The information of AP World History is shared on our latest post which you can access here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMMC7UPDuDZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Our researcher, Sabrina Espinoza, will share her experience and a few extra tips below to help you decide whether to take AP World History in the future.
My Experience:
Like with any other class, your experience is mainly shaped by your teacher and their method of teaching. Still, I hope this desc. of my experience can help you get a glimpse of what the class can be like!
Difficulty:
APWH, thankfully, wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. However, there is a LOT of information to cover, since the course focuses on multiple parts of the world. The AP textbook I used was more in-depth and lengthy than the usual history textbooks in middle school, and the chapters could be long. However, it was interesting learning about the history of different countries, and I got a better understanding of why some things exist today.
APWH was actually one of my highest grades… but it was probably because projects and assignments helped. I wasn’t super great at the multiple choice tests (mainly Bs and Cs), but my teacher was very generous and would often curve the scores.
Homework/Workload:
Again, APWH wasn’t this massive load of HW like I feared, but every teacher is different! My teacher would mainly assign weekly reading guides based on the textbook we used. They were long and required definitions, details, looking in the text, etc. but we had a week and sometimes more to do them. If you didn’t procrastinate, they could be done before the weekend. However,I procrastinated quite a lot sometimes, not starting the RGs until the weekend even… but even then, I could finish them in one day in about 5 hours (not rec. though!). Overall, HW wasn’t too bad, at least for my class :). Mainly weekly textbook outlines!
Tests/Quizzes:
For the essay-like questions, it’s very helpful to know at least some important events, people, objects/inventions, etc. so you have a general understanding of what occurred during a period. Listening in class, using flashcards, and taking notes helped me remember some of these things, so the essay tests weren’t super bad. They are timed though, which is why I tried to write what I could and then look over it once I was finished. For the multiple choice tests, knowing the patterns, connections, events, etc. for a period, again, helps a lot. Not studying beforehand is what caused me to struggle during some of the MC tests. I regret not having a study plan for APWH tests; writing down or having some sort of study system will aid you lots!
The Actual Exam:
Due to COVID-19, I ended up taking the modified, 45-minute version of the exam, which was just a DBQ (no MC, SAQs, LEQ). I can’t really describe what it’s like to take the long, actual version of the exam since I had a shorter and easier version. But, I can at least describe the DBQ part of the exam! Honestly, it’s one of the easier ones: 6-7 historical docs are provided, usually including an image too. You have to use information and explain evidence from the documents in order to support your thesis (which you form from the given prompt). It’s very formulaic and repetitive, but, as my teacher said, “History essays are not the same as English essays”. Search up the essay rubrics online and you’ll see how structured it is!