Introduction
Although most colleges do not require subject tests, they recommend taking these tests. If something is recommended, the best choice is taking subject tests. Subject tests are helpful by demonstrating one's ability to master a specific subject. The U.S. history subject test is one of the hardest subject tests to score an 800. Those who score an 800 are in the 97th percentile. Don't let that number scare you because you have the potential to do well on this test. Without further ado, let us begin!
Information
You can find basic information about this test online, but I will still cover it here. The U.S. history subject test is a 1-hour test that has 90 multiple choice questions. There is a guessing penalty, meaning that an additional quarter of a point is subtracted (-1/4) when someone answers it incorrectly. No guessing penalty means that out of 1 point, 0 points are earned. The good news about scoring an 800 is that you do not need to get all 90 questions correct. You can miss up to 7-8 questions and still score an 800. The multiple choice questions require a lot of memorization because only a few questions are primary sources. Therefore, I highly recommend students that are NOT taking the APUSH exam to NOT take the subject test. Regular U.S. history classes are not going to go over history in detail. In fact, some regular U.S. history classes don't even finish the textbook. I recommend taking the subject test in June right after your AP exam because the content is still fresh in your mind. However, you will probably need to study a bit and do a couple of practice tests to get that 800.
Study Method
In order to get used to the subject test's format, I bought the official Collegeboard book that had 4 practice tests for U.S. history. These tests were accurate reflections of what appeared on the actual subject test. The scores I got on the Collegeboard book were accurate predictions of my actual score. I would do it under timed conditions and treat the practice exam as an actual exam or else my practice scores wouldn't be the best indicators of how I would perform on the test. Then, I would go back and see what I got wrong. I would use a notebook to write down what I got wrong and make corrections. I would then write down why I got the multiple choice question wrong. Last but not least, I would do a reflection after each practice test by writing down what I did well, not well, and future plans.
For a prep book, I personally did not use any additional book because I felt that the APUSH prep book was sufficient. However, I did notice that a couple of questions were so detailed that they didn't show up in the APUSH prep book index such as Emma Goldman. In that case, I would do more research about it online and briefly go over some Quizlet sets.
Test Strategy
For the multiple choice questions that have primary sources, you can read the blog post on getting a 5 on the APUSH Exam. For the other questions that require memorization, I would first write down my own answer in a few words before reading the answer choices. I would literally use my hands to cover the answer choices to not make the wrong choices influence me. Then, I would go over and double check. I noticed that sometimes it is not enough to double check so it is better to keep checking till the test is over. In order to ensure that I was actively checking, I would cover the answer choices again and reanswer them to see if I was consistent or not. For the mental mindset, I did not pressure myself to get an 800. The mentality that I usually have during exams is, "As long as I try my best, that is good enough."
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