Taking the APUSH Exam

Important Dates & Times

● Monday, May 4○ You’ll get an email from the College Board with a demo test

○ DO THE DEMO TEST.

○ If for some reason you don’t get an email, you should be able to access it in AP

Classroom

○ If you don’t have an email and can’t access it in AP Classroom, TEXT or EMAIL me

● Wednesday, May 13○ You will get your email from the College Board with your E-Ticket.

○ DO NOT DELETE THIS EMAIL

○ DO NOT FORWARD THIS EMAIL (it will trigger a security alert)

● Friday, May 15 - TEST DAY○ NO LATER THAN 1:30 pm: click on your E-ticket

○ 2:00 test begins

○ More on timing on the next few slides

● Wednesday, June 3 - Makeup○ 12:00 test

E-ticket:

YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS

NUMBER FOR YOUR TEST!

“Demo” Day

DEMO TEST:

● MAKE SURE you complete this demo

● It will walk you through exactly how to type/write your answer and how to

upload it

● The demo day will not be test-specific. It will tell you to just write whatever

you want.

● It’s so that you know HOW to do it, so you don’t need to complete more

than one if you have more than one AP test

● DO THE DEMO HOW YOU’RE PLANNING TO DO THE TEST! (If you

planning to handwrite your answers on test day, handwrite on Demo Day)

OTHER THINGS TO DO THIS DAY:

● Take off all apps/extensions, particularly if you have Grammarly. For some

reason Grammarly makes the test not work

● Make sure your internet browser is Chrome (or at least NOT Internet

Explorer)

At any time starting now, you can also do your demo test at www.cb.org/apdemo

Writing Your Response

● You will NOT be able to type in the test page itself

● Options for HOW to write and submit your answer:a. Type in a Google doc/Word. Copy & paste your answer into the test document

b. Type in a Google doc/Word. SAVE your answer and ATTACH it to the test document

*If you do this, you’ll have to save your Google Doc into one of the accepted formats

(.txt, .doc, .pdf, .docx)

c. Handwrite your answer on white, lined, 8.5x11 paper in pencil, blue or black ink. Take

photos of each page and attach them. Each photo must be ONE page

● Click SUBMITa. Remember, once you hit SUBMIT, it’s uploading.

If your plan is to handwrite your answer and upload pictures:

College Board suggests opening the test on a SMARTPHONE (or I suppose an

iPad would work) so that you can easily take pictures and upload right into the

test document.

Copy and Pasting Responses

● Make sure your AP ID is at the top and your initials are written

below

● Type your answer

● When you are done, copy ALL of it

● Make SURE you included your ID

● Click the button on your test window

that says “Paste Response”

● Paste your answer into the screen

that comes up

● Read it over again if you have time

● Click submit

Attaching a File ● It must be in one of the formats listed in the image below.

● If you type in a Google Doc, you must save it as one of the formats first! You can’t

“attach” a Google Doc MAKE SURE YOUR ID and initials are at the top!

● Pre-save the document so you don’t have to waste time naming/saving it.

REMEMBER WHERE YOU SAVED IT!

● When you are done, click the

button that says “Attach Response”

● It will prompt you to browse for the file

● Just FYI, my demo did NOT show me

which file I attached – so don’t panic

● Click submit

Handwritten Responses

● If you are planning to hand write your answer, you may want to

open your test on a smartphone. Doing so will save time because

you can take a picture and upload on the same device, rather than

figuring out a way to get your picture from your phone to your

Chromebook

● Use WHITE, LINED 8.5x11 paper

● Use pencil or ink (blue or black)

● Write your AP ID and initials at the top

of EACH PAGE you use

● Maximum of 5 pages

● Take a picture of each page (in portrait mode)

● Click “Attach Response”, then “Photo”

● Attach them IN ORDER (page 1, 2, 3, …)

● Click submit

Exam Day Timeframe

● By 12:00○ Make sure all of your documents/notes/texts are in your testing space

○ Make sure your laptop or chromebook is plugged in and charged/charging

● By 12:30○ Create your Google Doc (or Word document, or have your paper ready to go)

○ In the top left corner of BOTH, type AP ID (from your E-Ticket) and your initials

○ Make sure that Google is auto-saving (it should be)

● 1:15○ Go sit in your testing space and check again to make sure you have everything

○ Tell your family to please not interrupt you during this time

○ Ask your family nicely to not be taking up bandwidth during this time if possible

● 1:20○ Set appropriate alarms/timers on your phone

Exam Day Timeframe (continued)● 1:30

○ Click on your E-Ticket

○ You will have to answer some questions to prove that you are you

○ As soon as you are done with those questions, JUST WAIT

○ DO NOT EVER IN THE COURSE OF THIS TEST HIT “REFRESH” OR “BACK”

● 2:00○ The DBQ will appear on your screen (45 minutes to write, 5 to upload)

○ Read it CAREFULLY

○ DO NOT CLOSE THE TAB

○ Go to your pre-prepared Google Doc and begin your writing process

○ When you have 5 minutes left, the timer on the question screen will turn red. That 5 minutes is your

UPLOAD time, not writing time.

○ If you’re mid-sentence or mid-thought, finish it. DO NOT go too far into this 5:00 time frame though.

● 2:45 (the timer on the test screen should go red now)○ Begin the uploading process (copy/paste, attach, whatever you’re choosing to do)

○ CLICK SUBMIT

● 2:50○ Your test is OVER

○ HOWEVER...make sure you WAIT for the confirmation page!

○ DO NOT close your browser/hit refresh until you see that page.

○ It may take a bit, particularly if you’re not on super high-speed internet

“What ifs”

First, KEEP the email with the E-Ticket (just in case).

● What if something happens BEFORE the test and I can’t even start to

take it?○ Easy...just DO NOT CLICK ON THE E-TICKET

○ Any student who does not click on the E-Ticket on test day will automatically be sent another

E-Ticket for the June make up day (but you’ll need your original AP ID, so again...DON’T

DELETE THE ORIGINAL)

● What if something happens during my test?○ Your internet goes out, you get sick, the power goes out, your dog won’t stop barking, etc.

○ IF you are unable to finish the test due to legitimate extenuating circumstances (this does NOT

include running out of time), you need to immediately go to www.cb.org/requestmakeup and

make your request

○ You’ll need your E-Ticket for this

○ THIS MUST BE DONE WITHIN 48 HOURS, SO JUST DO IT AS SOON AS IT HAPPENS

○ You will be notified whether or not you were approved for the make up date

**I would strongly suggest taking a

screenshot of your confirmation page and keeping that.**

Miscellaneous Information

● Any “shared” documents must be downloaded to your computer prior to the

start of the test (meaning...don’t go to my website DURING the test to look up

notes, for example. Have important information saved to your drive or in front

of you.)

● Exams will go through anti-plagiarism software. Colleges will be notified, and

scores cancelled if you are found to have been cheating

● Double or single space; it doesn’t matter

● DON’T spend time worrying about spelling or grammar

● An interesting thing they said was that in a lot of subjects, the questions were

written in such a way that you may not have time to answer all sections

● Again, DO NOT HIT BACK OR REFRESH DURING YOUR TEST

● YOU MUST HIT SUBMIT BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT

Scores● I will receive your answers by the end of May.

● I can’t stress that enough...I WILL RECEIVE YOUR

ANSWERS.

● I will “score” them to the best of my ability (not knowing

what the readers will decide for the exact rubric).

● Scores will be available to YOU (and me) beginning July

15.

Again, they said specifically that you may not need to answer

all parts of a question to receive a 5.

However, if you don’t answer all parts, the parts you do

answer have to be REALLY good (and correct) to get a 5.

They’ve stressed the answers are about QUALITY.

Test PrepI know that a lot of you have been prepping this whole time,

because you’ve been present in my Google Meets – many of you

have been completely MIA since 3/13.

My sincere hope is that those of you who haven’t been keeping up

with all of the updates that I’ve sent out and Meets I’ve scheduled

have been taking advantage of the reviews and practices I’ve posted

on my website, as well as the CB videos.

Practicing the DBQ as if you are taking it in real-time is going to

give you the most confidence.