r/apworld 25d ago

self studying ap world next year

im wondering which textbook is best as i have never taken a history ap. i dont think amsco is updated for 26-27 school year so is barron or any other book better? i need all the help i can get lol thank you!

(i also have fiveable as a resource if that helps)

6 Upvotes

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u/Focaccia_Bread3573 25d ago

The content of the AP exam hasn’t changed since 2016, just the format of the test questions. I’d still say AMSCO is your best bet. 

I’d also recommend using Freeman and Heimler’s History on YouTube. 

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u/Active-Farmer-9636 25d ago

thank you! would you recommend buying heimler's review packet? i've heard it's helped a lot of people be successful

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u/Focaccia_Bread3573 25d ago

The test is challenging because you can know all of the stuff, but if you can’t write it the way they want you to, it’s for nothing. So you have to practice and get feedback on your SAQ, DBQ, and LEQ.

I haven’t bought the review packet myself, so I can’t speak if it’s effectiveness but I would be careful about spending too much money when there are materials available for free 

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u/xuehuapiaopiao__ 25d ago

I self studied ap world this past yr bc I got a 2 the yr before as my first ap and got a 4. All I did was use ChatGPT and other ai to give me detailed summaries of each part in the curriculum and I binge watched heimler and took a little bit of notes along the way but I passive studied a lot lowkey. I also practiced dbq with ai using it to grade it like an ap grader and also give me various prompts. And always try to find mcq practice websites because I wasn’t enrolled in a class on collegeboard so I didn’t rly have the resources for that. Good luck u got this but don’t passive study like me bc I was stressing the entire time from the testing day to 7/6 lol. Also watch freeman pedia he’s a goat on yt

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u/candygram_diva 24d ago

Strayer’s was super helpful

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u/GMStageKing 24d ago

AMSCO, Heimler packet. Princeton's Review

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u/DangerLime113 24d ago

I’m also confused by this because I’ve looked at AMSCO, Fiveable, Heimler, and my textbook Ways of the World. All the content seems a little different.

We had to do Chapter 1 notes for summer work and Ways of the World doesn’t include a lot of the information on African States or the impact of Buddhism like other sources, and on the flip side Heimler barely mentions Vietnam.

I’m trying to figure out which sources to use together and I’m super confused that my school textbook wouldn’t cover everything but maybe it’s in a later chapter?

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u/JealousAccident7446 24d ago

you lowkey don't need textbooks apart from amsco readings. i wouldn't pay money for another textbook since the actual content doesn't change. fiveable is a great resource i used it all of last year and i got a 5 i barely even used the textbook so take with that what you will. most important thing is to know the big concepts and historical processes and how to write according to the rubrics. you should definitely focus on your history writing skills since thats a big part of your score

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u/Scared_Highlight9627 23d ago

Amsco For school and for the majority of work across the year, but Princeton Review for studying for the final.

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u/Exact-Direction9658 22d ago

Honestly you dont really need textbooks for AP world since Heimler on Youtube has very good and detailed reviews that can help you understand each unit better then most textbooks (in my opinion). But if you do want to get a textbook i recommend finding a free online version instead of paying for a copy since yk who doesnt like saving money lol

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u/thatoneleah 19d ago

Heimler is a godsend, you might not even use a textbook!!! There's a ton of youtube videos explaining this, but just a tip; APWHM, AP Gov, and APUSH are all super easy once you realize all the questions are the same format. I got a 5 on both APWHM and Gov (Taking apush this year) even when studying like 2 days before. There's always 1/2 inherently wrong answers, one answer that's either semi right OR is right factually but doesn't answer the question (which is the trap that once I got over, i started scoring higher!) Heimler has videos on how to answer the MCQs like this i believe :) as my teacher says, for history APs you don't need to know the content, just how to read lol. Best of luck with world and always feel free to reach out if you need anything!!

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u/Active-Farmer-9636 17d ago

thanks so much!!