Summer Reading Test and Essay Reflection

The summer assignment for AP World History was to read Germs, Guns, and Steel, as well as read chapters 1-6 in the AP textbook and prepare for an assessment during the first week of school.  The first AP World History test covered chapters 1-6 inclusive in the textbook and consisted of 70 multiple choice questions.  The contents of chapters 1- 6 were fairly evenly represented throughout the test, though I felt as though the test focused heavily on content pertaining to China, India, and Mesopotamia.  Most of the questions on the test were fact-based and pertinent to the ancient societies as an entity, rather than focusing on specific cultural traditions or agricultural practices.  Though most of the questions were fact-based, there were a few analytical questions for which I  had to analyze maps and use factual information based on the maps to arrive at the correct answer.  Chronology appeared to also be quite important on the test.  The order in which species and societies arose in the ancient world played an important role on the test, as there were many chronology-related questions.  The most challenging aspect of the test was the passage-based questions, which required the application of facts in tandem with critical thinking.  These questions were the most time-intensive.  Timely review of the material facilitated the studying process.  Though I felt as though I was adequately prepared for the test, the test was still difficult.  By studying for the test, I was inadvertently preparing for the essay.   Though the essay was a format completely different from the test, the material was the same.  I chose to outline the major distinguishing characteristics, which enabled me to properly compare and contrast the two societies.  Because we were not given the prompt ahead of time, I did not know on which societies I would be tested; therefore, I found it necessary to study all seven of the ancient societies.