WHAP: AP Review (Test-Taking)

Test-Taking Strategies for the World History AP Exam

(
or really any high-stakes cumulative exam)
General Tips:
1. The WHAP exam is timed and is graded on the basis of total points earned, so:
spend the majority of your time on those items (both in the multiple-choice
section and in the free response section) that you
know
or strongly believe you
can answer correctly.
if you have time left on any section, go back and double-check your work (or,
when writing, take the time to revise/add evidence if you can).
2. DONT PANIC! You
do
know most of this material, but it may take a little while for you to
retrieve it from memory. When you come across a question you cant answer immediately,
move on and come back to it later.
On Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Slow down and read
every
word of the question and each answer choice. The most
commonly misread (or skipped) words in the English language are negatives (
e.g.
, no,
not, never).
If you find it difficult to slow down, then after reading the question, try reading
the answer choices from D to A (instead of from A to D); this will slow your
brain down and force it to read every word.
2. The
best
answer is always the correct answer.
If there are two answer choices which you feel are both correct, ask yourself
which one is the most correct (
i.e.
, which one is correct
all
of the time, etc.)
Dont play the what if question (
e.g.
, But what if what the question is really
asking is about X, like answer choice C indicates, and not just a more general
response, like answer choice D indicates?). If the question merits a more
specific answer, that will be evident in the wording of the question.
3. For many students, the trickiest question style is the except question,
e.g.
:
All of the following are reasons why

None of the following is true of the

World War I began EXCEPT
A) Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.
B) the alliance system forced countries
to get involved to support their allies.
C) Austria-Hungary delivered an
ultimatum to Serbia regarding the
Black Hand.
D) Germany invaded Poland.

beginning of the Cold War EXCEPT

A) China was the first communist state in
Eurasia.
B) Stalin placed communist regimes in
power in Eastern Europe after WWII.
C) the United Nations was formed to
contain communism.
D) Western states were not concerned
about the spread of communism.

Notice that EXCEPT questions are either asking you which answer choice is
false (such as the example on the left) or which answer choice is true (as in the
example on the right). You have to read the question carefully in order to
determine which answer (true or false) youre looking for.
Read each answer choice carefully in light of the question (whether its asking
for a true or false answer). Eliminate the choices you
know
cannot be correct.

WHAP: AP Review (Test-Taking)

4. Many of the questions test history/ social studies skills in addition to knowledge of the
content. Make sure you understand the stimulus (the image/ graph/ map)
before
attempting to answer the question. Often, doing so will immediately eliminate some of the
answer choices.
When looking at an image, check to see if its title and/or author is given; this
may help you place it historically and give you a hint regarding the answer.
When looking at a graph, make sure you read the title and understand what
both the vertical and horizontal axes represent before attempting to
read/analyze the data on the graph. Often, just looking at the graphs
organization (looking at dates given, or regions specified, etc.) will help you
eliminate some of the answer choices.
When looking at a map, make sure you read the title (titles are often
accompanied by dates!) and understand what region of the world youre looking
at.
5. Keep note of the time; know what time the section ends so you can pace yourself effectively.
On The Free Response Section:
1. All essays, regardless of type, require an
analytical thesis
(so make sure you include one in
either your introduction or your conclusion). This A.T. must answer the question thats
asked (respond to the question in the prompt) and explain why that answer is/may be
correct.
For the DBQ, your thesis may be something like: These are the
responses/effects/ reasons why something happened because [
you include
something about what the documents reveal; you may mention your
groupings here
].
For the CCOT, your thesis may be something like: Between [
Year 1 specified in
the prompt
] and [
Year 2 specified in the prompt
] in [
region(s) specified in the
prompt
], _______ changed because _______, while _______ remained in
place because _______.
For the Comparative Analysis (CA), your thesis may be something like: While
[
the first region/phenomenon specified in the prompt
] and [
the second
region/phenomenon specified in the prompt
] were similar in that both
_________ because they both _______, they differed in that [
the first
r
egion/phenomenon
] ______, while [
the second region/phenomenon
] ____
because of _________.
2.
All
essays, regardless of type, require
analysis
, an explanation of why the information youre
presenting (from the documents, or from examples for changes/continuities or
similarities/differences) fit together the way they do.
For the DBQ, much of your analysis rests in how you group the documents, and
how well you explain why those documents fit together in a group. You may
explain this with a sentence thats something like: [Docs X, Y, and Z] all
address ________, which explains why __________.
For the CCOT, you must analyze why at least one change or continuity you
specified occurred. You may explain your reasoning with a sentence thats
something like: This [change/continuity] occurred/may have occurred because
_____________.

WHAP: AP Review (Test-Taking)

For the CA, you must analyze why at least one similarity or difference you
specified existed. Your explanation may look something like this: One reason
for this similarity may be that both [
regions/phenomena
] ___________. or
One reason for this difference may be that [r
egion/phenomenon 1
] was
_________, while [
region/phenomenon 2
] was _________.
3.
All
essays, regardless of type, require
evidence
, or facts/examples that back up your
analytical thesis and your main points. Earning credit for including evidence ALWAYS
depends on the inclusion of an acceptable thesis. No acceptable thesis = no credit for
evidence (even if the evidence you present is awesome).
For the DBQ, your evidence is drawn from your interpretation of the
documents. You
do
need to discuss documents
individually
and
specifically
, but
you
dont
have to quote from them (paraphrasing is fine). Remember that in
order to earn credit, you need to use (at minimum!) all but one of the
documents in your response.
For the CCOT, your evidence is the specific examples you use to illustrate the
change(s)/continuity(ies) you discuss in the essay. Your examples must be
historically and regionally relevant (
e.g.
, correct in regards to the time frame
and region specified in the prompt). Remember that in order to earn credit, you
need to include (at minimum) three specific examples (or 6 examples to earn
maximum credit for the basic core requirements). For the CCOT, the more
accurate specific examples you use, the greater the likelihood of extended core
points!
For the CA, your evidence is the specific examples you use to illustrate the
similarities/differences you discuss in the essay. Your examples must be
historically and regionally relevant (
e.g.
, correct in regards to the time frame
and region specified in the prompt). Remember that in order to earn credit, you
need to include (at minimum) three specific examples (or 6 examples to earn
maximum credit for the basic core requirements). For the CA, the more
accurate specific examples you use, the greater the likelihood of extended core
points!