The APUSH Exam

Friday May 11, 2007



























There is no single way to prepare for the APUSH exam.  There is no magic formula, and no substitute for hard work.  But there is no need to do everything on your own, no need to start from scratch.  Below are some specific tools for you to use, and I recommend you develop a plan for utilizing the weeks ahead to prepare for the APUSH Exam.


However, there are some general pieces of advice to take into consideration:

APUSH the Class is designed around the APUSH the Exam, so any of the materials you have from class will assist you in preparing for the exam.

While buying an APUSH Exam prep book is not required if you use the materials below, some people find one helpful, and local bookstores & libraries usually carry them.

Working alone is right for some people, but others benefit from a group environment for this type of endeavor.

And finally,

You can do this!




GENERAL REVIEW
The file below is a very large outline created by an APUSH student; it focuses on the main facts of major eras.  Students over the past few years have foudn this one quite valuable.
I have also included essential vocabulary and themes from my unit outlines.  There are many more terms that could prove useful, but these are the essential ones that will serve you well on the exam.
Beware with all of these files, they are rather large.  I have placed copies of each in the APUSH binder in the Library if you want to copy them in school.
POLITICAL HISTORY REVIEW
My APUSH class is relatively strong on social & cultural history, but a little weak on political history.  I recommend you use some of the following sources to fill in some of the gaps.

The chronology below breaks up events into American history into presidential administrations.  While the president in office is not responsible for everything that happens and some events don't prove significant until later, this should give you an idea of the policies & actions of various presidents.
We have done some work on Supreme Court cases, but there are many that we did not cover.  And given the importance the APUSH Exam places on judicial review, it would serve you well to spend some time with the document below which was created by David Schmus, a teacher at Los Altos High School in Califronia.
BRIEF SUMMARIES
Sometimes it is advantageous to have a general overview of a time period.  While no essay questions will ever ask you to summarize a period, knowing the basic trends can help you with any essay question that comes your way.  The following summaries come from Greg Feldmeth, an APUSH teacher in California.
QUICK REVIEW
At some point you will need to test your knowledge to see where you are at.  I recommend you use the quiz sites below to diagnose your strengths & weaknesses and plan your review accordingly.  These sites can also serve as excellent last-minute review to solidify basic information going into the exam.  These sites are both resources provided by two of the countries best APUSH teachers.
New Resources
(Added 4/10)
I came across the following resources that may be of use to you.  They were created by Keith Wood, an APUSH teacher in Murray, UT, and I highly recommend them.

Start your preparation early, or this will happen to you: