***Official AP U.S. Government and Politics Thread 2014-2015***

<p>I’m taking AP gov this year, and I’m a bit nervous because our teacher is new and it’s her first year teaching AP.</p>

<p>@ScienceNerd7‌ my ap world teacher was new last year…I recommend reading the textbook thoroughly and getting a review book…it helped me get a high score… I wasn’t incredibly confident that the class alone would have been enough since she was new</p>

<p>@151Andrew151 Do you have any recommendations for an AP gov review book? So far, I’ve gotten my hands on the REA crash course, and I’m hoping to skim over it before school starts to expose myself to the material along with working on my summer homework (we got a TON, so much for a new teacher). </p>

<p>@ScienceNerd7‌ I have not taken this class yet…but based on my AP World experience I liked Barron’s and Princeton Review…Both had great reviews Princeton had hard-ish tests…Barron’s were insanely hard…you can’t go wrong with either</p>

<p>@151Andrew151 Alright I’ll stick with Princeton, I’ve heard that Barron’s tends to be very superfluous, and my experience with APUSH agrees. Thanks.</p>

<p>@ScienceNerd7‌ Crash Course is great. Not too detailed but not too specific either. I’m sure there is a pdf copy you can find online. </p>

<p>Sorry, I worded that second part wrong. The book is very straight forward and to the point. </p>

<p>@letmeseetheworld Yes, from what I’ve read so far, it’s great. </p>

<p>Hey guys,
What prep books would you recommend as a supplement to the course? Also does it matter if I buy the current year book or can I buy the 2013 ones?
Thanks</p>

<p>@alphabot‌ @letmeseetheworld‌ - I heard the test changed this year and the Crash Course book hasn’t been updated. Do you still recommend getting it? My teacher doesn’t teach so I need a good prep book to teach myself the material. </p>

Does anyone have released collegeboard AP gov tests? Thanks!

I found two… that’s still only two though. If anyone finds more, let me/others know.

2009
http://www.glenelghigh.org/cms/lib01/MD01001859/Centricity/Domain/318/2009%20Test.pdf

1999 <— eek, possibly outdated?
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/213055.html

Hmm… last semester was wasted on this class. Teacher had absolutely no idea how to manage the class. I’m guessing I have a lot of work to do. Is REA Crash Course basically the consensus? Less frequently I hear about 5 Steps to a 5, Barron’s, and Ethel Wood.

@turnupforwhat‌ : REA is awesome! I would totally recommend it. I am also using 5 steps to a 5, Barron’s, and Princeton. They are all good books, although I think using them while doing your coursework is most effective. When pre-test night rolls around, though, use REA.

P.S-- you sound like a FLVS kid. I took AP Gov online last semester and had the same experience. The teacher was really awful, and the class had assignments totally not geared for the exam.

2 months till the exam! How is everyone doing in their studies?

@LockeLamora Hey I’m doing alright so far. I am using crash course REA ap gov to prepare for the test. How about you?

MODERATOR’S NOTE:
From the College Board:

Please do not ask for or post practice exams; the post will only get deleted and the poster warned

@Daminus I’m doing pretty well. I understand the material, due in part to the REA book. I’m also using Barron’s, which is in-depth and has challenging practice exams. What about you? Are you using any other books?

@LockeLamora Cool. Well after I finish crash course I might skim my AP Gov textbook and do some released tests.

@Daminus I think that doing the released exams will be really helpful. It’s good to see what types of questions you’ll be asked, and to try doing the FRQs for real (all in one sitting). Also, I’ve been meaning to ask: what do you think the most important topics are (like public policy, for example)?