Customer Reviews

Cracking the AP World History Exam, 2008 Edition (College Test Preparation)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I took the 2008 AP World History exam. To study for it, I read Kaplan's, Barron's, and Princeton Review's AP World History review. Of the three, I'd say Princeton Review offers the best history review. Kaplan's was skimpy, and Barron's was more of a textbook than a review. Not only is the Princeton Review book really organized, it also contains numerous compare and contrast essays (e.g. fall of Han empire compared to fall of Roman empire). The review is still lengthy, so this book may not be your best night-before-test cram. The practice tests more accurately reflect the actual test questions than most other prep books. The only downsides to this book are that it doesn't give you review questions at the end of each period and doesn't give you sample essay responses to the essay questions in the practice tests. I felt that the AP World History exam wasn't easy or hard. I just got my grade, a 5.

My 10th grade daughter, who is in AP classes in High School, told me her teacher highly suggested that his students buy this book, in prep for their AP World History exam. They use this book as a more in-depth study tool.
It explains things in an easier way for students to understand, while studying.
She says it has really helped her a lot.
I'm glad I bought this book, as I try to do whatever it takes to help my child advance in her studies.

This is the best review and APWH test preparation that exists!! You will enjoy the style and the voice of the author, and this review will not be dry or boring like your textbook may be ;-)... The sample tests are very similar to the real APWH exam, which is NOT true of any of the other review books. This is not to say that you should substitute this review book for studying your notes and reading your text, because that will not work well for you, but it is a great memory jogger and maybe a great way to help you understand the most important trends and relationships that your textbook covers in more depth. Buy it if you plan to take the AP Exam!!!

Last year I had an online AP World History course during first semester, and by the time May arrived, I had forgotten the small amount of history that I learned in the class. My friend and I skipped school about 5 days during the two weeks before the exam to study from the book, and I looked through it every night to review. We just received our scores from the 2008 exam today and she made a 4 while I made a 5! I simply learned the history in the book and emulated their advised test-taking strategy. This book is a must-have, and is far more interesting than your enormous World History textbook!

This book really helped me do well on the AP Test.I got a 4! It's concise and really amusing. It is a great alternative to reading from long and tedious college level textbooks with like 10 font. (Ugh...cornell notess...).I noticed that a lot of the information my teacher used when he lectured came directly from this book. I can not recommend this product more to any student who is or is going to be enrolled in an APWH course!!!

This review guide is helpful in summarizing the boring, detailed lectures and textbook reading from an adequate AP class. Granted, I had the best APWH teacher ever (there are times in life when you are actually blessed to get the dream teacher, thanks to him I got a 5) and he recommended the 5 Steps to a 5 (which I'd get just for the comparison charts), but he also took content from this study guide for some of his lectures.

I think its humor is indeed cheesy, but it's good enough to keep you interested.
All in all, a good summary, look for 5 Steps for those time period comparison charts! 5 Steps to a 5 AP World History, 2008-2009 Edition (5 Steps to a 5 on the Advanced Placement Examinations Series)

The product is amazing but it would be better if the shipping was faster. I don't appreciate having to wait a full month before getting the product.

I teach AP World History, and I require all of my students to purchase this book before class. No product can ever "crack" an AP examination, but as a supplemental study aide "nutshell," this one - and the one by Patrick Whelan - stand out. While not suitable for use in the classroom, it will provide students an invaluable study aide for not only the AP exam itself, but classroom examinations as well. However, since changes in this field have been coming quickly of late, I would use one that is not more than three (3) years old relative to the academic year in which the class is taken.

PLEASE NOTE: The College Board is changing the format of the AP World History class starting academic year 2011. This book, and others like it published prior to that date, will likely NOT be as helpful without major revisions. This is not to say that the practice examinations and the study nutshells will not be of use, but their usefulness in terms of exam preparation will likely be, of course, more limited.

I took the AP World last May. I mainly studied this book and 5 Steps to a 5. And guess what? I got a 5! Honestly, this book is good to study. It's detailed and organized well. However, the book lacks in actual AP World questions at the end of their sections. Therefore, you have to make sure you're paying attention at all times. The book has cheesy jokes to keep you alive though. Besides not having any practice questions, the tests in this book are nothing like the real thing. Princeton's tests are MUCH HARDER. I'd recommend both Princeton & 5 Steps to a 5, but if you can only choose one, go with 5 Steps to a 5. The book actually has practice questions and is closer to the real thing.

I'm a junior who took this test when I was a sophmore last year, and it helped a lot. It's almost a comical relief when my class read its titles of "Old Stuff" "Really Old Stuff" "Recent Stuff" as its titles as oppossed to those long, complicated things. And, I GOT A FOUR ON MY TEST. All thanks to this Bible.