What books and materials should I buy to self-study for the AP World History exam?

Question

My school doesn't offer this particular AP course, but I absolutely love history and have decided to self-study for it. I've heard it's the most difficult of the AP social studies exams, so I'd like as much as possible to read and do. Textbook reccomendations are especially welcome.

Answer 1

Get the Kaplan book. It gives you condensed notes on each of the five eras in World History that they test (8000 BCE to 600 CE, 600 CE to 1450 CE, 1450 CE to 1750 CE, 1750 CE to 1914 CE, and 1914 CE to the present) as well as review multiple choice questions for each section following the chapters. It also gives you two full-length practice tests.

I wouldn't read a textbook because there are too many details to know from a textbook.

Get the Kaplan, seriously. It helped me to understand World History and I ultimately scored a 5 on the 2008 AP World History test with its help.

Answer 2

I found Kaplan and Princeton Review books rather easy and vague. I recommend Barron's because although people complain that they give a bit too much information, that extra information could be squeezed into your essays as evidence, which adds to your final grade! Definitely Barron's. Challenging, easy to read, comprehensive.

Answer 3

The only thing you need to know is what year the Ferris Wheel was invented, and a lot about the Teutonic Knights.

Answer 4

I recommend The Princeton Review AP World History exam book. I was cramming like the day before the exam (I know, that was smart, right?). Anyways, there are really good reviews of the time periods broken up into 5 sections. I'm not even sure if I read up to anything christopher columbus-ish relatedness but the review of earlier history really helped me on the exam (because I learned it at the beginning of the school year and remembered nothing), and I ended up getting a 4.

So... the book has a really good review of the world's history that is easy to understand, plus practice tests and also advice on writing your dbq's and compare/contrast and other essays.

Sorry I don't remember what the name of the textbook I used for school was! :P But that book is really good for the actual exam.

Answer 5

I don't know about World History, but I took the AP U.S. History AP test this past year, and I can definitely reccommend a book to read since you love history that much!  I read "The American Pageant".  It's not like a normal history book, and is actually entertaining to read.  I don't even like history classes very much (sorry!), but I scored a 3 on the AP exam!!  I bet you could do well reading that book and taking that test!  Hope this helps!