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How you use this book will affect your score on the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam.

The AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam tests your knowledge of politics and government.

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circle your goal score for the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam if you have one in mind. Circle all the things that apply to you.

There is a general overview of the test.

This book is organized so that you can use it in whatever way you please, so that you can improve your score on the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam.

With your strengths and weaknesses nailed down, you can focus on your test preparation, build a study plan, and be efficient with your time.

If you missed Practice Test 1, we recommend that you do all three so that you can compare your progress. If you get a certain type of question wrong, you probably need to review it. If you only got it wrong once, you may have run out of time. This will allow you to focus on the factors that caused the discrepancy in scores and to be as prepared as possible on the day of the test.

Some parts of the book may be used over others, or you may work through the entire book. This is dependent on how much time you have. Let's look at how to make this determination.

We recommend that you take a practice test before you use the book. The test will give you an insight into your strengths and weaknesses, as well as help you make an effective study plan. It's not how well you do that matters, but how you use the information gleaned from your performance to guide your preparation.

Each of the practice tests has a scoring sheet.

These are only meant to be a rough guideline. AP exam scores are weighted according to a statistical process that varies every year based on how students perform on the exam

Count how many multiplechoice questions you answered correctly and how many you missed, using the answer key on this page. Don't worry about why you missed the questions, and don't worry about the explanations.

Circle the content areas that were most challenging for you and draw a line through the ones in which you were confident and did well.

Information on how the test is structured and scored will be provided in Part III. The areas that are tested will be explained.

Re-examining your answers as you read Part III. At the end of Part III, you will be able to refine your answers to the questions on the previous page. If you use the answer key to identify where you missed the most questions, it will give you a good place to begin your review. You can use this book most effectively if you make a study plan based on your needs and available time.

If you use the book intentionally, you will get more out of it than if you just read it.

The strategy chapters will help you think about the questions on the exam. Part IV will open with a reminder to think about how you approach questions now and then close with a reflection section asking you to think about how you will change your approach in the future.

The level of detail you need to know and how your knowledge of the content is tested are included in the content chapters. You will be able to assess your mastery of each chapter through test-appropriate questions and a reflection section at the end.

You should take Practice Test 2 if you feel you have developed the strategies you need and gained the knowledge you don't. In one sitting, follow the instructions at the beginning of the test.

When you are done, check your answers to the multiple-choice section with the correct responses on this page. If a teacher will read your essays and give feedback, that's great.

If you haven't taken the test yet, you should revisit the chapters in the book that address the deficiencies. As you complete your content review, you can use the practice tests that you have on hand to prepare. There are two more practice tests online for Parts VI and VII.

The official AP Students website has a wealth of information, as discussed in Part III. You can continue to explore areas to improve upon and engage with right up until the day of the test. If you've followed our recommended approach, you'll have a total of three practice tests left at this point (two in the book, two online), and you should use a mix of web resources and book review to solidify your understanding of any questions or subjects that you keep getting wrong

The site includes course details straight from the horse's mouth, as well as links to.gov resources that provide primary source information on the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the various branches of government.

Section I contains 55 multiple-choice questions.

No credit will be given for anything written in the exam booklet, but you can use it for notes or scratch work. After you have decided which of the suggested answers is the best, fill in the corresponding oval on the answer sheet. Give a single answer to each question. If you change an answer, make sure the previous mark is erased completely. Here is an answer to a question.

Use your time effectively, working as quickly as you can. Don't spend a lot of time on one question. If you have time, you can come back to the questions you have not answered. Everyone will not know the answers to all the multiple-choice questions.

Many candidates wonder if they should guess the answers to the questions. Multiple-choice scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly. Incorrect answers and unanswered questions are not deducted for points. You are encouraged to answer all multiple-choice questions because points are not deducted for incorrect answers.

If you don't know the answer to a question, you should eliminate as many choices as you can, and then pick the best answer.

Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by four suggested answers or completions. Pick the one that is best in each case and fill in the corresponding oval on the answer sheet.

The sources are Senate.gov and Congress.gov.

One of the strengths of our free society is that any American can reach that conclusion and advocate that point of view.

If I allowed the policy of this Nation to be dictated by the minority who hold that point of view and who try to impose it on the Nation, I would not be faithful to my oath of office.

The policy of this nation has been made under our Constitution for almost 200 years by those in Congress and the White House who were elected by the people. The Nation has no future as a free society if a vocal minority prevails over reason and the will of the majority.

There can be no liberty if the legislative and executive powers are in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates.

If the judiciary power is not separated from the legislative and executive, there is no liberty. The life and liberty of the subject would be exposed to arbitrary control if it were joined with the legislative. The judge could act with violence and oppression if it were joined to the executive power.

There would be an end to everything, the same man, the same body, and the same powers, that of the nobles and the people.

Montesquieu's ideas were expanded by James Madison when he wrote Federalist No.

No third-party candidate won more than 5% of the popular vote.

Federalism is a principle of government in which power is shared between the national government and the state governments, and individual liberties are guaranteed by a Bill of Rights.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association of Women Lawyers, and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization opposed Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court.

Smith had a platform of political efficacy.

The government should ensure equality of opportunity.

If you finish before time is called, you can check your work on this section.

Don't go on to section 2 until you are told to do so.

It is suggested that you take a few minutes to plan and outline each answer. It is suggested that you spend about 20 minutes each on the first, second, third, and fourth questions.

If directions don't say so, respond to all four questions.

Current and former executives with the pharmaceutical distributors that are accused of flooding communities with powerful prescription painkillers have been summoned to testify before Congress.

Drug executives will testify before Congress.

After reading the scenario, respond to A, B, and C below: (a) describe a power Congress could use to address the comments outlined in the scenario.

The questions can be answered using the following graphic.

In the summer of 1964, Clarence Brandenburg, an Ohio resident and KKK leader, organized a Klan rally where he and other Klan members preached hate against African Americans, Jewish Americans, and the U.S. government. He was charged with advocating violence in Ohio after making calls for a KKK march.

The civil rights of minorities and historically repressed groups have been ensured by the three forms of action taken by the federal government.

There must be at least one piece of evidence from one of the documents.

The graph shows how many people watched the State of the Union address. Some addresses given by Republican presidents were watched more by Americans than addresses given by Democratic presidents. Since 1993, the number of viewers has gone up and down. During the economic recession of the early 1990s and late 2000s, choice can be eliminated. In the early years of a presidency, Americans are more likely to tune in to the State of the Union.

Millions of Americans still watch the State of the Union address, so choice can be eliminated. As the smallest number of viewers watch a president's final two State of the Union addresses, choice can be eliminated. The president can use the State of the Union as a way to measure the public's reaction to policy goals.

The answer is correct because the president's best chance to connect with Americans is when the highest number of viewers tune in to his first State of the Union.

Between 1945 and 2016 the number of bills passed by Congress was compared with the number of presidential vetoes. The number of vetoes fell throughout the first half of the 1990s before bouncing back. The two lines in the graph touch do not represent the same number, so choice can be eliminated. Choice can be eliminated if it describes a relationship that is different from what the graph depicts. The graph supports the statement.

The graph doesn't give any information about Republican presidents' policies. Although the number of bills passed by Congress decreased over time, Congress still passed tens of thousands of bills into law. The graph does not show the popularity of Republican presidents. During the tenure of Republican presidents, Congress issued more vetoes than it did during the tenure of Democratic ones.

The National Security Agency is depicted in a cartoon. As the cartoon shows the committing of an act beyond the scope of responsibilities, choice can be eliminated. The citizens in the cartoon are aware of the actions of the National Security Agency. The cartoon does not portray the stopping of the surveillance. The "civil liberties" in the Constitution are damaged by spying on American citizens.

The cartoon does not depict American soldiers. Neither of the American citizens depicted in the cartoon are on trial. The American citizens depicted in the cartoon are not being punished for a crime. Recording Americans' conversations without a warrant violates the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable search and seizure.

The table shows voter turnout in states with and without voter ID laws. White voter turnout does not decrease in states with voter ID laws. White Americans turn out in lower numbers than mixed race voters. Asian Americans vote in less numbers than black Americans. Minority voter turnout is less in states with voter ID laws.

Voting ID laws don't affect the voting patterns of white Americans. The graph does not provide information regarding fraudulent voting. The graph doesn't make the argument that choice is incorrect. The only valid argument an opponent could make is that voter ID laws negatively affect groups that the Voting Rights Act was passed to protect.

The table shows Americans' opinions on gun control based on sex and region. The difference in opinion is only 10%. The difference in opinion is 25%. The difference in opinion is 25%. The difference in opinion is 39%.

The graph doesn't provide information about the number of guns in the United States. The opinions of women on gun control are not the same throughout the country. The survey didn't ask Americans about the steps Congress should take. Each region has a different opinion about gun control.

President Nixon's opinion of Americans protesting the Vietnam War was conveyed in the quote. Nixon praises the First Amendment. Nixon does not directly or indirectly make this assertion.

Nixon doesn't make a connection between the protestors and America's military effort in Vietnam. Nixon made the point that a small but loud interest group will not influence American policy regarding the war.

Nixon talks about the protesters in the third person, so choice can be eliminated. Nixon does not address his reelection campaign. Nixon does not directly address the war effort.

Americans still support the war effort.

Nixon describes the protesters' beliefs in the first sentence. Nixon does not pander to the protesters in his speech. Despite Nixon's claim, choice is incorrect as it is not the protesters' intention. The protesters want the government to end the war and bring the troops home.

He addresses the dangers of combining legislative and executive power in the same person. Montesquieu does not speak of international relations.

The passage does not address people's reaction to tyranny.

In a nation where the executive and legislative branches are the same person or group, there can be no liberty.

The proposed draft of the Constitution had already been written by Madison.

Madison doesn't propose a way to separate government power from that in the Constitution. Madison did not compare different governments from history.

The legislative and executive branches cooperated on the passage of theAffordable Care Act. The scenario only deals with the Executive Branch. The scenario does not describe conflict or cooperation between the two branches of government. The impeachment of President Clinton in 1998 is an example of the Legislative Branch checking the power of the Executive Branch.

Montesquieu does not discuss how the separation of powers affects the speed at which a government operates. Montesquieu does not mention this idea in his text. Montesquieu's main point is that choice is incorrect. Conflict between branches of government shows that no one group has complete control of the government.

The table shows the level of education and gender of the respondents. The women with only a grade school education are the most reliable Democratic voters. As the opposite is true, choice is incorrect. Choice is incorrect as the opposite is true. As a result, 13% of women who have completed grade school and 13% of men who have completed high school identify as Republicans.

Democrats support less military intervention abroad. Democrats support abortion rights. Democrats support lighter sentences for drug users. Democrats support expanding social welfare programs.

The popular vote for the presidential elections between 2000 and 2012 is shown in the charts. The preferences of independents do not align with the popular vote.

The chart doesn't report on the campaign practices of politicians running for president.

From 2000 to 2012 no viable third party candidate attracted more than 5% of the popular vote.

Independents did not support the incumbent president running for reelection in 2004.

The chart doesn't describe the candidates' strengths during the elections.

No other party candidate gained more than 5% of the vote. The chart doesn't give information about changes in election law.

Independents voted the way they did because they had no other choice besides the Democratic or Republican candidate.

The table shows the sex and age of registered voters in the United States. The actual number is closer to 20,000,000 because the data is presented in thousands. As men and women age, Choice is incorrect as the number of registered voters rises and falls. Data regarding the lifespans of men and women is not provided in the chart.

American women are more likely to vote than American men.

Choice is incorrect as people get older. Male registered voters between the ages of 18 and 24 are not the largest voting block. The graph does not show information regarding legal barriers to voting. As a result, (C) is correct, as the data shows that a large number of Americans eligible to vote in presidential elections have not registered.

The role of the federal government was argued about in a series of writings known as the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers. The failures of the Articles of Confederation show the limitations of a unitary legislative branch. Slavery was supported by Anti-Federalists from agricultural areas. AntiFederalists favored a small republic. The power of the federal government should supersede that of the state governments according to the primary tenant of the Federalist beliefs.

Congress has the power to regulate interstate and foreign trade. Choices (B, C, and D) all deal with businesses that only work in one state. If a French bakery wants to export its goods to the United States, Congress can regulate their import through the commerce clause.

The framework for Federalism in the United States was laid out by the Constitution. States don't have equal representation in the House of Representatives. Federalism does not deal with individual liberty. The separation of powers deals with the relationship between the three branches of the federal government, not the relationship between the states and the federal government. It accurately describes the principle of federalism.

There are regulations surrounding who is eligible to vote in an election. The president has no role in this process.

Choice (B) is incorrect because Congress does not have the power to determine voter eligibility.

The Supreme Court can only interpret the constitutionality of laws regarding voter eligibility, not create them. The Constitution allows states to set voter eligibility requirements as long as they don't violate it.

The establishment clause prevents the federal government from recognizing a state religion, and the freeexercise clause allows Americans to observe their own religion. The scenario does not involve either clause, so choice is incorrect. Religious institutions can lose their tax-exempt status if choice is incorrect. The scenario does not involve either clause, so choice is incorrect.

The public school can't force students to pray, but they still have the right to do so on their own.

"Separate but equal" refers to a Supreme Court ruling that held up state-sponsored segregation in the American South after the Civil War.

The law would interfere with private property. Conservatives might see choice as an attempt to redefine gender.

Choice is incorrect as it would be seen as an interference with citizens' Second Amendment rights.

Conservatives support a strong military.

Dramatic life events can change people's political views if they happen to be young.

Life-changing events include Choices, B, and C.

Even if the new television channel had a different political viewpoint, (D) would have the least effect on someone's political preferences.

Billions of dollars have been raised by political action committees to influence elections in the United States. Political committees cannot donate directly to political candidates. The FEC does regulate political action committees. As political action committees raise money to support state and local candidates, Choice is incorrect. (D) is correct as the PACs try to influence elections.

Liberal groups tried to block the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Choice is incorrect as realignment refers to a group changing its beliefs. The groups did not exchange favors. These groups were committed to the cause of blocking Alito. As a result, the groups built a united coalition of resistance against the confirmation of Alito to the Supreme Court.

The responsibilities and powers of the House of Representatives and Senate are outlined in the Constitution. All revenue bills have to originate in the House. As the opposite is true, choice is incorrect.

The House Committee on Ways and Means is responsible for creating revenue bills, a task delegated to them by the Constitution.

As the scenario takes place within the federal government, choice can be eliminated. The scenario involves only the actions of the federal government, so choice can be eliminated. Private businesses don't represent their states so choice can be eliminated. The scenario includes both the state and federal governments working together.

The federal government's most powerful lawyer is the attorney general. The attorney general is not a member of Congress so choice can be eliminated. As the secretary of state leads the State Department, choice can be eliminated. The JAG Corps are a branch of the military and not the civilian government, so choice can be eliminated.

The attorney general leads the Department of Justice.

Two or more politicians exchanging political favors is called logrolling. Choice involves only one politician. The scenario refers to gerrymander. The scenario refers to pork-barrel spending. As the scenario accurately describes logrolling, (D) is correct.

The Voting Rights Act strengthened voting rights in the United States. As long as voter identification requirements don't violate the Constitution, states still have the power to establish them. The law banned literacy tests. The Twenty-sixth Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Since the law's passage, millions of minority voters have been able to vote.

The court case did not have to do with the issue of African Americans' citizenship. The case did not deal with states' representation in Congress. The case was not about compensation for slavery, but about school access. The Supreme Court ruled that segregation violated the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection.

The ruling did not affect the government's right to file a lawsuit. The ruling did not change the process of obtaining a restraining order. The Supreme Court can't interfere with what the Executive or Legislative Branches classify as Top Secret. The Supreme Court struck down the concept of "prior restraint," the government suppressing news stories.

The public's trust in their government and a belief that their voices are heard by those in power are referred to as political efficacy. Special interest groups are not political institutions. This scenario does not involve the public so choice can be eliminated.

As Senator Smith is persuading voters on an issue, choice can be eliminated.

The definition of political efficacy is correct.

Americans get their news from a lot of different sources.

As interviews reveal the beliefs of political candidates, choice can be eliminated. Journalists protecting sources has been a journalistic practice for a long time. As all media sources summarize the day's news events, choice can be eliminated. Reporting only one point of view can have the effect of decreasing political knowledge and politically radicalizing consumers.

The first attempt by America's founding fathers to bind the states together was in the Articles of Confederation. The writing of the Constitution was the result of its failures and limitations. The statements for each choice would need to be changed for them to be correct, so Choices A, C, and D can be eliminated. The Articles of Confederation set terms limits for members of Congress. There are no limits in the Constitution.

The FEC and SEC are two of the most important regulatory agencies in the Executive Branch. As the EPA oversees environmental protections, choice is incorrect. The Justice Department enforces civil rights legislation. The nation is protected against external threats by the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Education sets educational policy at the federal level. As a result, the FEC enforces campaign finance law and the SEC promotes an orderly and fair stock market.

The Civil Rights Act of 1965, which Choice is incorrect, forbade literacy tests to vote.

There is no rule on how old an elector must be. The popular vote doesn't always coincide with the winner of a presidential election. Voters don't have to follow rules regarding who to vote for; electors have rules regarding voting and can face fines or other consequences in their home states if their vote doesn't reflect the popular vote. The electoral college makes the final determination of who becomes president as presidential candidates appeal directly to voters.

The United States has a large gap between conservative and liberal political beliefs. Liberals don't favor longer sentences for criminals. As the statement would need to be changed to be correct, choice can be eliminated. Conservatives do not favor expansion of immigration. Conservatives believe in limited regulation of business and liberals support gay marriage.

The actions of citizens and the government have an influence on the prevailing belief in the government's role in Americans' daily lives. Choices B and C are incorrect because they suggest a Communist form of government. Americans' civil liberties and the government's respect for civil rights suggest that the government should ensure equality of opportunity.

Political action committees play a significant role in electing candidates. Choices (A, C, and D) are legal activities that interest groups perform. As a result, (B) is correct.

Political parties use primaries to find their best candidate for the general election. In the general election, voters cast their votes at the ballot box. A caucus is a different method of selecting a candidate than choice. The results of an open primary are binding.

Open primaries do not require that voters be allowed to register on the day of the primary.

Any registered voter can participate in an open primary, but only voters registered with a specific political party can participate in a closed primary.

Congress lost power as a result of the Court's ruling. The Court's ruling did not change federalism between the federal government and states. It is incorrect that states have the right to pass gun control legislation that does not violate the Second Amendment. The Court ruled that Congress couldn't use the commerce clause to justify gun control legislation on a national level.

Congress has implied powers that it uses to accomplish its expressed powers under the "necessary and proper" clause. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect as they all have the same powers. Oversight of executive branch agencies is not an expressed power in the Constitution.

There are specific rules about how a president may or may not approve a bill. The Supreme Court ruled that line-item vetoes were unconstitutional in the mid 1990s, so choice is incorrect. "adjournment" is a term used in a jury trial. A pocket veto refers to how a president's inaction on a passed bill can have the same effect as a regular veto; in recent years, Congress never takes a recess within ten days of passing a bill to make it impossible for a president to veto it.

A political party tries to change a state's congressional districts to their advantage.

The choice is incorrect due to the reduction of voters' influence in elections. Choice is incorrect as it is not clear if the intent is to reduce the importance of the minority vote or not.

gerrymandered districts are not all the same size. The purpose of gerrymander is to reduce the influence of the opposition party in elections by isolating them into a single district.

The first attempt to bind the states together was made in the Articles of Confederation. The creation of the Constitution was due to many flaws. Choices can be eliminated as they were incorporated into the Constitution. Preapproving Canada for statehood did not affect how the federal government and states interacted. Multiple sets of laws slowed down commerce between the states, which weakened the nation as a whole.

If you don't answer all the questions in 1 hour and 40 minutes, you won't have time to do anything else. You should organize what you come up with before you start writing your response. If you don't, your responses will be incomplete, disorganized, or both.

25 minutes per question is what you should average. Make sure you respond to each question in its entirety. Specific information is sought when the questions are about broad issues. A general free response that fails to address specific concerns will not get a high score.

The interstate commerce clause could be used by Congress to regulate the interstate transport of legal narcotics in order to reduce the number of pain pills entering West Virginia.

Congress could use subpoenas to force pharmaceutical executives to testify about how they are addressing the problem.

The pharmaceutical distributors could take the case to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court would need to become involved if an executive refused to testify or provide evidence.

West Virginia has the power to regulate its healthcare industry thanks to the Tenth Amendment. The state's ultimate responsibility is to address the issue of painkiller abuse. Once the pills have entered the state, West Virginia could regulate them. The state wouldn't attempt to interfere with the number of pills that cross state lines, so this action wouldn't violate the interstate commerce clause.

California and Florida have gained the most seats.

Many Americans moved to the western United States during the 1930s and 2000s.

Many Americans left the Midwest and Northeast during this time.

The changes reflect the requirement to modify congressional apportionment every ten years based on the results of the national census.

Both of the defendants were charged with making anti-government speech.

A local government could deny a permit for a group to march. The local government could host events that encourage racial equality.

The civil rights of minorities and historically repressed groups have been ensured by the three forms of action taken by the federal government.

Understand a defensible claim.

The rights of minorities and historically repressed groups have been ensured by constitutional amendments.

Legislation at the state level suppressing African Americans was the subject of a letter written by Martin Luther King. At the time of the letter's writing, legislation was more of a problem than a help in guaranteeing civil rights.

The group of white Americans suppressing the civil rights of minorities is a political group. A strong central government can suppress groups that violate citizens' rights.

Civil rights for minorities were ensured by the 13th-15th Amendments to the Constitution. The 19th, 24th, and 26th Amendments gave women and young Americans the same rights as African Americans in the 20th century.

A strong federal government can protect against a tyranny of the majority that existed within states that passed laws that King and other civil rights leaders were fighting against.

The most significant impact on how the state and federal governments interact with citizens is made by constitutional amendments.

The U.S. has only repealed one amendment since the writing of the Constitution. This means that constitutional amendments have more power than Supreme Court decisions.

Both federal and state governments base their legislation on what the Constitution allows. The Supreme Court bases its decisions on the constitution.

You should respond to an opposing perspective.

It can take years for Congress and the states to draft and adopt constitutional amendments.

Constitutional amendments give the federal government broad powers. The legislation and Supreme Court decisions associated with the civil rights movements in the 20th century were influenced by the amendments to the constitution.

The 13th-15th Amendments subverted the constitutional protections for minorities and other historically repressed groups.

The amendments did not take into account how states might subvert them. The 24th Amendment banning poll taxes was the only amendment to fix these oversights.

The AP U.S. Government and Politics exam consists of two parts. The chart shows the structure of the test.

The College Board will be introducing a new test in May 2019.

Check the College Board's official AP Students website for any other free resources they may have released as the test approaches.

The five major topics of the AP U.S. Government and Politics course are pulled from several types of multiple-choice questions.

There are a lot of new questions on the exam that expect you to be able to analyze data, read short passages and compare thoughts. The questions tend to boil down to the dynamics of how government operates in a political environment. You may be asked how interest groups attempt to influence policy making in Congress and the bureaucracy or how the president attempts to influence Congress through public opinion. The test writers want to know if you understand the general principles.

There are four mandatory free-response questions. You have 100 minutes to answer all of them. You should spend 25 minutes per question, but be aware that you have to manage your own time. The time that you have left to answer the others will be reduced if you spend more time on one question. You won't get extra points if you write more than is necessary to answer the question.

The graders assign a numerical score to each answer. The graders use the average on the free responses and the score on the multiple-choice questions to create a final score from a low of 1 to a high of 5.

The data is from the College Board website.

If you want to verify AP exam score acceptance information, you can contact the school's admission's department.

If you guessed the correct answer, you should get one point for every correct answer.

The first administration of the AP U.S. Government and Politics's new exam is in May 2019, so the following conversion chart is an estimate based on previous years, and also based on you doing similarly well on the Section II free-response questions.

If you follow our advice for how to write a good freeresponse essay, you could score higher on the freeresponse section than on the multiple-choice section and thus increase your final score by one point.

The nuts and bolts of the federal government are the focus of the test. The test emphasizes the factors that influence individual political beliefs, the conditions that determine how and why people vote, and the process by which groups form and attempt to influence the government. Civil rights and constitutional issues are important for providing context to the new scenario-based questions, so keep an eye on them.

The course expects students to know the major details of fifteen different Supreme Court cases and be familiar with the ideas behind nine documents.

While the primary sources listed above are the only ones that you'll be required to know for the exam, you should take the opportunity to widen your familiarity with other documents.

When preparing for the Quantitative Analysis questions, reading political articles in newspapers and magazines can be helpful. The SCOTUS Comparison question will provide you with all the necessary facts, but the Argument Essay in Section II allows you to cite from other sources.

Make sure that you take into account the credibility of your sources if you do your own reading. If you want to reference anything on the test, make sure the other texts are reliable.

It's not a good idea to use something on the Internet as a source for a Free Response section. As a rule of thumb, think about web content in the same way that you would a Qualitative Analysis question.

It is important to visit a college's website in order to find out how it accepts AP exam scores. The main ways in which AP exam scores can be used are shown below.

If you get a high score on an AP exam, some colleges will give you college credit. You can take fewer courses in college if you have these credits. This could be a benefit, given the cost of college.

If you do well on an AP exam, some colleges will let you place out certain requirements, even if they don't give you actual college credits. Maybe you don't need to take an introductory-level course, or maybe you don't need a class at all.

Even if your AP exam will not result in college credit or even allow you to place out of certain courses, most colleges will respect your decision to push yourself by taking an AP course or even an AP exam outside of a course. A high score on an AP exam shows mastery of more difficult content than is taught in many high school courses, and colleges may take that into account during the admissions process.

If you are taking an AP course, you may be able to get feedback on your essays from your teacher. If you're not in an AP course, you can ask the teacher if he or she will review your essays or help you master the content.

There are more goodies for a few AP Exam subjects.

Our instructors can help you improve your content knowledge. Call 1-800-2REVIEW for more information.

If you can't get enough AP U.S. Government and Politics, you can sign up for an online course to review it with an expert.

Some areas of potential improvement were identified in Part I. With the goal of developing a study plan appropriate to your needs and time commitment, let's take a further look at your performance on Practice Test 1.

The multiple-choice questions have answers and explanations.

There is a topic chart on this page.