Score improvement depends on your starting point and how consistently you engage with practice materials. Many students see meaningful gains—typically 1-3 points on the 1-5 scale—when they work with a tutor to identify weak content areas and develop stronger test-taking strategies. The most significant improvements come from targeted practice with real past exams, learning to manage time across the three-hour exam, and building confidence in your ability to analyze historical documents under pressure.

Students often struggle with time management—the exam requires analyzing documents and writing essays within strict time limits. Many also find it difficult to distinguish between similar historical periods or to connect events across different time periods, which the exam frequently tests. Additionally, understanding what the document-based essay (DBQ) and long essay question (LEQ) are actually asking for can be tricky. A tutor can help you practice pacing, develop strategies for analyzing sources quickly, and learn exactly what AP graders are looking for in your written responses.

Practice tests are essential—they're the most accurate way to identify which content areas you need to review and to build stamina for the three-hour exam. Taking full-length, timed practice tests under realistic conditions helps you understand question formats, manage your pacing, and reduce test anxiety. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who can review your practice test results with you, pinpoint specific weak areas, and help you develop targeted strategies to improve before exam day.

The DBQ rewards students who can synthesize multiple documents to build a cohesive historical argument—not just summarize them. A strong approach involves reading the prompt carefully first, quickly reviewing all documents to identify their main ideas and perspectives, then organizing your essay around a clear thesis that directly answers the prompt. Many students benefit from learning a specific essay structure and practicing with real past DBQs under timed conditions. A tutor can teach you a reliable DBQ strategy and give you feedback on your essays to help you refine your approach.

Your first session is typically a diagnostic conversation where a tutor learns about your current understanding, identifies which time periods or themes feel weakest, and discusses your AP exam timeline and score goals. You might take a brief practice test or review past exam questions together to pinpoint specific areas to focus on. From there, your tutor will create a personalized study plan—whether that means building foundational content knowledge, practicing essay writing, refining test-taking strategies, or all of the above.

The 3-hour exam includes 55 multiple-choice questions (40 minutes), 3 short-answer questions (40 minutes), and 2 essay questions—a DBQ (60 minutes) and a long essay question (40 minutes). Pacing is critical: rushing through the multiple-choice section or spending too long on one essay can derail your score. Tutors can teach you time-management strategies specific to each section, help you practice working within these constraints, and build your confidence so you stay calm and focused when the clock is ticking.

Look for tutors with deep knowledge of US history content and proven experience preparing students for the AP exam. Ideally, they've scored well on the AP exam themselves or have years of experience teaching AP US History. They should be skilled at explaining complex historical concepts, analyzing primary sources, and providing detailed feedback on essays. When you connect with Varsity Tutors, we match you with tutors who have demonstrated expertise in AP US History and a track record of helping students improve their scores.