What exactly are the differences and similarities of these two tests? Does it cover basically the same material? Same type of questions? I plan on taking both and I am wondering if or how I should prepare for the subject test differently from how I will prepare for the ap exam?
They should cover the same material. If you are prepared for the AP exam, you are prepared for the subject test. I wouldn’t study differently, but it would be useful to take a few practice SAT subject tests prior to the SAT II exam.
I just took the apush exam last friday and the subject test the following day. I noticed a slightly larger focus on historical facts as opposed to themes on the subject test, such as significance of people, events, etc.
However, I did nothing to prepare for the ap us history subject test outside of what I studied for the apush exam, and I felt fairly confident with the material.
Many of the questions were formatted very similarly, and overall, I’d day there was more similarity than difference between the two.
I took the subject test after the AP test as well. Use the OLD FORMAT AP EXAM for study. It is EXACTLY the same.
https://quizlet.com/11911729/apush-books-flash-cards/ This is essential. The SAT USH indubitably places more importance on the cultural side of history. One of my questions was an abstract painting and it asked who the painter was. I never learned this in APUSH, but I knew it from an art project I did last week (so thankful, lol) the painting was by Jackson Pollock. I used Kaplan and found it pretty good 
I also had a question about abstract art in my test (May 2016). Thank god it gave me the painting and just told me to identify the genre. My mom was an art major so she took me to art museums often… paid off.