Should I Take the APUSH Exam?

Test Preparation AP Test Preparation
1

Hello, CC community.
So this year, I am taking the AP US History class and have been recommended by my teacher to take the test. Going in to the class, I thought it’s be a breeze as well as the exam considering I love history and had received the highest score in comparison to the rest of my class on the world history exam (4).
However, I’m contemplating not showing up for the exam this Friday because I don’t feel prepared enough. Given the fact that my school got rid of summer assignments, there was really no prerequisite of the class and so a lot of people who are clearly not AP material took the class as a rank booster. Whenever he would give assignments, these students (the majority enrolled in APUSH) would not turn them in and so eventually, my teacher just stopped caring. No assignments. Just lecture. To make matters worse, we’ve never done a single free response EVER. I mean, we did ONE DBQ back in September but he graded it based on the old format and has yet to teach us what the hell a long essay or short answer response is. Adding insult to injury, he told us a couple months back he would not be focusing on AP during class time and we would have to do everything ourselves.

I would feel a lot more confident if I knew how to do at least 1 FRQ, but that’s not even the case. And though I’m a Grade A Cranmer, I can’t learn how to do half of the test 2 days before the test.

So here’s the question, CC community: should I duke it out and take the AP exam, or should I save my AP average? I’m already an AP scholar and have already taken 2 AP exams this week and am taking one next week.

Also, will me not taking the test look bad when it comes to applying for colleges? I plan on taking the corresponding subject test so I’m not sure whether that will make up for not taking the exam?
Thanks.

2

You presumably paid $91 for that thing. Take it. You don’t have to report the score.

3

@bodangles I actually didn’t. In my school, AP tests are free. Paying would be a prerequisite, and perhaps that’s why this isn’t a problem in other places, but that’s not the case at my school.

4

Well that’s certainly a nice option! Disregard me then.

5

It depends. How much do you know for the AP test? If you know the general concepts of APUSH and feel you could pass the multiple choice, I say go for it. I find with AP WH the practice DBQs can be answered without having prior knowledge of the topic since the documents provide most of the information you actually need to answer the question. I’m not sure of the other FRQs on the APUSH test but if you didn’t feel confident in your score you could always have them cancel it.

6

Take it. You dont need to report the score, and maybe the grader likes your writing style…

7

Take it. If you get a 3 or higher you can get credit at some colleges. Your AP average does not mean anything except for some awards. Biggest mistake S1 made was not taking the AP Government test. He was shooting for high average. Now he has to take Government in college instead of getting 3 more credits to use toward his BS/MS.