalton, Kaare Strom</p>
My question is, will I be able to self-study sufficiently to get a 5 just with just this textbook? (Considering the fact that it was published back in 2007). If not, are there any good review books or other resources I can use to prepare?</p>
<p>I am using the “same” textbook only the 10th edition, and find that it does cover mostly everything i would guess might come on in the exam. Of course i don’t know how much they have updated the book from the 9th to the 10th edition, but there did happen quite a lot after 2007 in the political world -in the US alone- so it depends on how good your teacher is and if he covers all that the book might miss in being an older edition.</p>
<p>I hope that everyone is able to self-study what they need for the test, since i am completely self-studying, so… Just make sure that you are up to date with the political happenings from the 6 countries that are most talked about in the exam. I hope that that helps in the exam. </p>
<p>I am also using -as a prep-book- the book “worldwide Scholar to AP comparative Government & Politics: 2014 Edition”. I have not got that book yet, so i don’t know how good it will be since Amazon is a little show in delivering to me, but i read good reviews about the book, and hope that it will be helpful in summarizing everything again, in case i have forgotten anything from the textbook. </p>
<p>I don’t know if there are other Comparative Govern, review books since i have only found this one, but please let me know if you know of any others or find others that you like, i am always open to having more options.</p>
<p>Worldwise scholar was not a bad prep book-it was concise and gave good general ideas. the Ethel Wood 4th edition book guaranteed me the 5 because it literally nailed 99% of the questions in the exam</p>
Just make sure that you are up to date with the political happenings from the 6 countries that are most talked about in the exam. I hope that that helps in the exam. </p>