Award-Winning AP European History Tutors

If you're ready to take your standardized test prep to the next level, Varsity Tutors can set you up with experienced AP European History tutors who can help you pursue your academic goals. The Advanced Placement program allows select high school students to take college-level classes before they graduate from high school. Each AP course culminates in a cumulative AP Exam at the end of the school year. This exam is scored on a scale from 1-5, and you can earn college credit if your score meets or exceeds the threshold required by your preferred college. Naturally, you want to do everything you can to put your best foot forward on exam day.

What subjects can AP European History tutors help me review?

AP European History covers European history from the Renaissance period all the way up to the present day. Some of the topics covered include European perspectives on colonialism, the effects of the Industrial Revolution, how World War I and the Treaty of Versailles led to World War II, and the Cold War period. A variety of smaller topics are studied as contributors to these key themes, including political philosophers such as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, the often perilous world of international alliances, sources of power throughout European history, the impacts of social stratification based solely on heredity, and social movements such as feminism.

Memorizing information is one part of AP Euro, but students are also expected to be able to analyze both primary and secondary sources and use them to formulate their own opinions about historical topics. Students must also defend their point of view via well-written persuasive essays.

If that seems like a lot to go over, it kind of is. Your classroom instructor will almost certainly have a hard time getting to everything over the course of a single school year, leaving little time to answer student questions. An AP European History tutor can fill in the gap in your classroom education by acting as a supplement to your instruction. You are free to study at your own pace with a private instructor, whether that means blasting through a topic you already understand or doing a deep dive on a subject you're sure will appear on the test.

For example, let's say that you have a great feel for how political entanglements led to World War I. Your instructor may gloss over this topic in favor of others to enhance your study efficiency. Likewise, if you aren't sure how mercantilism was a major driving force behind European imperialism, your instructor can provide additional examples and explanations until you feel comfortable moving on.

Your AP European History tutoring sessions can also be designed around your preferred learning style. For instance, looking at a color-coded map of Europe may help a visual learner understand which side each country was on during World War II. Meanwhile, a more auditory learner might prefer a Q&A discussion format in order to learn the same information. If you're a kinesthetic learner, you could even role play as several European powers to better understand their motivations.

Studying in a one-on-one learning environment also means that you are your instructor's sole priority during your AP European History tutoring sessions. Your educator doesn't need to grade 20 or more papers before providing feedback on yours, making it easy to correct any mistakes in a timely fashion. Any questions you have can also be answered promptly, allowing you to seek clarification before a misunderstanding snowballs into a larger learning obstacle.

Your instructor may also teach you study skills that you will be able to apply in college and beyond. For instance, active reading skills could help you retain more of the information you read. Taking notes as you go along forces you to internalize the information, making it easier to remember when you're finished. This is obviously useful when you're slogging through a dense AP European History textbook or an archaic primary source, but it can also help you read college textbooks and scholarly journal articles when you reach college.

Writing is also an essential component of AP European History, so your teacher may demonstrate how to effectively outline your thoughts before you start composing so that you have a plan of attack. Following an outline makes it easier to include all of your supporting details, making your arguments that much stronger.

How can AP European History tutoring help me prepare for the actual AP exam?

The AP Euro Exam lasts a total of three hours and 15 minutes and is divided into a Section I and Section II. Each Section is also subdivided into parts A and B, leaving students with a total of four subsections to concentrate on. Here is a closer look at what you can expect from each segment of the exam:

Section I-A

Section I-A is a typical multiple-choice section. Items tend to appear in groups based on primary or secondary sources, though there are discrete questions that test your broader knowledge base as well. You may also need to interpret maps or graphs on this section of the test. You have 55 minutes to answer 55 questions total on this section.

Multiple-choice formats tend to favor test-takers as they provide plenty of opportunities to leverage an exam against itself. If you are ever unsure of the correct response, you can try eliminating answer choices you feel comfortable ruling out to see if you can deduce the answer. Similarly, the info contained in one question may prove sufficient to answer something else on the test. If you have a hard time spotting opportunities like this, your AP European History tutor can teach you proven test-taking strategies to help you discover them. This section represents 40% of your final grade.

Section I-B

Section I-B consists of three short answer questions over 40 minutes. The first item will ask you to answer a question based on two secondary sources, while the second will ask you to interpret a primary source. Both of these items are mandatory. After that, you get your choice of Question 3 (covering a topic from the years 1450-1815) or Question 4 (1815-2001). You do not receive extra credit for selecting the more challenging question, so go with whichever you feel more confident about.

Time management is very important on this section, as 40 minutes is not that much time to read three documents and compose three mini-essays. Your instructor can share time-saving tips with you to help you finish on time if you're apprehensive. For example, outlining your responses before you write them can actually help you save time in the long run. This section accounts for 20% of your final grade.

Section II-A

Section II-A is one Document-Based Question, or DBQ. You have one hour to read seven documents that each represent a perspective on a topic in European history and compose an argumentative essay using them. You need to cite the documents in your work, so ignoring them isn't an option. You are also prohibited from composing your response for the first 15 minutes, forcing you to read each document carefully and plan out your essay.

Many students get intimidated by the DBQ because it combines written communication, argumentation, organization, and reading comprehension into a single assignment, but there's no need to fear it. You might want to complete some sample essays during your AP European History tutoring sessions so that you know exactly how you want to tackle this beast. This section is worth 25 percent of your final score.

Section II-B

Section II-B gives test-takers their choice of three essay prompts: one addressing topics in the period 1450-1700, one from 1648-1914, and one from 1815-2001. Again, there is no reward for challenging yourself, so pick the topic you feel the most confident about. You have 40 minutes to select, plan, and compose your essay. This section represents 15% of your total grade.

Many students choose to take practice exams during their private study sessions to develop familiarity with each of the exam's sections. Sometimes, experiencing what a test is like first hand can go a long way toward mitigating any test anxiety you may be experiencing. Your instructor can also demonstrate relaxation techniques to help you calm your nerves if you're still feeling a little nervous. You can also review the results of your practice test with your AP European History tutor to identify where you're progressing and any areas that could use a bit more work.

Why should I use Varsity Tutors to find a private instructor?

Relatively few tutors understand the rigors of AP European History, so finding a good instructor on your own can prove difficult. In contrast, we can find you somebody in as little as 24 hours. We also offer a proprietary Live Learning Platform that facilitates digital study sessions, taking the hassle out of individualized instruction. Best of all, you are always in control of when your sessions take place, ensuring that you don't need to plan your entire life around AP Euro test prep.

What are you waiting for? Use the information provided below to reach out to Varsity Tutors and learn more about how we can connect you with qualified AP European History tutors today!