A Quick Tune-Up

Knowing how to take an AP test may be as important as knowing what is on the test. Both are prerequisites for doing well.

On Monday’s AP American Government and Politics exam there will be two (2) sections.

The first section is Multiple Choice. You will have 45 minutes to complete 60 questions. Read carefully but keep moving. Pay particular attention to the critical vocabulary. An EXCEPT question means it is a True/False question.

The second section is Free Response. You will have 100 minutes to complete 4 questions. There will be no options here. These are NOT fully developed essays with thesis arguments and supporting points. They are short answer questions that need fully developed explanations and examples.

Do’s and Don’ts on the FRQs:

Do

1. Write as neatly as possible (without wasting time). You’ll get a better score if the reader can understand what you’re writing. If you make a mistake, simply draw a line through it and write the correct information above it. And, don’t use arrows or asterisk because they can be confusing to the readers.
   
   
2. Read the question. And then read it again. Think about what you’re going to write. Outline your answer. Make sure you’re only answering what has been asked. Do this in the answer space provided in the booklet.
   
   
3. Reread your work and make sure you’ve answered each question fully and correctly. Have you appropriately LINKED your answer to the question?
   
   
4. Leave yourself a few minutes at the end to revise or proofread your answers.
   
   
5. There is NO PENALTY for wrong information, therefore, write as much as you can. If a question asks for two examples, brainstorm and write as many as you can think.
   
   
6. At the very least, use the EXACT VOCABULARY from the question in each component of your answer. Most rubrics ask for linkage back to the question. This is the sure fire way to move in that direction.

Don’t

1. Don’t give personal opinions (like your political affiliation or whether you like the president’s policies). The Exam is testing your knowledge and understanding of the political process. Don’t waste time stating an opinion, unless you’re asked to do so.
   
   
2. Don’t give long, unnecessary introductions. Get to the point.
   
   
3. Don’t give information you weren’t asked for. You won’t get any extra points if you do. So don’t waste your time writing it.
   
   
4. Don’t spend more than 25 minutes on any one free-response question.
   
   
5. Don’t fall asleep. Fight the fatigue. Time generally is not a factor. Wasted time is. Spend the time that is provided. This is a high stakes exam, do not look back and think about how you wasted it because you were tired, bored, or indifferent.

In the end when Duty whispers, “You must.” Experience the satisfaction of answering, “I can.”