Exam format reminder: 55 MCQs (55 min), 3 SAQs (40 min), 1 DBQ (60 min), 1 LEQ (40 min). Section 1 (MCQ + SAQ) is 60% of your score. Section 2 (DBQ + LEQ) is 40%. Total exam: 3 hours 15 minutes.
The 8-week schedule
| Week | Focus | What to actually do |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 Mar 12 | Periods 1 & 2: 1491-1754 | Pre-contact societies, Columbian exchange, colonial systems (Chesapeake, New England, Middle, Southern), triangular trade. 20 released MCQs. Combined 4-6% of exam weight. |
| Week 2 Mar 19 | Periods 3 & 4: 1754-1848 | French and Indian War, Revolution, Constitution, early republic, Jacksonian democracy, market revolution. 10-17% weight. 1 timed SAQ set (3 SAQs, 40 min). |
| Week 3 Mar 26 | Period 5: 1844-1877 | Manifest destiny, sectionalism, Civil War, Reconstruction. Frequent DBQ topic across released exams. Deep dive. 1 SAQ + 1 DBQ (untimed, learning the format). |
| Week 4 Apr 2 | Periods 6 & 7: 1865-1945 | Industrialization, Gilded Age, populism, progressivism, WWI, Roaring 20s, Great Depression, New Deal, WWII. Highest combined weight (about 27-35%). 2 timed SAQs. |
| Week 5 Apr 9 | Periods 8 & 9: 1945-present | Cold War, civil rights, Vietnam, conservatism, globalization, contemporary period. About 20-24% weight. Take Practice Exam 1 at end of week under real timing. |
| Week 6 Apr 16 | DBQ intensive | Practice 2 timed DBQs. Focus on sourcing at least 2 documents (HAPP - Historical situation, Audience, Purpose, Point of view), contextualization paragraph, complex thesis with counterargument. |
| Week 7 Apr 23 | LEQ + Practice Exam 2 | Long essay practice across all period ranges. Take Practice Exam 2. Compare score to week 5. Target weak periods and weak question types. |
| Week 8 Apr 30 | Sharpen & rest | Short spaced review across all 9 periods. 2 SAQs per day Mon-Thu. Fri-Sun: timeline flashcards, thesis practice, sleep priority. |
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Generate My Schedule FreePeriod weights on the APUSH exam
The College Board publishes approximate weight ranges. Use these to allocate more review time to higher-weight periods.
- Period 1 (1491-1607): 4-6%
- Period 2 (1607-1754): 6-8%
- Period 3 (1754-1800): 10-17%
- Period 4 (1800-1848): 10-17%
- Period 5 (1844-1877): 10-17% (and frequent DBQ topic)
- Period 6 (1865-1898): 10-17%
- Period 7 (1890-1945): 10-17%
- Period 8 (1945-1980): 10-17%
- Period 9 (1980-present): 4-6%
The 4-week compressed version
- Week 1: Periods 1-4. Skim, 20 MCQs per period pair.
- Week 2: Periods 5-7. Two SAQs. Practice Exam 1.
- Week 3: Periods 8-9 + DBQ intensive. Practice Exam 2.
- Week 4: Weak-area targeting Mon-Wed. LEQ practice Thu. Rest Fri-Sun.
What most APUSH students get wrong
They over-invest in Period 1 and Period 9 (combined weight only 8-12%) and under-invest in Periods 3-7 (combined weight often 60%+). Follow the weights.
They memorize dates and neglect themes. APUSH is thematic: politics, work/exchange/technology, culture/society, migration, geography/environment, America in the world. The DBQ and LEQ are graded on thematic argument, not date recall.
They skip the LEQ practice because "I already do DBQs." The two skills are related but not identical. Write at least three LEQs before exam day.