AP World History: Modern exam-day guide
AP World History: Modern · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID that matches your registration
Bring a current government-issued or school-issued photo ID with a name matching your AP registration. Acceptable forms vary by site, so confirm exactly what your school or test center accepts before exam day.
Your exam room, seat, and report time
Write down the building, room, and arrival time the day before. Test centers set their own report times, so do not guess; check the notice from your AP coordinator.
Several sharpened No. 2 pencils and an eraser
Needed if you are taking the paper version of the exam; multiple-choice answers are bubbled. If you are testing digitally, confirm with your coordinator whether any paper materials are still issued.
Two black or dark blue ballpoint pens
For handwritten free-response booklets on the paper version. Write legibly, since readers score what they can read. Digital testers should confirm whether scratch paper and a pen are supplied.
A charged device and charger if your exam is digital
Your school will specify the device and platform in advance. Arrive with a full battery and know your login; confirm whether chargers or power strips are permitted in the testing room.
A simple analog watch with no alarm or smart features
Lets you pace the 55-minute multiple-choice section and the 40-minute short-answer section without relying on a visible clock. Smartwatches and any device with communication features are prohibited.
Water and a snack for the scheduled break
You will typically get one short break between the two sections. Items must stay out of the testing room, so plan to leave them somewhere accessible.
A layer you can add or remove
Testing rooms are often cold or warm for three-plus hours. Comfort matters; being distracted by temperature costs you pacing time on the essays.
Your own pacing targets written on a permitted scratch sheet
Memorize: about one minute per multiple-choice question, roughly 13 minutes per short answer, 15 minutes of document reading plus 45 minutes of writing for the document-based question, and 40 minutes for the long essay.
A one-page review of the four free-response tasks
Know what each task rewards: document-based question (thesis, sourcing, outside evidence, complexity), long essay (argumentation, evidence, reasoning), and short answers (specific identification and explanation, not generalities).
A plan for prohibited items
Leave phones, earbuds, smartwatches, notes, and study packets at home or in a locker. Anything that reaches the testing room can jeopardize your score.
Plan the day
Take or review one full timed practice set, but stop adding new content. Spend the remaining study time on the four free-response formats and on your weakest two or three units; the exam rewards argumentation and evidence far more than last-minute memorization.
Shift your sleep schedule so you are awake and alert at your actual report time. Three hours of testing on low sleep hurts pacing more than one more hour of review helps.
Confirm logistics: exact building and room, report time, ID requirements, device rules if testing digitally, and whether your school offers any approved accommodations. Ask your AP coordinator directly rather than relying on rumor.
Pack your bag: ID, pencils, pens, watch, water, snack, layers, and any device plus charger your school requires. Put prohibited items somewhere you will not grab them by habit in the morning.
Do a light review only: skim your own notes on themes, causation, and comparison, and reread one annotated document-based question. No new material, no all-nighter, and set two alarms.
Eat a real breakfast, hydrate modestly, and arrive with margin for traffic or check-in lines. Late arrival rules are set by the site, so treat the report time as a hard deadline.
Hand over your phone and smartwatch before entering the room, use the restroom, and take a few minutes to rehearse your essay structure mentally so you can start writing immediately.
55 multiple-choice questions in 55 minutes. Answer every question, since there is no penalty for a wrong answer. Flag genuinely uncertain items, keep moving at about one minute each, and never let one stimulus set eat four minutes.
Three short-answer questions in 40 minutes, roughly 13 minutes each. Read all parts of the prompt, use the allotted answer space, and write specific names, dates, and processes rather than vague generalities.
Use the 15-minute reading period to group and source the documents and to sketch a thesis. Then write the document-based question in about 45 minutes, leaving 40 minutes for the long essay: about 5-7 minutes planning, then a thesis-driven essay with specific evidence from at least three regions or periods where the prompt calls for it.
Reserve the last few minutes of each section to check that every question has an answer, that your thesis actually answers the prompt, and that your handwriting or typing is legible. Do not rewrite whole paragraphs.
Rules to check
Bring the ID your site requires. If you cannot produce acceptable identification, you may not be admitted and may have to pay for a replacement exam; confirm the exact ID policy with your AP coordinator in advance.
Keep phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and any wearable with communication or storage features out of the testing room. Possession of a prohibited device during testing can result in a canceled score, even if you never used it.
Follow the proctor's instructions on sealed materials, timing, and breaks. Do not open or begin any section before you are told to, and stop writing immediately when time is called.
Breaks are limited to those the proctor announces, usually one between the multiple-choice and free-response sections. Do not discuss exam content with anyone during breaks or afterward on any platform; doing so can void your score.
Answer every multiple-choice question. Scores are based on the number of correct answers only, so a blank is strictly worse than a guess.
Plan your effort around the scoring weights: multiple-choice 40 percent, short answer 20 percent, document-based question 25 percent, long essay 15 percent of the composite score. The free-response sections are worth 60 percent combined, which is where preparation pays off most.
Timing is fixed and proctor-controlled. You generally cannot return to a section once it has closed or receive extra time, so build in a check of your remaining minutes between questions rather than at the end.
If you need accommodations or have a scheduling conflict, that must be arranged well before exam day. Confirm the procedure and deadlines with your school or test provider rather than assuming it can be handled on the spot.
Bring any concern about testing conditions, timing, or a disturbance to the proctor immediately, and report problems to your AP coordinator afterward so the issue can be documented.