Doing well on the AP® US Government & Politics exam is difficult. The AP® US Government exam is one of the toughest AP® exams out there.
For some perspective: on the 2014 exam, only 11.9% of students scored a 5, with 12.4% scoring a 4, 26.5% scoring a 3, 24.6% scoring a 2 and another 24.6% scoring a 1. That means that almost half of all students taking the AP® US Government & Politics exam got a 1 or a 2.
But fear not: this comprehensive list of tips is designed to help you rock your AP® US Government exam. If you need extra help on AP® US Government, check out Albert’s study guide, or this article for the best AP® US Government review books. So check ‘em out—sit back, buckle in and prepare for that 5!
Answering AP® US Government & Politics Free Response Questions Tips
1. Read, read, read. Use your course books and supplementary texts. Just because you’ve done well in your course at school doesn’t mean you’ll remember important details when it comes time to take the AP® exam. So review your course materials as much as you can—and don’t skip readings during the year! You’ll find that the specifics contained in the text will help you fill in your free response question answers.
2. Practice, practice, practice. Take as many practice tests as possible. Topics, and variations on questions, are repeated year after year. Practice exams from the College Board are available here. Also, work with classmates. Grade their free response answers, and vice-versa. Familiarizing yourself with what the AP® graders are looking for will help you perfect your own answers come exam time.
3. Know the value of each question. The AP® US Government exam is broken into two sections—multiple-choice questions and free response questions. Each section is worth 50 percent of your exam grade. Within the free response section there are four questions; each question is worth 12.5% of your exam grade.
4. Know the scoring guidelines. The AP® graders are looking for two things—a thorough understanding of the material and a good argument. As far as your score goes, though, having an understanding of the material is slightly more important than having a good argument. Keep this in mind when you are writing your answers and check out the AP® grading rubric here to see exactly how your answer will be evaluated.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
5. Take a couple of minutes to brainstorm about the topic. Jot down what comes to mind. Then look over your ideas to see which go well together to serve as examples in your response to the question and to determine the order in which you will present them. This, in essence, is the outline for your response. You should use any organizational approach that makes sense to you as long as you respond to the question and all of its parts. Strong organization is to your advantage. Using the question structure as your guide is often a very good approach; think carefully before doing something more creative, as it makes it more difficult for you (and for the grader) to see that you have answered the entire question.
6. Be careful. Free-response is a bit misleading. You are not free to write about whatever you choose in response to a topic. You need to provide specific answers in response to each part of the question to do well. (And fortunately, within the individual questions you will often be given choices. For example, “choose one of the three court cases listed.”)
7. Remember that you’re not writing a five-paragraph essay. You do not need to write full introduction and conclusion paragraphs that repeat information you cover elsewhere. Stick to clear topic sentences and paragraphs responding to each section of the prompt and you will do well.
8. Use the prompt to your advantage. When structuring your answer, match each paragraph to each section in the prompt. Use the language in the prompt to provide a clear answer to the question you are asked. For example, if part of the prompt reads, “Identify two forms of participation in the political process other than voting,” then your corresponding paragraph should begin, “One form of participation in the political process other than voting is…”
9. Pay close attention to the vocabulary mentioned in the prompt. For example, in the sample language above, you are asked to name two forms of participation in the political process other than voting. Now, if the prompt begins, “Citizens often choose to participate in the political process in ways other than voting,” make sure you talk about the participation of citizens—not interest groups or political parties. Recognizing this key distinction will help you earn an additional point.
10. Know your terminology. As mentioned in the previous tip, the vocabulary mentioned in the prompt is key to answering the question correctly. But you will also need to be facile with AP® US Government & Politics terminology in order to provide full, knowledgeable answers to the free response questions. So review your flashcards or use this (AP® Study Notes) or visit Quizlet to help you review key AP® US Government vocab.
11. Don’t do an “info dump.”Don’t include long, involved random facts about specific concepts or political phenomena. Even if the information is correct, this will not get you extra points. You need to stick to salient, specific information that is directly related to the question asked and the point you’re trying to make.
12. Don’t get in over your head. Don’t use words and terminology that you don’t understand. Try to stick to facts and figures that you are comfortable with and confident in. If you start discussing topics that you aren’t facile with, you are prone to ramble and waste time writing stuff you won’t get any points for, anyway.
13. Pay close attention to essay prompts.The prompt vocabulary will tell you exactly what to do in your essay. Some common prompts are: 1. Evaluate or judge – discuss the value or wisdom of a belief or idea. 2. Analyze – evaluate each part of the whole systematically. 3. Identify – name something, typically members of a group. 4. Define – explain what something means. 5. Discuss – provide details and examples of something. 6. Describe – create a picture of something with details and examples. 7. Compare and contrast – point out similarities and differences. 8. Categorize – sort into groups based on traits or features. 9. Explain – tell how and why with reasons and examples. 10. Determine cause and effect – decide what leads to an event/circumstance and what results from this event/circumstance.
14. Keep your opinions to yourself. Because the AP® US Government & Politics exam deals with political issues—issues that you’re likely to have opinions on—it might be tempting to express your opinions in your answers. Don’t! The AP® graders aren’t interested in your position on campaign finance reform or whether or not you think the Electoral College should be abolished. The graders are only interested in concrete facts and figures about these questions—so do discuss the merits and drawbacks of the Electoral College if you are asked, but don’t advocate for its retention or repeal. Stick to fact-based analysis.
15. Pay close attention to dates and terms. If a question asks about the “modern presidency,” do not write about Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln. As you have learned, although the dynamics might be largely the same, the day-to-day realities of our political system have changed considerably since the Founding. The political realities President Obama faces are different than those President Washington faced—so, you won’t be asked to discuss campaign finance in the context of both of their presidencies, for example. Make sure you know the proper context for the issue you’re discussing.
16. Budget your time well. You should plan to budget 25 minutes for each question, for a total of 100 minutes, so that you do not have to rush on any question.For what it’s worth, AP® graders say one of the biggest mistakes that students make on the AP® US Government FRQs is spending too much time on one or two questions at the expense of the others, or becoming fatigued after three good answers and skipping the fourth.
17. Remember that writing too much can hurt your score. Your answer is judged based on whether or not you have accomplished your task—to define, identify, describe, or explain—as laid out in the question. You earn points for accomplishing the assigned tasks. There is no need to venture beyond the scope of the question. You will not earn extra points, and, because each question is scored independently, you will not be able to make up for a question you feel you did not answer well enough by overcompensating on another question.
18. No matter what, try to answer every question. You won’t lose points off your score for incorrect or incomplete answers, so it is in your best interest to answer as much as you can—even if you’re not sure your information is correct or don’t have enough time to provide a full answer. Particularly on the fourth, and final, free-response question, the graders are aware that you might be pressed for time and need to rush. Just write as much as you can, even if it is only a few sentences.
19. If you have extra time, check your work. This seems obvious, but there are ways to use your extra time most effectively. Most free response questions have multiple parts. First, make sure that you have answered each part of the question. Then, you can check for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. (Remember, these are less of a problem the better the content of your answer is.)
Answering AP® US Government & Politics Multiple-Choice Questions Tips
1. Know your material. As mentioned above, before the exam be sure to thoroughly review your course books and supplementary texts. Even though you’ve done well in your course at school doesn’t mean you’ll remember important details when it comes time to take the AP® exam. So review your course materials as much as you can—and don’t skip readings during the year.
2. Improve upon your weaknesses. As you review for the AP® US Government & Politics exam, take note of the sections or concepts that you have the most difficulty with. Drill these sections most intensely in the days before the exam. Have trouble differentiating between substantive and procedural rights? Make flashcards. Don’t quite understand how the Electoral College works? Neither do most American votes—check out some of the many videos on YouTube explaining its mechanisms.
3. Read the questions carefully. Circle, underline and highlight with your pencil as you read questions, with particular emphasis on the key details of the question and what, exactly, you are being asked. Look for words like not and except.
4. Don’t panic. If you start getting anxious, take slow deep breaths. Don’t worry about other people finishing early. The students who get 5s on their AP® exams know that they should use all of the available time to check and double-check their work.
5. Pace yourself. Calculate the amount of time you have to answer each question and avoid getting bogged down on any one question. A watch with a countdown timer can be very helpful for budgeting your time. You should also take a few minutes at the start of the test to scan through the questions, so you can know what to expect.
6. Know the different types of multiple-choice questions. They are: Definition or identification questions: these questions require you to recognize something and know what it means or signifies. 1. Cause-and-effect questions: how did one action or event lead to another? What was the result of a certain occurrence? 2. “Roman Numeral” questions: these questions provide a list of items, and you must decide which of the words, phrases or statements are correct. More than one list might be correct (e.g., “I, II and IV”). 3. Except or not questions: four statements or lists are correct, and one isn’t. Identify the incorrect answer. 4. Graphic questions: answer a question based on a map, chart, table, graph or picture. Be carefully to analyze the graphic carefully.
7. Know the structure of AP® exam multiple-choice questions. All AP® exam multiple-choice questions have the same structure: a stem and a set of alternative responses. Each alternative provides the completion of the sentence, but you must find the best possible answer. Think of the stem as an incomplete sentence or question and try to answer it before looking at the answer choices.
8. Eliminate answers that are obviously wrong by crossing them off. This will make it easier for you to choose among the remaining possible answers. When you are doing this, pay special attention to any qualifiers or absolutes that might rule out possible answers—for example, words such as all, never, every, always, and best often try to trick you into drawing the wrong conclusion.
9. Knock out the answers that are almost right. AP® graders know that some people will look at the question, have a quick think and look for the answer that’s in the ballpark. That’s why they include an answer choice that’s only half-right. Half-right answers are 100 percent wrong and it’s a trick answer included to fool you. Find the half-right answer and cross it out.
10. Look out for “all of the above.” Since it’s best to read all of the possible answers before answering the question, anyway, test “all of the above,” if it is an option, first. Statistically the mere inclusion of the option makes it more likely that the correct answer is, indeed, all of the answers.
11. When you are stuck between two questions, look more carefully at the wording. There is usually a qualifying word—such as not or except—that makes one answer better or another incorrect.
12. Understand the progressive difficulty of the multiple-choice questions. The easier questions tend to be at the beginning of the exam. However—all questions are worth the same amount. So don’t rush through the easy questions and accidentally get something wrong.
13. However, do answer the easiest questions first. Most tests arrange the questions in order of their difficulty, but sometimes you’ll find that later questions are easier for you. If you’re stuck on a question, move on to the next question (again, be sure you skip it on the answer sheet). You can always return to the question later. Sometimes returning to a question after answering other questions can give you the fresh perspective that you need.
14. Make sure to answer every question on the exam. The guessing penalty has been eliminated, meaning that you won’t hurt your score with a few wrong choices. But don’t guess right away. Leave the questions you don’t know until the end, so if you have free time, you can spend a bit more time thinking about them. Just make sure that you skip over the corresponding bubble on the answer sheet so that your entire series of responses isn’t thrown off.
15. Trust your instincts. Only change answers that you are absolutely sure were incorrect. Most of the time, your first instinct is correct—so in those close cases, err on the side of having been right the first time.
Tips by AP® US Government & Politics Teachers
1. Bring everything you might need to the exam—that you’re allowed. Mr. H at usgovteducatorsblog recommends bringing several pencils, pens and a wristwatch with you to the exam. He also recommends that you leave home 15-20 minutes earlier than usual on the day of the exam, so that you aren’t stressed out before you even arrive at school.
2. Use high quality erasers. If you change your mind about an answer and incorrect answer choices aren’t erased fully, you risk the computer reading both choices as bubbled in and marking your answer as incorrect. Mrs. J at Boulder High School recommends using high-polymer erasers to avoid this problem.
3. If you have the time, give more examples than you are asked to. Mr. H at usgovteducatorsblog says that, if you are asked to provide one example, give two. If you are asked to give two, give three if possible. This way, even if one of your examples is incorrect, it is still possible for you to score the maximum number of points on your free-response answer. The only exception to this advice is if you are asked something that only has one correct answer—here, giving two or more answers could cause you to lose points.
4. Don’t cram. Mr. K from Harvey Milk High recommends studying over an extended period of time, tackling one or two topics at a time, rather than studying everything in a one-or-two night rush. It might not be possible to set a leisurely study schedule right before the exam—particularly if you have other AP® exams to study for, too—so it is best that you begin preparing for the exam well in advance. Prepare throughout the year, developing an outline, flashcards and charts, so that you don’t have to do everything last minute. You will retain more information this way, and you will also be less stressed.
5. Read the newspaper and watch the news. Particularly on the AP® US Government & Politics exam, says Mrs. O from Taft High, your knowledge of current events and contemporary politics can come in handy. You’re allowed to use contemporary examples in your free response questions, so if you’re asked a question about how a bill becomes a law, don’t be afraid to talk about President Obama and the Affordable Care Act. Or if you’re asked about foreign policy—for example, presidents acting without Congressional authority in matters of war—don’t be afraid to talk about the recent airstrikes in Syria. Use knowledge—as long as you are sure of your facts—from wherever you can get it.
6. Make sure you nourish yourself. Mr. B. from Eagleton High recommends that you get at least eight hours of sleep the night before the exam, that you eat a healthy breakfast and that you bring a snack and bottle of water for the midpoint of the exam. Bring a sweater in case it is cold.
7. Also, Mr. B adds—don’t mess with your body on the day of the exam. Don’t drink more coffee than you usually do, start a new medication or take existing medications at a different time of the day. You want to have as much control over the way your body feels as possible. And it should feel good!
8. Specifically, avoid sugary foods and eat a high protein breakfast. Mrs. E from Winchester High says to stay away from sugary drinks on the morning of the exam, as these can cause fatigue later on. High-protein breakfasts like scrambled eggs are best for aiding concentration and minimizing fatigue.
9. Remember what you can’t bring to the exam. Don’t show up on exam day counting on being able to use things that you’re not allowed to. Some items that are not allowed in exam rooms include:
- Cell phones or other electronics
- School supplies not already specific like liquid paper or highlighters
- A computer
- Watches that make noise or have alarms
- Notes, books or scratch paper
- Portable listening devices—this includes your smartphone.
Thanks to Sabrina D. at Barnard for this tip.
10. Don’t start writing your free response question answers right off the bat. Mr. A from BC High reminds his students of the importance of outlining your answers. Remember to put your outline in the blue book—everything should go in the blue book—and to organize your answer in response to each specific part of the prompt. When you’re organized, you’re less likely to leave out important information or to write too much.
11. Know about important legislation. Ms. B from Canaan High recommends using these Quizlet flashcards from the AP® US History exam to drill your knowledge of important pieces of legislation. This is not because you will be questioned on the specifics of legislation, but because knowledge of key facts about major legislation will come in handy as details on free response questions. If you are asked a question about the legislative process, for example, you might want to include some details of, say, the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
12. Remember the presidents. Mr. S from Johnson High reminds students that they’re going to need to know about a few presidents to answer their free response questions. It would be helpful to know more than just the famous presidents like Washington and Lincoln and recent presidents such as Obama, Bush and Clinton. If you can cite some important information about, say, Woodrow Wilson on the exam in response to a question about presidential powers over foreign affairs, you’ll be closer to that perfect score. There’s a handy primer on presidents here.
13. Know the different Articles of the Constitution. They’re relatively simple, but Ms. K at Smith High notes that many of her students get them mixed up on exam day. Article I is about the legislative branch, Article II about the executive branch and Article III about the judicial branch. Remember that most of what governs the operations of these branches on a day-to-day basis is not in the Constitution but, rather, in legislation passed since the Founding.
14. The day before the exam, make a dry run. Mr. N from Des Moines Central says that if you can make the time, practice taking a three-plus-hour exam just prior to the AP® US Government & Politics exam. Just like a marathon runner should have already run close to a marathon in preparation for a race, you should be building the mental and physical stamina to stay fresh throughout the exam.
15. Do some memory drills. Mr. N adds that, if there are certain elements, concepts, functions, or words that you always forget, play some memory games before taking the test. You can use mnemonic devices (such as acronyms, always useful with legislation) to remember lists or to remember the main takeaways from Supreme Court cases.
16. Manage your time wisely during the course. Similar to the advice from Mr. K, Ms. Z at Viera High School says, “If studying and practice is done consistently, then the end-of-year cramming should be nonexistent. In fact, I really believe that small revisions at home every day after lectures in class is the best way to go, especially if students are balancing more than a few AP® classes.” Try to arrange your schedule at the beginning of the year to block out some time specifically for AP® US Government & Politics review—not just time to complete homework assignments, but to actually review the material.
17. Try different study methods. Ms. M at Wayzata High says don’t be afraid to try out new methods of studying or prepping for assignments, quizzes and exams. “I’d say successful AP® students are also flexible, trying multiple strategies for note- or test-taking in order to find the one that works for them. There is no one magic formula for success, and students have to be actively advocating for themselves with teachers and trying different approaches on their own until they find the one that works for them.”
Are you a teacher or student? Do you have an awesome tip? Let us know!
Ideally you have learned a lot from this list of AP® US Government & Politics tips. Remember to relax. Although the AP® US Government & Politics exam isn’t easy, it is one of the easiest to study for, since the concept of federalism extends throughout almost the entire course—if you understand the concept of the states and federal government operating independently as well as cooperatively, you will be able to understand and explain most of the ideas in the course. The other key piece of knowledge to have is the system of checks and balances—and here, don’t just think about the formal system of checks and balances in the Constitution, but also the ways that informal institutions—political parties, interest groups and the like—provide limits to each others’ power.
American government and politics is a system of divergent actors, interests and issues competing to shape policy and the role of government.
With these fundamental concepts in mind, you should be prepared to grab your books, review this list of tips, and be well on your way to a 5. Good luck.
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