Instructions for Reviewing for the AP Exam
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1.
I cannot overemphasize the importance of studying for the AP exam. For someone of you the amount of
time you commit to studying will be the difference between passing and not passing while for others it will
be the difference between a 3 or a 4/5. Additionally, the more you study for this exam the better you will
do on your Semester Exam and the SAT Subject Exam in June, if you are taking the US History subject
exam.
2.
You should plan on studying a minimum of fifteen hours of studying though I would recommend twentyfive – thirty hours. Hopefully, you have been studying for the exam given that your last written assignment
was due two weeks ago.
3.
A reminder that you should pay a significant amount of attention to Vocab terms – both for the MultipleChoice portions of the exam and to draw upon in your essay responses.
4.
The materials posted can be divided as follows:
a. Vocab Terms
i. Unit VII & Unit VIII Vocab -- similar to previous packets of Terms – student produced
ii. Finalized AP US History Vocab Packet – 30+ pages of key Vocab – taken from three
textbook glossaries – so accuracy may be better than the Unit Vocab packets – terms are
listed alphabetically instead of by unit
iii. 2013 Key US History Terms – this is a check-off packet of key terms culled from seven
AP US History Review Books – this packet should be used to identify any terms you are
not familiar with and then check for those terms in your Unit Vocab Packets or in the
Finalized AP US History Vocab Packet
b. Detailed Review Packets – Paragraphs about key issues in American History
i. 2013 AP US History Review Packet – this is a detailed 96pp single spaced review packet
ii. Oldest Review – packet created in the mid-1990s so it only covers up to the 1992 election
– only 50+ pages in length so shorter than the 2013 packet
iii. Unit VII and Unit VIII Review Packets -- part of a larger review packet that was created
2004 (now broken down into the 8 units that you have received over the course of the
past academic year instead of large review packet at the end of the year – in its original
form slightly longer than the Oldest Review packet
c. Brief Summaries
i. Dec American Tapestry Outline --- brief overview of the key large scale issues in
American History – designed as a way of seeing the forest for the tress
ii. AP Test Review Packet --- 28pp PDF that I discovered somewhere – touches upon many
of the key themes in American History and has a list (no definitions) of key terms for
each unit under review
iii. Semester One Overview Summary& Semester Two Overview Summary – Very Brief
Summaries 5 pages each single spaced.
5.
Recommendations for studying
a. Start with the brief summaries to give yourself a quick reminder of the major issues in American
History and how they are related -- this should take 1 -2.5 hours to get through (could easily be
done Thursday / Friday night)
b. On Saturday read one of the Review packets to read --- Oldest Review packet, 2004 packets, or
the 2013 packet. Personally, I would read the 2013 first and then one of the others but you would
probably do great if you read both the Oldest and the 2004 Unit packets and the material from the
2013 packet that covers the period from 1992 to present.
c. I would target the Vocab packets on Sunday & Monday since they are very short – relatively
speaking.
d. On Tuesday, read another one of the review packets that you not read already and review vocab –
end the evening or being the next morning with the same Brief Summaries you started with on
Thursday / Friday.