For six years, I had the incredible opportunity to teach Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH) at a high school in Los Angeles. Many of my students were tackling an AP class for the very first time, not quite sure what they had signed up for. My mission? To equip them with the skills, discipline, and knowledge they needed to not just survive but thrive – and, of course, pass the AP exam.
Success didn’t come easy. It took lots of practice – sometimes for hours on Saturdays (yes, Saturdays!). My students took time taking past AP exams, and I spent just as much time grading them, breaking down their responses, and giving detailed feedback on where they could improve.
Year after year, I saw my students’ passing rates steadily climb, and one thing became crystal clear: the best way to get better at APUSH was to take mock exams – lots of them. By my final year teaching the course, my students were sitting for three full-length exams each year, strategically spaced in October, January, and April.
A few weeks ago, I decided to step into my former students’ shoes and take Thinking Nation’s practice APUSH exam myself. I wanted to experience firsthand what an APUSH student would go through using Thinking Nation’s platform and I wanted to see how the reports generated from the test could provide meaningful feedback to help students improve. Here’s what I found out.
Source: Picture from one of those early Saturdays taking a full-length practice exam.
1. The exam provides a true AP exam experience
The exam offered by Thinking Nation covers every major period seen in the APUSH exam. The test is sequenced and timed along the same lines as the real AP exam (a timer is provided for students to keep track of each section). While the exam can be taken in any sequence, I highly recommend that students and teachers follow the format of the AP exam:
Section I, Part A: Multiple Choice
55 Questions | 55 Minutes | 40% of Exam Score
Section I, Part B: Short Answer
3 Questions | 40 Minutes | 20% of Exam Score
Section II: Document-Based Question and Long Essay
2 questions | 1 Hour, 40 minutes | 40% of Exam Score
2. The reports provided after each section will improve the way students can study before test day
As a teacher, I often gave my students written feedback along with a rubric. This practice exam by Thinking Nation takes it to a whole new level.
In the sample report below, students were given a breakdown of the percentage of questions answered correctly by period. This report allows students to focus their studying on the periods in which they answered the least amount of questions correctly (on the report below, the student should focus on Periods 5, 6, 7, and 9).
Additionally, on the SAQ, LEQ, and DBQ students are provided with a rubric score, direct feedback, and a visual of the required sections that they scored on. As a teacher, this type of report would be extremely helpful in supporting students’ work on specific writing skills before the exam. On the report below, for instance, the student did not use adequate outside evidence in their paper. This feedback would allow me, as the teacher, to ensure that I am showing my students how to bring outside evidence into their essays.
3. You can get a true picture of where you stand before exam day in order to protect your investment of time and money
Investing in AP courses success makes financial sense. The average cost per college credit is around $410, which means a typical three-credit course runs close to $1,600. In contrast, an AP exam costs about $129 – offering students a chance to earn college credit at a fraction of the price. But just as passing an AP exam can save thousands in tuition, taking a high-quality practice exam can help students avoid unnecessary retakes, saving both time and money. At just $15, a Thinking Nation practice exam is a smart investment in boosting students’ confidence and performance.
While Thinking Nation doesn’t provide direct AP scores for its practice exams, students can easily use publicly available AP score calculators to estimate their performance. These tools, though not officially endorsed by Thinking Nation, can provide a general idea of scoring trends. I recommend trying multiple calculators with slightly different scoring curves to get a broader sense of a student’s potential range. Of course, keep in mind that these estimates are just that – estimates – and actual AP® exam results may vary.
Here are my recommendations.
4. The AI generated feedback rivals the feedback that could be provided by the most dedicated AP teacher
Apart from raw scores, students are provided with specific and timely feedback that has been customized by our executive director, AP readers, and lead test creators. The feedback explains each aspect of the rubric to the students and provides suggestions on what they could do to improve and to be awarded full credit.
5. This will be a game-changer for any AP social studies teacher
The last thing any AP teacher or student will have is extra time. That is why these practice AP exams are game-changers. The practice exams are graded instantly and students are provided with feedback in real-time. The feedback comes in a ready-to-download report for each section and it can be shared with the student’s teacher/tutor.
Final Thoughts
One of the most impactful strategies I used as an APUSH teacher was having my students engage in deliberate practice. It was time-consuming, but the payoff was huge – it gave them a clear sense of how they would perform on the real AP exam and helped them focus on the areas where they needed to improve the most. Looking back, I wish I had access to Thinking Nation’s practice exams. Not only would they have saved me countless hours, but they also would have provided deeper insights into my students’ performance, allowing for more targeted support. Don’t miss out – set up your Thinking Nation practice exam today!