Strategies for AP Multiple Choice

Steve Heimler provides strategies for tackling stimulus-based multiple choice questions in AP exams. He emphasizes the importance of these questions, which account for 40% of the exam score, and offers tips on timing, reading order, and answer elimination. Heimler advises reading the question first, understanding the attribution, and quickly interpreting the stimulus. He explains the types of wrong answers and stresses the importance of content knowledge. Tactical tips include answering all questions, trusting your gut, and understanding that a mid-70s score can lead to a top exam score.

What percentage of your AP exam score is made up by the multiple choice section?

• 80%

• 60%

• 40%

• 20%

How much time do you have to answer each multiple choice question on the AP exam?

• 2 minutes

• 1 minute

• 30 seconds

• 5 minutes

What should you read first when approaching a multiple choice question?

• The stimulus

• The question

• The attribution

• The answer choices

Which type of wrong answer is most common in AP multiple choice questions?

• Different historical thinking skill

• Irrelevant information

• Different time period

• Distractor

What is a 'distractor' in the context of multiple choice questions?

• An answer that is in a different time period

• An answer that is factually correct but irrelevant

• An answer that uses a different historical thinking skill

• An answer that is factually incorrect

What is the first step in eliminating wrong answers?

• Pick the answer with the most details

• Choose the longest answer

• Eliminate answers from a different time period

• Identify the distractor

Why is it important to know the time periods of vocabulary terms?

• To memorize more efficiently

• To write better essays

• To eliminate obviously wrong answers

• To impress the examiner

What is the recommended approach if you are unsure about an answer?

• Guess randomly

• Leave it blank

• Change your answer multiple times

• Go with your gut feeling

What score range on the multiple choice section generally indicates a high overall exam score?

• 80-90%

• 50-60%

• 60-70%

• 70-80%

What should you do if you have time left after answering all questions?

• Relax and wait for time to run out

• Double-check only if certain of a mistake

• Submit the exam immediately

• Review and change answers