🌍AP World History: Modern Review
How Do I Self-Study AP World History?
How Do I Self-Study AP World History?
Hello, and welcome! If you've stumbled across this guide, you are probably trying to decide if you should self-study AP World History or are considering studying it as a homeschooler. Don't worry if you're having trouble making a decision! This guide will not only help you make the right choice, but it will also provide you with resources and tips to help the studying process along the way 📓
Pros and Cons ⚖️
| Pros✅ | Cons❌ |
|---|---|
| interaction with teacher not necessary for completion of course | complex exam format requires a lot of practice |
| no need for specialized materials or equipment | quite a bit of knowledge to retain by yourself |
| wealth of resources in most mediums for whatever works best for you | hard to find best resources |
| might have already learned some of course material in other history classes | hard to find motivation if you don't enjoy learning history |
The Course And Exam Description (CED) 😱
For every AP course, the College Board publishes a comprehensive guide of the course called the Course and Exam Description (CED), which outlines the course content and the exam. The College Board's current AP World History: Modern Course and Exam Description (CED) organizes the course into 9 units, each broken into specific topics. The Course at a Glance section is a great place to start if you want an overview of the course and exam.
Other helpful information in the CED includes a detailed breakdown of the content in each topic, as well as information on the format of the exam.
For AP World History: Modern, you should study the full course framework in the CED, because the exam can assess content and skills from across all 9 units—though some units are weighted more heavily than others. However, some units have more content on the exam than others, so it is important to realize which units should be studied more than others:
Unit Weighting
| Unit | Dates | Weight on Exam |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Global Tapestry | 1200-1450 | 8-10% |
| 2. Networks of Exchange | 1200-1450 | 8-10% |
| 3: Land-Based Empires | 1450-1750 | 12-15% |
| 4. Transoceanic Interconnections | 1450-1750 | 12-15% |
| 5. Revolutions | 1750-1900 | 12-15% |
| 6. Consequences of Industrialization | 1750-1900 | 12-15% |
| 7. Global Conflict | 1900-present | 8-10% |
| 8. Cold War and Decolonization | 1900-present | 8-10% |
| 9. Globalization | 1900-present | 8-10% |
Study Schedule/Organization 📆
One of the best ways to stay on track while self-studying an AP course is to create a self-schedule. In terms of WHAP, the best way to create a schedule is to split your course material into chunks, then divide the time you have until you would like to be ready for the exam by the number of chunks you have.
Ways to Learn 🤔
Because you are self-studying, you get the advantage of learning however you want. Here are some possible ways that you could self-study WHAP:
Don't be afraid to try a bunch of these out, especially if they are free, to see what works best for you. Because you don't have to worry about grades or your GPA, do what truly makes you learn best!
- Textbook: If your school offers WHAP, you can find out what textbook that class is using and try it. You could look at our guide of WHAP Textbooks and Prep Books [forthcoming], and choose one of those.
- Prep Books: Again referring to our guide, you can use a prep book to help prepare for the exam by using its test prep resources.
- Videos: There are many great history video series out there, with some, such as Crash Course, focusing more on just history, but others, such as Heimler's History, are more specific to the AP course.
Practice Tests 📝
The AP World History: Modern exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long. Section I includes 55 multiple-choice questions in 55 minutes and 3 short-answer questions in 40 minutes. Section II includes 1 document-based question in 60 minutes (including a 15-minute reading period) and 1 long essay in 40 minutes. Self-studying students should prepare for both content knowledge and the full range of AP World History skills: identifying and explaining historical developments and processes; analyzing sourcing and historical situation; identifying and evaluating claims and evidence in sources; contextualization; comparison; causation; continuity and change over time; and building historically defensible arguments with specific evidence.
One of the most important parts of WHAP is taking practice tests. Official AP World History multiple-choice practice is more limited for students than FRQ practice. Publicly available official FRQ prompts are posted on the College Board website, while additional official multiple-choice practice may be available through your teacher or school in AP Classroom. If your school has an AP World History teacher, you can ask whether they are able to share any official practice resources or give you access to AP Classroom materials.
Most prep books and textbooks also contain practice multiple-choice questions. For official College Board practice, use released free-response questions on the College Board website and, if possible, AP Classroom materials provided through a teacher or school; the CED is mainly for course and exam information, though it may include a small number of sample questions.
Once you find some practice materials, whether they are official College Board or from a book, complete them while simulating the conditions of an actual test—the more you prepare like the test, the more comfortable you will be for the actual exam.
Taking the Test ✍️
Broadly speaking, taking the test will fall into one of two categories: either your school offers the exam, or it doesn't. If your school offers the exam, speak with your counselor, and see how you can register for the exam without being in the class.
If you cannot take the WHAP exam at your school, research nearby schools and contact them to see if you can take the exam there.
Pep Talk 📣
WHAP isn't an easy class. It may seem like you just can't learn it all in time, and that's completely okay; it's okay to be worried. Just take a deep breath, step away for a moment, and you'll get through it.
You got this 🎉