For all those wondering about subject tests: STUDY, especially periods. I got a 5 on this AP but did terribly on the SAT II, and I finished reading the entirety of AMSCO.
@BarristerDad118 the AP is far more about document analysis so you don’t really have to know specific facts, just the trends. The SAT II is more about recalling specific facts so in my opinion it requires far more studying and memorization. I did minimal studying for the AP. I’m not even sure what I did could be considered studying. For the SAT II, I read through the Barron’s book once, and through the American Pageant for school. My APUSH teacher gave us extended response questions for homework instead of outlining and I felt that it really helped, because figuring out the answers helped me think about it more which helped me remember it.
Hi guys, so after the AP test, I thought I did really well. I actually had a B in my APUSH class (which isn’t that bad considering that it is an AP class). and I consider myself a very good student. I got a 5 on two other AP tests. Unfortunately I got a 2 on the APUSH AP test. This doesn’t make any sense to me. I am disgusted with the score. I worked really hard. I don’t feel that I got a 2. I know I had very good information that I put into my FRQs. The free response and mc wasn’t that bad, but not worthy of a 2. I don’t understand how I got a 2. Can you guys tell me my options? I am really worried… (I am going to be a senior next year)
Move on. If you want to spend $30 to get your MC rescored, feel free. It is unlikely to result in a higher score. FRQ’s are not rescored, so it is what it is.
@iceman1239 yes, my teacher/the graders said it didn’t count for anything and it was just to see how students responded.
More subject test stuff:
Got a 5 on the AP test, 790 on the subject test in June. For the subject test, I started studying the day before with lots of practice tests and reading the Princeton Review SAT 2 USH book. I found the subject test to be a lot more fact-based and detail-oriented than the mult choice part of the AP test – it was a lot more like the old AP MC format.
Sparknotes goes into way more detail: http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/sat2/history/chapter2section2.rhtml
hey there guys, does anyone know when scoring guidelines come out (student samples and such)? Also, I’m thinking about taking the subject test in october (along with math 2 and chem retakes). Will that be a good idea?
Honestly, I didn’t study for this test at all (I never bought a review book) and got a 5. I would credit this to my awesome teacher that forced us to actually read the textbook and take notes the whole way through. If you have enough enthusiasm for American history, and can connect events together and synthesize, the exam should be okay. Personally I love US history, so the class always kept me engaged.
Thanks @matchachacha!
To get a five on APUSH i’d highly recommend an upcoming AP review app called AP US History: The Bare Minimum. I was a beta tester recently for them and after using it I think it prepares anyone for an easy 5. Highly recommend when it comes out in October or Novemeber
I got a 5 on the test and a 760 on the subject test. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me:)
I’m seriously curious about how the Native Americans prior to 1492 question factored into the scoring process. I bombed that one, mostly because I am terrible at geography and I had no idea where any of those regions were actually located 
I am so thrilled to have gotten a 5 on the newly redesigned APUSH test. I personally used three study guides, with my mother textbook being Barron’s which came in useful in content, although a bit tough to understand if you are used to reading history chronologically. This year I was so fortunate that the DBQ was about the Neoconservative Revolution which was right up my alley. I went with the issue the Mexican-American War, the minority choice because of its popularity. I studied all year as well. STUDY TIP to remember is do not freak out about the little details, focus on trends, and patterns.
My twin sister and I both were thrilled to get 5’s on the APUSH exam. We did work really hard for the scores though!!
We used the American Pageant textbook (reading every chapter at least once or twice, sometimes three times)
We also used the AMSCO 2015 book which is fabulous! My sister read this one twice, I read it once front to back
We also had the Princeton Review book, but I wasn’t as fond of this one compared to the info included in the AMSCO
Also what helped was taking online quizzes – Found History Teacher was great
We had an account on Learnerator but preferred the format of History Teacher and its 2015 redesigned format
I think for the format of the test, hitting hard the DBQ and FRQ during the year was a great help. We wrote at least 10+ FRQ’s and DBQ’s at school (one writing exam per unit), but also wrote additional outlines and essays at home. There’s plenty of prompts available from past tests, the most important part is brainstorming and remembering the info!
At school we created study guides for each unit, and I especially focused on the latter units. This was a major help to remember all of the little details, and in chronological order, and would be beneficial for in class prep as well as preparation for the writing exam portion of the test.
Both of us being history fanatics, we were able to devote about 2-3 hrs at least a day to this class. The best way to conquer it is to start from the beginning – don’t procrastinate at the beginning of the year and try to absorb as much as you can as early as possible. It makes studying for the test a whole lot easier!
Another nice thing is to pick out each president, be familiar with the time period their administration was in, and be able to identify key points during their term. This makes putting all of the info into chronological order much simpler and easier!
It was great for me to have my twin as a study buddy for quizzing – a quick way to access your knowledge of each unit and makes it a bit more enjoyable. Find a partner if possible that is just as serious as you are to help you out with this.
Hope this helps! If anyone needs any materials, I have a plethora of study guides for each unit, it breaks it down a bit simpler so that the course isn’t as daunting! 
@Kate42498 @ALannahR Thanks you guys are the best
Y’all did a lot of studying! I did not buy ANY review books and still got a 5. I really focused on each chapter, and would outline/annotate each one. I used the ‘One of Many’ textbook. I’d recommend (like others are saying) to write a DBQ and/or a FRQ for each chapter. Good luck for all those taking it next year.
For the AP United States History “Cracking the AP U.S. History Exam, 2016 Edition” by Princton is the best in 2015. It is very helpful and covers everything.
http://amzn.to/1K54MAf
@brendauo101 Do you know what video you used? Can you possibly link it? Even though its summer im already really nervous about taking an ap class so i just wanna have different last minute review type things
I watched John Greene’s Crash Course U.S. History all the way through; I think it helped a lot.
I just have a few questions~ 1. are review books really necessary? im planning to just use crash courses i find online/ videos etc. 2. are DBQ’s just short answer? is there any way for me to practice this? my writing isn’t the best in the world and im really nervous
1- no but they help. I like AMSCO.
2- DBQ is a full-fledged essay, short answer is an entirely different section