<p>I want to major in art history in college and, as my school doesn't offer AP Art History, I would be interested in self-studying for the exam. I'm pretty proficient at writing and interpreting images, but is the exam very difficult? Would I be able to pull a 5 on my own?</p>
<p>The exam isn't too difficult except it is more difficult compared to easier "self-studyable" AP exams. I know this from personal experience. Compared to psych/econ, art history requires much more concentration/diligence to studying.</p>
<p>If you really like art history, I'm sure it won't be too much of a pain to study. I'm also self-studying, and it just seems like a LOT of memorization. Nothing hard... just lots of recognizing painters/styles/terms, etc.</p>
<p>What books do you guys use?
I am currently using REA. It's OK.</p>
<p>Well good luck guys!
The AP Art History test looks really intimidating.</p>
<p>Why would you say that? Melody</p>
<p>The exam isn't that difficult (although it is very long!)</p>
<p>So you should be fine, especially if you like the subject. The only difficult thing you may encounter is the abundance of material you have to remember. It's a bit overwhelming, but as long as you are diligent, persistent, and non-procrastinatingish, you'll do well.</p>
<p>If your school doesn't offer APAH, make sure they have the equipment to administer the test. The exam for 2009 will use Kodachrome slides (not digital projections) and requires 2 projectors and dual screens. Check with your counselor. If not, maybe you can sit for the test at another school. If that is possible, act quickly, beacuse I think the tests have to be ordered in March for the 5/13/09 exam. My daughter is in a similar situation. No school in our city offers AP Art History. She is taking APAH through FLVS and is traveling to another city on 5/13 to sit for the exam.</p>
<p>Could you give me more info on this technology?</p>
<p>And I'm starting to get nervous for this D:</p>
<p>^^ The AP Art History exam contains several questions, multiple choice and essay, that refer to projected images. As the exam is currently given, images on conventional slides are projected on one, and in some cases two, screens. Many schools no longer have the old, conventional slide projectors, but use Power Point and various other means to project images for classes. These will not work with the AP Art History exam. College Board is going to change this in the near future, but for the 5/13/09 test, the old slide projectors are needed. Anyone who is planning on taking this test in May and whose school doesn't offer the course should check with his/her school counselor ASAP. They should have a book that lists all of the requirements for giving the test. There is a lot more to giving the APAH exam than just passing out the test booklet and keeping time.</p>
<p>"Slides will continue to be used in the administration of the AP Art History Exam for the 2008-09 school year. The College Board is in the process of identifying a printing method that is best suited for large-scale production of high-quality, high-resolution, color-correct, and appropriately sized images that will replace the slides currently used with the AP Art History Exam. Once the appropriate printing process is selected, tested, approved, and directions are created for test administrators who will be using the prints, the College Board will make an announcement to the AP Art History community. Since this change impacts the 2009-10 school year, starting in September 2009 publications and communications will reflect and detail the change. Additionally, when the 2009-10 Course Audit process begins in March 2009, the resource requirements will be updated to reflect this change. "</p>
<p>from the College Board web site for APAH</p>
<p>Thanks dtex50!
I'll try to contact my counselor as soon as possible!</p>
<p>I think my past U.S. History teacher has those types of slides but I will ask to make sure.</p>
<p>I'm doubting myself into actually going to the test though, I'm really self-doubting.</p>
<p>You may be able to take the exam at a college. At my school, everyone takes the APAH exam at the University that's literally across the street. Well, part of it is across the street. A school in your district (or somewhere nearby) may have the same sort of set up.</p>
<p>I've been practicing but I feel nervous about the essays.
anyone else?????????????</p>
<p>@ Lat12,
I say that because, from what I've heard, you have to memorize SO much and learn the date and artist and such. It just seems like a lot of memorization...</p>
<p>I recommend that you buy copies of the 2nd edition of Annotated Mona Lisa and the 2nd edition of the REA Art History book. The 2nd edition of the REA book now includes a very good Fast Review.</p>
<p>Just memorize REA and you'll be fine. It's all memorization, it will take a lot of dedication.</p>
<p>^ I agree. REA's new 2009 edition is excellent.</p>
<p>To achieve a 5 on the AP Art History exam is very difficult through self-study. Art History is a discipline that is too often thought to be easy and simple, but especially as the exam contains numerous essays, a thorough knowledge of the subject is required that is hard to get from a textbook and REA alone. Art is something simple until you try to write about it and then the real challenge begins, thus all of the essays make the exam a bit more difficult than I think people are giving it credit for. You cannot BS anything with art history like you maybe could with other things, there is no different way to see the pieces except the one, intended way (well with more modern movements that isn't quite as true but looking at Bronzino's Venus, Cupid, Folly & Time you can't just say it is about undulating forms and lallygag your way through).</p>
<p>You can probably do it, though I wouldn't really recommend the REA book, instead I recommend that you pick a up a textbook, start with Greece (you can use REA or other study guides for the earlier stuff) and plow through to the modern day. If you have time constraints don't do this, but given that the test is almost exclusively memorization you will be a lock for a 5 if you follow this plan. You also need a few stock non-western artworks in your memory bank for the first essay question; if you can nail that question you're in excellent shape.</p>