{"id":7835,"date":"2017-03-10T18:41:34","date_gmt":"2017-03-11T02:41:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/?p=7835"},"modified":"2017-03-10T18:41:34","modified_gmt":"2017-03-11T02:41:34","slug":"ap-comparative-government-politics-exam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/ap\/ap-comparative-government-politics-exam\/","title":{"rendered":"AP Comparative Government and Politics Exam"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a former Language Arts teacher and current freelance writer, I have an affinity for words of all shapes and sizes. In my experience I\u2019ve discovered that the smallest words have the biggest impact on people\u2019s daily lives. For example, let\u2019s look at the words \u2018of\u2019 and \u2018by\u2019. Just about everyone uses these two prepositions at least once a day. I walked by<\/span> the school. I ate two of<\/span> the three cupcakes.<\/em><\/p>\n

Yet when it comes to countries and their governments, these two little words make all the difference. There are countries (like the U.S. & U.K.) that follow the rule of <\/span>law. And there are other countries (like China) that rule by<\/span> law. Changing one word changes an entire country\u2019s political system.<\/p>\n

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\"AP
An example of a ‘rule of law’ country turning into a ‘rule by law’ country.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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If you are captivated by democracy, dictatorship, and everything in between, there is no better course than AP Comparative Government and Politics. In this course you will study a handful of modern countries to uncover how their various governments work. Like any AP course, the end of the year means the AP Exam. In this article I\u2019ll take you through everything you need to know for exam day. If you get to the end and still have questions, make sure to check out the College Board\u2019s official website for AP Comparative Government and Politics.<\/a><\/p>\n

Note: <\/strong>This article accounts for the latest revisions to the AP Comparative Government and Politics Exam (Fall 2014). Students studying for the AP Comparative Government and Politics Exam should only reference study materials published after this date.<\/p>\n

How You\u2019re Assessed on the Exam<\/h2>\n

AP Comparative Government and Politics is a smorgasbord of information. There\u2019s a little history. There are some rules and concepts. Current events play a big part of the course, too. Throughout the year your teacher will cover six broad topics from the following Curriculum Outline. Below are the topics, some of the content contained within each, and the percentage weight each one has on the AP Exam. The following is in no way a study guide, but an introduction to what you will encounter leading up to exam day.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Introduction to Comparative Politics (5%)\n
      \n
    1. Basic concepts<\/li>\n
    2. Purpose of government<\/li>\n
    3. Ways to organize government<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
    4. Sovereignty, Authority, and Power (20%)\n
        \n
      1. Nations and states<\/li>\n
      2. Supranational governance<\/li>\n
      3. Constitutions<\/li>\n
      4. Economic systems<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
      5. Political Institutions (35%)\n
          \n
        1. Levels of governments<\/li>\n
        2. Leaders of government<\/li>\n
        3. Legislatures\/Parliaments<\/li>\n
        4. Elections<\/li>\n
        5. Political parties<\/li>\n
        6. Bureaucracies<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
        7. Citizens, Society, and the States (15%)\n
            \n
          1. The role of media<\/li>\n
          2. Social movements<\/li>\n
          3. Civil society<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
          4. Political and Economic Change (15%)\n
              \n
            1. Revolution and war<\/li>\n
            2. Trends of political and economic change<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
            3. Public Policy\n
                \n
              1. Social welfare<\/li>\n
              2. Migration<\/li>\n
              3. How policy making decisions are made<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Successful Time Management<\/h2>\n

                In this section I will break down the length of the AP Comparative Government and Politics Exam, and offer suggestions on how to make sure you successfully finish each section. First a piece of recycled advice from my ACT articles: take multiple timed practice exams<\/strong> to become familiar with the exam’s format, content, and pacing. For students will a College Board Account<\/a>, a full-length practice exam is available for you to take right now.<\/p>\n

                Section I: Multiple Choice (55 Questions, 45 Minutes, 50% of Exam Score)<\/strong><\/p>\n

                Okay, so you have 52-ish seconds to answer each multiple choice question. To finish on time, you need to complete five questions every four minutes.<\/p>\n

                Each multiple-choice question is \u2018stand alone.\u2019 There are no groups of questions that ask about a common image or primary source document. However, some of the questions in Section I will ask you to analyze a graph or chart.<\/p>\n

                If you\u2019re taking AP Comparative Government and Politics, I bet you\u2019ve already taken your fair share of high-stakes standardized tests. Even so, check out my article on ACT Time Management.<\/a> The article goes over some simple tips and tricks that you can\u2019t afford to miss on exam day.<\/p>\n

                Another thing to remember is that like all AP Exams, on AP Comparative Government and Politics there is no penalty for guessing. That\u2019s right; no points are deducted for incorrect answers. Why is that good for you? Well, if there is a question or two where you get stuck, there is no shame in guessing and moving on. Just don\u2019t leave any questions blank!<\/p>\n

                Break (10 Minutes)<\/strong><\/p>\n

                Break is an important time during any AP Exam. Yet even for a two-hour exam like the AP Comparative Government and Politics, you\u2019re only at the halfway mark. Go to the bathroom, drink a little water, and don\u2019t forget to eat something. There\u2019s a lot of writing coming up, and you\u2019re going to need some fuel to finish strong.<\/p>\n

                Section II: Free Response (8 Questions, 100 Minutes, 50% of Exam Score) <\/strong><\/p>\n

                Okay, so you have an hour and forty minutes to answer eight questions. But not all of these questions are created equal. Here is the breakdown for Section II:<\/p>\n