Customer Reviews

Cracking the AP U.S. Government & Politics Exam, 2009 Edition (College Test Preparation)

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I am currently preparing for the AP exam, and the Princeton Review gives a good summary of the information. The practice exams, however, are not that great. I recommend reading this book but using Collegeboard's practice exams.

I had 5 other AP classes that semester and AP GOV't class quickly became a
place to finish up homework in other classes. I barely payed any attention to lectures and honestly never really got time to read the book. I became concerned when second semester rolled along and the AP Exams were looming. I got the Princeton Review book and basically read the whole book through in about a week before the exam. I learned a semester's worth of information in about 3-4 hours. Trust me it's possible, the AP exam can test you on only so much. You don't have to religiously memorize this book but you have to know the book quite well. The test was notoriously easy and I got a 5 - end of story. As long as you come just a step short of memorizing this book, you WILL get a five - even if you never paid attention in class. Don't tell me that this book is not enough - it's written by the chief AP Grader for crying out loud - it gives you just exactly what you need to know, nothing more - don't go with Barrons and spare yourself extra time and effort.

I had an amazing AP Government teacher, so I bought this as a supplement. I had many other AP Classes, for them I purchased 5 steps to a 5 series, but with this one I chose Princeton Review because it had been updated in 2009, or something and The 5 steps to a 5 hadn't been updates since 2007 or something like that. I read though this book very lightly for a week before test, I did get to read though all of it. It made me feel more comfortable. The Ap Government test was an easier test, but I only scored a 2 0n it, I was extremely shocked I felt as if I had did very good. I think if I wouldn't have answer so many of the questions I would have done better. Overall it was an OK book but I would suggest 5 steps to a 5 series.

As someone with a Ph.D. in political science, who has taught it for 10 years at the collegiate level, and who has graded AP American government exams, here's the trick. Simply use the key words in the question within your answer, and you are guaranteed at least one point out of the 5. Seriously. You don't even have to know what the word means or correctly define the word in the question. I was amazed when I was grading an exam and when the student writer used the word from the question incorrectly (and didn't even know what he was talking about), I gave it a zero. My "leader" read the exam and said, no, the student used the word (merely copied it) and so the student got a point. I pointed out that the student CLEARLY did not know the meaning of the word ("electioneering") but the leader overruled me. After that experience (and numerous other stories from other graders), I will never grade AP government exams again. And when students at my college say "I have a 3 on my AP exam," I strongly encourage them to take the class and really learn the material this time.