How to Prepare Thoroughly for the US History Subject Test

Test Preparation SAT Subject Test Preparation
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<p>Hello guys, I just thought I'd compile a series of steps that I used to get an 800 on the US History Subject test. Feel free to comment/criticize/add onto this small list. Hopefully this guide can act as a small thank you for all of those who helped me prepare for this test!</p>

<p>Step One: Lay the Foundation:</p>

<p>The first thing I recommend everyone to do is to read over the AMSCO book thoroughly. Yes, AMSCO is a book used for the AP test, but it also is the best book to use to establish a solid foundation and to later build upon. Do whatever you can to understand the information and trends over time; take notes, make outlines, etc. This is especially important for people who haven't yet taken the AP class; without a solid foundation, getting an 800 will be mostly luck!</p>

<p>I recommend hardcore review and skimming the book at least one more time before the test.</p>

<p>Step Two: Review Time:</p>

<p>For this step, the best book out there is Kaplan's SAT Subject Test Review. The book is truly geared toward this one test; there are small facts in Kaplan that get highlighted that readers would normally overlook in AMSCO or are left out altogether. I wholeheartedly recommend this book, as it is the best out there; if pressed for time or money, this book can single-handedly get you a very impressive score. Questions from practice tests from this book have come up on real tests!</p>

<p>Read Kaplan thoroughly once (no need to be as thorough as with AMSCO, though) and skim the book repeatedly before the AP Test. </p>

<p>Step Three: Practice Tests:</p>

<p>In this step, I used Collegeboard's official released practice tests, tests in the Kaplan book, and Sparknotes tests that are available for free online. Time shouldn't really be a problem for you with this test. You either know the information or not; don't dwell upon each question. Start off with Sparknotes tests, but don't be alarmed by the scores you get; Sparknotes tests are on a much more harsh curve. After Sparknotes, take Kaplan tests, and finally take the official Collegeboard tests. Make sure and go over each question you got wrong or had your doubts on. Also, read the wrong answer choices as well on questions you were puzzled about so that you will know what the answer is not, should the question come up again.</p>

<p>Final Comments:</p>

<p>Following these steps religiously won't magically get you an 800, but it will allow you to do the best you can on this test.</p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

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<p>Thank you so much. :)</p>

<p>Questions: How many answers did you mark blank on your test? How many did you guess on?</p>

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<p>I took on the mindset that I had to get an 800, so I tried to skip as little as possible, if any.</p>

<p>During practice tests, I only leave up to 2 blank. Usually, on questions that I have to guess on, I can narrow it down to 2 good answers, so I guess a lot and hope that I get it right.</p>

<p>I usually guess on around 8-10 of the answers, but I do know enough information to eliminate some of the possible answers. I only come across one or two that completely stump me, which are the ones that I leave blank :).</p>

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<p>Bumping just in case someone missed it, I’ll be happy if this can provide some help!</p>

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<p>Thank you so much! </p>

<p>If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a few more questions. (Please pardon my ignorance–I’m an international student so I’m not very familiar with the process.)</p>

<p>Could you please elaborate a bit on the AMSCO book? What do the letters stand for? Does the book offer a detailed study guide? Since I’m an international student, I don’t have the resources to go over all aspects of US History thoroughly in class, though I have made effort to review as much as I can outside of class. Would the AMSCO provide me with a detailed enough guide for me to basically learn US History by reading it?</p>

<p>I hope that you will take the time to answer my questions. Thanks!</p>

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<p>Amsco is the company that makes a AP US prep book: [Amazon.com:</a> United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination: John J. Newman: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/United-States-History-Preparing-Examination/dp/1567656609]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/United-States-History-Preparing-Examination/dp/1567656609)
I bought mine directly from Amsco’s website.
As with others, I strongly recommend it to study for the subject test (I also scored an 800 on US)</p>

<p>I think Amsco alone is enough for 750+, but for 800, you might need another book such as Kaplan.</p>

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<p>What about Barrons?</p>

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<p>Thanks for the post! So AMSCO is good for someone who wants to take the test, assuming that he hasn’t taken the AP class? Does it sort of function like a textbook? thanks!</p>

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<p>Well for perspective I did this:
For U.S. History (i scored a 770 in two weeks of prep + decent teacher+ started with a 560 on practice tests)
Look at the Barron’s book. It is the most comprehensive (though it lacks notes) most especially for the tests (nearly everyone i spoke with in my school said there was a lot of overlap between those seven practice tests and the actual May exam) hence I used this book. Try to go through it chunk by chunk, but it’s REALLY REALLY REALLY important to take practice tests.
For ex my studying consisted of something like this:
Diagnostic Test, read some of book
Test 1, retake Test 1, read some of book
Test 2, retake Test 2, retake Test 1 BREAK
read some book
Test 3, retake test 3, retake test 2 BREAK
read some book
etc. until I got to Test 7
Then I moved on to CB tests from the CB blue book guide.
I took them both in the same manner.
When I finished taking the test I CANNOT STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF REREADNG EXPLANATIONS and LOOKING UP EVENTS if necessary, or else they’ll never stick.
3 days pretest I was breaking 700. Only 2 days before (I believe it was thurs morning, i scored a 770 on my CB test). 1 day before I looked over q’s i got wrong and went to sleep. </p>

<p>On the June test, there were i think at least 5 questions that directly overlapped with the CB test q’s. Make sure you know and understand these thoroughly (they’re always good candidates). Buying CB tests is also another good idea. (I didn’t do that though I thought 11 tests were enough. I also liked the McGraw-Hill tests they were most realistic besides CB). </p>

<p>note: don’t be too discouraged with the Barron’s because… it’s a lot a lot harder than CB real tests. </p>

<p>or you could try cramming the AMSCO painfully for a long time like my friend. She did well though (790).</p>

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<p>I got an 800 on the test with virtually no preparation. I took it in June, so I had taken the AP test a few weeks ago – the information was fresh in my mind. I then went on the Sparknotes website and took three of their practice tests the week before the test – 3 hours total. Then I skimmed through an outline of US History I downloaded from the Internet – maybe half an hour? – and had my friend quiz me on random things – another half an hour. So with four hours of studying, I walked in Saturday morning and got (I believe) only one or two questions wrong. 800. Bam.</p>

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<p>How many pages is AMSCO??</p>

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<p>From cover to cover, AMSCO is 704 pages long.</p>

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<p>I think you can skip the intro and essay writing portions, if you’re using it to prep for the subject test :)</p>

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<p>Yeah, once you eliminate the extraneous AP information from AMSCO, it’s much more reasonable.</p>

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<p>hey do you have the direct link to the kaplan book? should i get the 2008-2009 edition or the 2009-2010 edition?</p>