APUSH Final Review How to Study the Week Before Your Test

APUSH test coming up in a week? Although waiting until the last minute to start an APUSH final review is not recommended, there are still valuable studying strategies you can practice prior to testing. Our tips will help you review for APUSH even if you only have 7 days to prepare. With only 7 days left until testing, make the most of your APUSH final review. This means staying focused, and streamlining your studying to make the most of what time you have left. Remember: you aren’t learning new information, just reviewing content and key concepts taught throughout your APUSH course. APUSH Final Review: Getting Started As you only have one week to prepare, don’t let tiny historical details bog you down. Instead, focus your APUSH final review on the trends and big ideas that show up as recurring themes throughout history. Create a checklist of major APUSH themes Khan Academy provides an AP US History study sheet that covers all 7 historical themes for each of the APUSH 9 time periods. Your study sheet will help guide your final review, ensuring that you cover all material that could possibly show up on the exam. Use your checklist to actively monitor your progress and gauge your level of preparedness for your upcoming exam. For a complete course overview of the APUSH exam (including themes, time periods, testing guidelines) read AP College Board’s course description. Visit YouTube for video overviews of APUSH information Start with videos from Gilder Lehrman, Adam Norris or search for your favorite. Although the videos are only 7-10 minutes long, they comment on the main ideas found in each APUSH time period. As you watch, ask yourself: do I know the concepts covered in each of these videos? Do I recognize the terminology, vocabulary and main ideas? What content am I missing? Make a study schedule If you have a total of 7 days before your exam, aim to spend 5 days of more intense review, then 1 day of overall review. Save the last day for mental relaxation. You want to be rested and ready to take your test the following day! Each historical time period makes up a different percentage of the overall AP exam. Notice that Periods 1 and 9 each only represent 5% of the exam, while Periods 6-8 make up a combined 45% of the exam. Adjust your study time accordingly. A suggested outline is below. Although studying time periods out of order may be chronologically difficult, with only 7 days until your exam, it makes the most efficient use of your time. Day 1: Study Period 1 Period 9 Day 2: Study Periods 2-3 Day 3: Study Periods 4-5 Day 4: Study Periods 6-7 Day 5: Study Period 8 Day 6: Overall review day. Review chapter outlines chronologically. Use outlines as study sheets, revealing only the main idea for each section. You supply the rest from memory. Go over any concepts you continue to struggle with. Day 7:Day off. Relax, take it easy. Do some light exercise and eat well. Lay out testing materials before going to bed. Get a good night’s sleep. While studying, use the same study methods every day, or change it up a bit if study time starts to get a little boring. Some time periods are denser than others, so the time you spend studying may differ from one day to the next. Just make sure you set aside a couple hours every day for your APUSH final review. APUSH Final Review: Choosing Study Materials Methods There are quite literally thousands (if not more) study options available online. Find entire chapter outlines, quizzes on key concepts or vocabulary, or flashcard sets covering a wide range of APUSH information. You don’t have a lot of time before your test, so save experimentation for another AP class. Find your favorite method or studying strategy quickly, then stick with it! APUSH Final Review: Almost there! Seven days is not a long time, but if you stay focused and diligent, you can cover all the information you need in order to successfully pass the APUSH exam. For more tips and strategies visit our blogs at Magoosh!