Summary
Highlights
Stimulus-based multiple-choice questions are a significant part of AP History exams, accounting for 40% of the total score. This video aims to provide strategies to approach these questions effectively across AP Euro, AP US, and AP World History exams.
You will have 55 minutes to answer 55 multiple-choice questions, which means approximately one minute per question. The test creators design questions with this time limit in mind, so quick reading to grasp the main idea (gist) is crucial, not deep analysis.
To save time and improve accuracy, follow this order: 1) Read the question first to know what to look for in the stimulus. 2) Read the attribution section of the stimulus, as it provides valuable information like the time period and involved entities. 3) Finally, read the stimulus quickly, marking anything relevant to the pre-read question.
Answer choices fall into three categories: two obviously wrong answers (often due to incorrect time period or historical thinking skill), a distractor (factually correct but doesn't answer the specific question), and the single right answer. The goal is to eliminate the wrong and distractor options.
Eliminating obviously wrong answers requires strong content knowledge and the ability to place concepts within their correct time periods. Mastering vocabulary and understanding chronology will make it easier to identify incorrect options that try to trick you with the wrong time frames.
Always answer all questions; blank circles receive no credit. Do not change your answer unless you are 100% sure the initial one was wrong—trust your gut. Finally, remember that you don't need a perfect score; achieving around 75% correct on the multiple-choice section typically puts you on track for a 5 on the overall AP exam.