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What’s on the AP U.S. History Exam?

The AP U.S. History (APUSH) exam is a big one—its content measures your knowledge of U.S. history from pre-Columbian societies to the present. After taking a college-level class, you will certainly have a large base of historical knowledge heading into the exam. However, the AP exam asks you to take what you’ve learned one step […]

Study Plans for the AP U.S. History Test

Studying for the AP U.S. History exam can seem daunting because of the sheer volume of material covered in a yearlong course. Whether you have taken the course over a semester or over two years, the exam measures your knowledge and skills in exactly the same way. It is only through the thorough study over […]

How to Approach AP World History: Modern Short-Answer Questions

The short-answer part of the AP World History: Modern Exam, which appears after the multiple-choice questions, consists of four questions—and you must answer three. You have 40 minutes to answer three short-answer questions in Section I, Part B of the exam, which gives you about 13 minutes per question. Unlike the DBQ and LEQ later in […]

How to Approach AP World History: Modern Long Essay Questions

The second part of Section II of the AP World History exam contains three long essay questions—you must respond to one. The long essay question assesses your ability to apply knowledge of history in a complex, analytical manner. In other words, you are expected to treat history and historical questions as a historian would. This […]

How to Approach the AP U.S. History Long Essay Question

The second part of Section II of the AP US History exam contains three long essay questions—you must respond to one. The long essay question assesses your ability to apply knowledge of history in a complex, analytical manner. In other words, you are expected to treat history and historical questions as a historian would. This […]

The Week Before the AP US History Exam

The week leading up to the AP US History exam can be a stressful one. Many students try to cram as much studying as they can into these last few days, losing sleep and stressing themselves out, which can make them burn out and decrease their effectiveness on test day. Read on for a strategic alternative […]

AP World History: Modern Sample Long Essay Question

The AP World History: Modern Exam requires you to complete a long essay question. Read on for an example long essay question. On the actual exam, you will read three questions and determine which you can answer most confidently. For this sample question, note that you will be evaluating how changes in the spread of ideas […]

AP U.S. History: PERSIA Charts and Chain Outlines

 Here is a method that you can use as you read to categorize the textual information presented in assigned reading. PERSIA is an acronym that is easy to remember and use. P equals Political, E equals Economic, R equals Religion, S equals Social, I equals Intellectual, and A equals Arts. Historians may use categories like […]

Ultimate Guide to College Application Essays

Test scores, grades, and AP classes are all important data points, but they don’t allow the real “you” to come through in the college admissions process. This is why essays are so important—they represent the best opportunity to share your voice in your application. In fact, essays are thought to be the third most important […]

Choosing a Medical School

Contrary to popular opinion, medical school admissions is not just a yes-or-no decision-making process. Since there are so many qualified applicants and so few spaces, who ends up getting in? [ RELATED: Researching and Evaluating Medical Schools ] The process works differently at each school and program, but certain things remain roughly the same. A group […]