How is it possible that I got a 3 on AP Euro?

Question

I honestly don't know how I got a 3. I attend one of the best high schools in the entire US, and throughout the entire year of AP Euro I was always the best student. I got over a 100% on almost every test, and I always did extremely well on my FRQs and DBQs. I think I was the best student in all of my teacher's AP Euro classes! When I took the AP test, I thought I did well on the multiple choice, but my essays weren't amazing. I can't except the fact that I got a 3....I don't see a possibility for that occurring! Since the test was extremely difficult this year, the curve was obviously lowered, so shouldn't I have done well? What should I do? Should I retake it next year....but I already have either 5 or 6 APs next year? What should I do? What did you guys get on your AP exam? HELP!

Answer 1

Don't listen to the snooty person above me.  I received a 3 as well and though I didn't think I did great on the MC, I thought the essays were extremely easy and thought I did great.  Very dissapointing.

Answer 2

Maybe your class didnt review enough

I got 5 on AP Calculus but my class was reviewing since the last week of February

Answer 3

i also took AP euro this past year as a sophomore in high school.

first of all, good for u for taking the ap exam, i couldnt even be bothered, along with a lot of other lazy people:) lol.

i cant really tell u what to do but all i can say is you wont do PERFECT EVERY TIME. maybe u were so nervous for your exam that your brain froze and your mind blanked?

next year try differennt study habits and such, and get a good nights sleep before taking the test.

hope i helped, good luck!!

Answer 4

I got a 4 on the test. I think the reason why you may have gotten a 3 is because my teacher always talked about how different the actual AP test was from the class. So even if you were an outstanding student in the class, maybe the test just didn't asses your abilities in understanding european history overall. I mean, the multiple choice was so broad; it didn't even begin to cover 1/3 of whatI learned in that class. And remember that the multiple choice is 55% of the score; if your essays weren't all that wonderful it could have severely dampened your chances at a higher score.

Honestly though, a 3 is a passing grade and you should be proud of it. And if you're taking 5/6 AP's next year, I wouldn't suggest studying for an AP test that you already passed. Considering the fact that you'll be taking a test for a class that you took last year, you just might end doing worse, not better. And obviously, with that many AP's coming up, you must be an exceptional student! I wouldn't stress the 3.

Answer 5

Well I got a 5 on BC calc and AP EURO my sophomore year... I am only takin 7 AP's next year and 4 senior year so I am not working that hard. Seems like I am just smarter that you. And i doubt you go to one of the best high schools in the world...

well u succk

Answer 6

hahahahaha

I hate high achievers like you

Behold the power of cramming!:

Calculus BC - 4

Eng. Literature - 5

Microeconomics - 5

Macroeconomics - 5

Govt & Pol - 5

Physics - 4

Chemistry - 3

US History - 5

World History - 3

Eng. Language - 5

Answer 7

It's obvious your teacher didn't review well enough.  I live in one of the worst school districts in one of the worst states for education in the nation (CO, I believe it was ranked 49 in education.)  Despite this, I got a five on the test, and I was a sophomore.  In this case, I believe it was your teacher who was at fault.  If you get an A in an AP class, you should get a 5, plain and simple.  I suggest that (unless your major is going to be related to history) you move on from this experience.  

A Few Things You Should Have Learned From This (plus some hints for the future):

1. Don't always rely on your teachers; it doesn't matter where they teach.

2. Be really interested in the topic and the class, even if you have to force yourself to love it.  I love European history.  I'm not even going to try to say that I could have received a 5 if I hated the subject.

3.  Study with friends.  I used to never do this, however I found out that it really helps out in the end.  Make sure to take everything you study, and make a joke out of it.  That way, as long as you continue to make references to the joke, you'll remember the pointless information you gathered.  With a bit of luck you can turn that information into a FRQ on steroids.

4.  Sing songs to yourself.  (This is how I remember all of the important dates...some of which gained me a couple of MCs).

5.  Don't be afraid to skip MCs.  This can really save you in the long run.

6.  Try to remember random information during the day.  If you can't remember it, I guarantee it will bug you until you look it up, and afterwards you'll remember it.  (This is how I remembered Catherine the Great's Instruction and the Pugachev Rebellion...these two details saved my butt).

7.  Don't just know information, connect it with other details in history.  Make an outline from memory if you have to.  This is by far the most important skill for the essays.

8.  Wikipedia!  I know, I know, every teacher despises this website, but they aren't the ones taking the test, are they?  I guarantee looking up random pages of European history on Wikipedia, and then following random links to other pages (Wikipedia surfing) will help you catch some details you never would have known about otherwise.

Anyways, moral of the story: Don't trust your teachers for everything.  Find it out yourself.  I am so sorry your teacher didn't prepare you well enough, but it would be better if you just moved on now.

Answer 8

The test was the same as always. Did you do practice tests and do well?

Even at good schools, there are plenty of teachers who don't teach to the test because it really limits what you're teaching and where class discussions go. The top high schools in the Country are abandoning AP classes for this reason.

Another consideration is grade inflation which is rampant. Kids with straight As in honors and APs who get crummy SAT and AP scores are numerous.

Answer 9

easy-ur multiple choice prolly wasn't as good as u though and if ur essays weren't written well its very possible to get a 3.  sry but yea.  dont retake.....i dont even think you can.  what i would do is take the SAT2 for euro if there is one.  i haven't gotten my scores yet but im nervous too.

Answer 10

If you can't write good essays, there really is no way that you can get higher than a 3.

I took the AP Euro test this year, and I got a 5.  I don't write fantastic DBQ's (usually score of 6/9), but I write my FRQ's very well (usually score of 8/9).  The MCQ on the test was a bit difficult, and I think I got only around 50/80, so you're right- the curve was probably lowered.

You have to realize that even if you somehow got 80/80 on the MCQ, you still couldn't have done very well unless you wrote very good essays.  The FRQ's were difficult this year - if you didn't know the subject, you couldn't even bs your way through it.  I'm not sure if you can even retake it next year, but I higher advise against it.  Just forget about it and move on; colleges like to see improvement.  

But for me personally, what I did was do EXTREME multiple choice studying the last two weeks before the test.  I bought and borrowed 4 review guides: REA, Barron's, Princeton Review, and McGraw Hill's 5 steps to a 5.  I practiced until I could consistently get 60/80.  My teacher gives a lot of essay tests throughout the year, so I'm sure that I aced those two FRQ's and the DBQ.   Your preparation depends on your teacher, not the school.  I also go to a "top 10" (as ranked by Newsweek and U.S. World News& Report) school, but that doesn't really mean anything.  I was also one of the top students in my class, but that doesn't transfer over to AP scores, either.

Again - don't worry about it!  Just try to practice writing essays more often.

Answer 11

theres no excuse you just didnt do as good, accept it, move on, and take it again if you want

Answer 12

its out of 4 i think