The Best Test Preparation for the Advanced Placement Examination in United States History

Book excerpt: A NEWER EDITION OF THIS TITLE IS AVAILABLE. SEE ISBN: 978-0-7386-0625-5 Get the AP college credits you''ve worked so hard for... Our savvy test experts show you the way to master the test and score higher. This new and fully expanded edition includes a comprehensive review course of all the topics covered on the exam: the Colonial Period, the American Revolution, the U.S. Constitution, Westward expansion, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Industrialism, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Vietnam Era, Watergate, Carter, and the New Conservatism. Features 6 full-length practice exams with all answers thoroughly explained. Follow up your study with REA''s test-taking strategies, powerhouse drills and study schedule that get you ready for test day. DETAILS - Comprehensive, up-to-date subject review of every US history topic used in the AP exam - Study schedule tailored to your needs - Packed with proven key exam tips, insights and advice - 6 full-length practice exams. All exam answers are fully detailed with easy-to-follow, easy-to-grasp explanations. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT RESEARCH & EDUCATION ASSOCIATION ABOUT THE BOOK ABOUT THE TEST ABOUT THE REVIEW SECTION SCORING THE EXAM CONTACTING THE AP PROGRAM AP U.S. HISTORY STUDY SCHEDULE AP UNITED STATES HISTORY COURSE REVIEW 1 The Colonial Period (1500-1763) 2 The American Revolution (1763-1787) 3 The United States Constitution (1787-1789) 4 The New Nation (1789-1824) 5 Jacksonian Democracy and Westward Expansion (1824-1850) 6 Sectional Conflict and the Causes of the Civil War (1850-1860) 7 The Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1877) 8 Industrialism, War, and the Progressive Era (1877-1912) 9 Wilson and World War I (1912-1920) 10 The Roaring Twenties and Economic Collapse (1920-1929) 11 The Great Depression and the New Deal (1929-1941) 12 World War II and the Post-War Era (1941-1960) 13 The New Frontier, Vietnam, and Social Upheaval (1960-1972) 14 Watergate, Carter, and the New Conservatism (1972-2001) AP UNITED STATES HISTORY PRACTICE TESTS Test 1 Answer Sheet Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers Test 2 Answer Sheet Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers Test 3 Answer Sheet Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers Test 4 Answer Sheet Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers Test 5 Answer Sheet Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers Test 6 Answer Sheet Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers AP US HISTORY EXCERPT ABOUT THE BOOK This book gives you all the tools you''ll need to master the Advanced Placement Examination in United States History. REA''s concise review is the perfect companion to your textbook readings and classroom discussion. And our six full-length practice tests, all based on the current format of the AP exam, mirror the actual test-taking experience. We don''t stop there, however. Following each exam you''ll find an answer key complete with detailed explanations that tell you not just what''s correct but why. By studying our review section, completing all six practice exams, and carefully checking the answer explanations, you''ll be able to completely inventory your strengths and weaknesses. Follow our study schedule (see page x) and when test day rolls around, you''ll have everything you need to be completely at ease with the material. Teachers, too, will find this book an excellent resource for the Advanced Placement course in U.S. History. In fact, many AP instructors use it as a supplementary text because it so comprehensively supports and addresses specific curriculum objectives for the course and exam. ABOUT THE TEST The Advanced Placement Program is designed to allow high school students to pursue college-level studies while attending high school. The three-hour five-minute AP U.S. History exam is usually given to high school students who have completed a year''s study in a college-level U.S. History course. The test results are then used to determine the awarding of course credit and/or advanced course placement in college. According to the College Board, students taking this exam are called upon to demonstrate "systematic factual knowledge" and bring to bear critical, persuasive analysis of the full sweep of U.S. history. This is why we make every effort to establish and build upon context for you, rather than encouraging rote memorization of disconnected facts. The AP U.S. History Exam is divided into two sections: 1) Multiple-Choice: This section is composed of 80 multiple-choice questions designed to gauge your ability to understand and analyze U.S. history from the Colonial period to the present. The majority of the questions, however, are based on 19th- and 20th-century history. This section tests factual knowledge, scope of preparation, and knowledge-based analytical skills. You''ll have 55 minutes to complete this section, which accounts for 50 percent of your final grade. 2) Free-Response: This section is composed of three essay questions designed to measure your ability to write coherent, intelligent, well-organized essays on historical topics. The essays require you to demonstrate mastery of historical interpretation and the ability to express views and knowledge in writing. The essays may relate documents to different areas, analyze common themes of different time periods, or compare individual and group experiences which reflect socioeconomic, racial, gender, and ethnic differences. Part A consists of a mandatory 15-minute reading period, followed by 45 minutes during which you must answer a document-based question (DBQ), which changes from year to year. In Part B the student chooses to answer on two of the topics that are given. You will have 70 minutes to write these essays. The free-response section counts for 50 percent of your final grade. These topics are broken down into thirds: - Political Institutions (1/3rd) - Social and Economic Change (1/3rd) - Behavior and Public Policy, Diplomacy and International Relations, Intellectual and Cultural Development (1/3rd) The time periods covered are as follows: - Pre-Colonial through 1789 (1/6th of exam) - 1790-1914 (1/2 of exam) - 1915-present (1/3rd of exam) ABOUT THE REVIEW SECTION This book begins with REA''s concise yet thorough 230-page review of U.S. history designed to acquaint you with the exam''s scope of coverage. Our review covers these topics and historical time periods: - The Colonial Period (1500-1763) - The American Revolution (1763-1787) - The United States Constitution (1787-1789) - The New National (1789-1824) - Jacksonian Democracy and Westward Expansion (1824-1850) - Sectional Conflict and The Causes of the Civil War (1850-1860) - The Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1877) - Industrialism, War, and the Progressive Era (1877-1912) - Wilson and World War I (1912-1920) - The Roaring Twenties and Economic Collapse (1920-1929) - The Great Depression and the New Deal (1929-1941) - World War II and the Post-War Era (1941-1960) - The New Frontier, Vietnam, and Social Upheaval (1960-1972) - Watergate, Carter, and the New Conservatism (1972-2001) SCORING THE EXAM The multiple-choice section of the exam is scored by crediting each correct answer with one point and deducting one-fourth of a point for each incorrect answer. You will neither receive a credit nor suffer a deduction for unanswered questions. The free-response essays are graded by instructors and professors from across the country who come together each June for a week of non-stop AP essay grading. Each essay booklet is read and scored by several graders. Each grader provides a score for the individual essays. The DBQ is scored on a scale from 0 to 15, 0 being the lowest and 15 the highest. Each topic-based essay receives a score from 0 to 9. These scores are concealed so that each grader is unaware of the previous graders'' assessments. When the essays have been graded completely, the scores are averaged-one score for each essay-so that the free-response section generates three scores. The total weight of the free-response section is 50 percent of the total score. Your work in the multiple-choice section counts for the other 50 percent. Each year, grades fluctuate slightly because the grading scale is adjusted to take into account the performance of the total AP U.S. History test-taker population. When used with the corresponding chart, the scoring method we present here will strongly approximate the score you would receive if you were sitting for the actual AP U.S. History exam. SCORING THE MULTIPLE-CHOICE SECTION For the multiple-choice section, use this formula to calculate your raw score: Number right - (number wrong x 1/4) = raw score (round to the nearest whole number) SCORING THE FREE-RESPONSE SECTION For the free-response section, use this formula to calculate your raw score: DBQ + Essay #1 + Essay #2 + = raw score (round to the nearest whole number) You may want to give your essays three different grades, such as a 13, 10, and an 8, and then calculate your score three ways: as if you di