How to Study for the AP World History: Modern Exam

With AP exams around the corner, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed or stressed, but don’t worry, Astudia’s here! In this blog post, we’ll focus specifically on study resources for the AP World History: Modern exam.

1. Heimler’s History

Heimler’s History is a great resource for the big picture. After studying all the nitty-gritty details, take a look at either his unit review videos, or focus on an individual subunit. I love to watch his videos to make sure I am on the right track, as the exam does not only focus on the content of 1200-2001 but also the major patterns, systems, and ways of order in the major periods of world history. He makes his reviews a bit humorous, so you might giggle during his videos. Lastly, he makes tutorials on how to ace the writing portion of the exam, either digitally or in person, by focusing on the LEQ, DBQ, and SAQ. If you need more practice, check out his AP World Cram Course, as he offers bonus content for the score you want to achieve.

2. College Board CED

For every AP exam, the College Board makes a large document overviewing the major topics of each unit, going over many of the “big-picture” concepts that were discussed earlier. Since this document was originally made for teachers, it focuses on broad topics, and then goes over an example to check understanding. If you’re taking the digital exam, concentrate on the learning objectives/overviews, as you can reword it to make it appear like an SAQ. It also goes over how the exam will be formatted, and what the weight of each unit is. For example, unit one, The Global Tapestry, covers only about 8-10% of the exam, while unit 3/4 covers about 12-15%. If you don’t have enough time to study the first two units of the test, the College Board indirectly states that it's better to pay attention to units 3-6. I like to use this resource to get an overview of the exam, and also checking the format of all the writing portions.

3. Crash Course

Crash course is one of my favorites, it’s funny, innovative , and most importantly, educational. It offers opposing viewpoints to different units, and sometimes goes into detail on wars and expansion. It does start at the old timestamp of course, so the beginning of time, but if you scroll down just a bit, you’ll see the start of unit one and two. There are graphics and visual representations of the units, using a platform called ThoughtBubble, which makes Crash Course videos even more fun to watch. If you’re looking for something that will start your review, consider Crash Course! At the end of the videos, they usually connect the content to current events for a bonus.

4. Princeton Review

Originally, I bought the Princeton Review just for content and tips for the course. At the beginning of the school year, I struggled with the multiple-choice questions, and the Princeton Review booklet helped me immensely. They would give overviews on each subunit, and then sum it all up in one page! With practice, I was able to better understand the format of the multiple-choice questions, which helped my comprehension and confidence! Throughout AP World History, the Princeton Review never left my side, and I will forever thank the writers for making the content understandable and at times, amusing. Definitely consider the Princeton Review if you’re struggling with the multiple-choice, as there are over 6 practice tests, along with LEQ, DBQ, and SEQ practice!

5. Anti-Social Studies

Anti-Social Studies is a youtube channel that is similar to Crash Course, but does “deep dive videos," where she analyzes a unit in history. She gives tips for the exam, writes DBQs to show you the format, and goes live to answer questions! She constricts the material to make it more “accessible” and provides resources on her website! She also makes TikToks that go over each period (1200-1450, 1450-1750, 1750-1900, 1900-present) that are both short and grasp at the big concepts. Every time I go on TikTok, I get an added bonus of learning something! Her website is antisocialstudies.org, and her Tik Tok is also antisocialstudies.

It’s okay to stress about the exam! But remember, there are over four weeks, and starting Monday, the 19th, the College Board will be going over each unit at 6:00 PM. You’re going to do great, I believe in you.