Is AP Psychology Hard 5 Key Factors Discussed

Is AP Psychology Hard 5 Key Factors Discussed SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Before you sign up for any AP class, it's helpful to get an idea of whether you’ll be able to handle the workload (and the exam!). AP Psychology is a popular AP class that is offered at many schools, so you might have the chance to take it at some point in your high school career. But is AP psychology hard? Or is it a walk in the AP park? I’ll tell you which factors go into judging the difficulty of an AP class and examine what they tell us about the AP Psychology class and exam specifically. What Factors Go Into Determining the Difficulty of an AP Class? There are several components that we need to consider to get a clearer picture of how hard AP Psychology is overall. Here's what I'll be looking at in this article: Factor #1: Passing Rate The number of students who score a 3 or above on the AP exam can be a good indication of how difficult the class is. If a very high percentage of students earn passing scores, it may mean that the class is less challenging. It may also mean, however, that the class attracts higher-achieving students who are extremely well-prepared and tend to do better on tests across the board. That’s why, in addition to score averages, we'll also consider the perceptions of students and the actual difficulty of the content. Factor #2: Percentage of Students Who Earn a 5 Another important piece of statistical data that is slightly different from the passing rate is the percentage of students who earn 5s (the highest possible score) on the test. A large percentage of students may pass, but if only a small group earns 5s, it may mean that true mastery of the course material is hard to achieve. Even students who get 5s haven’t always fully mastered the material considering the fact that scoring a 5 on many of these tests only means answering 60-70 percent of questions correctly. Factor #3: Content Difficulty The actual content of the class is, of course, a critical factor to consider in investigating the difficulty of an AP class. Even if many students pass the exam, the class may be challenging because of the amount of ground it covers or the complexity of the material. Factor #4: How Students Perceive the Class Another critical factor in judging the difficulty of AP classes is the way students view them. As I mentioned, classes with high pass rates and high 5 rates may simply be courses that attract extremely hard-working students. Even if they ace the class and the exam, it doesn’t necessarily mean they found the material to be easy. They’re just willing to work through subjects that are hard for them. Student feedback can give us a different perspective on the difficulty of an AP class. Factor #5: When Students Take the Class This is a factor that impacts perceptions of the class and exam. If students tend to take the class earlier in high school, they're more likely to say that it’s difficult. If they take it their junior or senior year, they're more likely to feel comfortable with the material since they’ve gotten used to the workload in high school and may have already taken other AP classes. In the next section, I’ll go through all of these factors for both the AP Psychology class and exam to give you a better idea of their overall difficulty level. Time to put all the pieces together. Eventually, if you smoosh them together hard enough, a complete puzzle will materialize. What Do Statistics Say About the AP Psychology Exam? Let’s look at the passing rate and 5 rate. The passing rate for the AP Psychology exam is 65.6 percent, which is right around average compared to other AP exams. In comparison, AP Calculus BC has an 79.8 percent passing rate (one of the highest), and AP Environmental Science has a 47.7 percent passing rate (one of the lowest). The passing rate statistics would lead you to believe that the AP Psychology exam has a medium difficulty level as compared to other AP exams. The 5 rate for the exam is 21.2 percent. This 5 rate is towards the upper range of the spectrum as compared to other AP exams. There are only 11 AP exams that have 5 rates higher than AP Psychology, compared to the 20-30 with lower 5 rates. This might make you think that the test is on the easier side. But which is it? What does this really tell us? Interpreting these statistics means striking a difficult balance. Paradoxically, sometimes AP tests with high pass rates are actually more difficult. Since the subjects themselves are challenging (and have a reputation for it), they only attract the most motivated, well-prepared students. Similarly, AP tests for easier subjects might have lower passing rates because these classes attract less motivated students who don't always prepare thoroughly. Low pass rates can also happen on extremely popular tests where the number of students taking the test has increased rapidly, but their average level of preparation has declined due to the uneven quality of AP classes. Since AP Psychology is in the middle range of score statistics, we might initially assume that it has a medium level of difficulty in comparison to other AP tests. However, because AP Psychology is also one of the more popular tests, the 5 rate and passing rate could actually indicate that it’s much less difficult than your average AP test. In most other cases, popular tests have 5 rates that are skewed lower than the 5 rate for the AP Psychology exam. Taking all of this information into account, signs point to AP Psychology being one of the easier tests. The fact that it only has two free response questions (as compared to eight on a test like AP Biology) and that most of the material can be mastered through simple memorization also support this conclusion. Only two free response questions WAHOOO Is the AP Psychology Content Difficult? AP Psychology covers many different topics, but the content itself is not that difficult. The class focuses on teaching students about terms and theories that come from a relatively short period of history. Since the breadth of the content is not as wide as it is for other AP classes (for example, a class like AP Biology), teachers have the luxury of moving the course along at a more leisurely pace. You can also rely mostly on memorization to do well in the class, as opposed to in-depth analytical skills or advanced problem-solving strategies. As long as you know what the terms mean and are familiar with major psychological theories, you'll probably know the answers to most AP Psychology questions. There's even some room for interpretation in your answers to free response questions. If a question asks you to describe how certain psychological terms could relate to a scenario, there will be many different ways to earn points. Overall, the content for AP Psychology is manageable for most students. Compared to other AP classes, it's significantly less overwhelming and complex. Do Students Think AP Psychology Is Hard? Another factor to consider is how students perceive AP Psychology. This can depend heavily on the teacher and the way the class is taught, but the nature of the material itself also plays a significant role. In general, the perception of AP Psychology leans toward the class and test being easier than most other AP classes. Speaking from personal experience, I thought the AP Psychology class and test were the easiest of any AP class I took in high school. Many students who weren’t in any other AP classes took AP Psychology, and they did just fine in the class and on the test. It’s a lot of memorization of terms and theories and psychologists, but the way you’re asked to use that knowledge on the test and in the class isn’t necessarily highly complex. You just need to have a basic understanding of the definitions of terms and be able to apply them to different situations. The breadth of the material covered also isn’t as wide as some other AP classes. My guess is that the only reason the 5 rate isn’t even higher on the AP Psychology test is because many students don't prepare adequately. They may underestimate the test because AP Psychology classes are typically easier than other AP classes. Also, students who don’t take many (or any) other AP classes frequently take AP Psychology just to get an AP their transcripts. The test is definitely on the less difficult side, but the passing rate remains about average because so many kids take it, and many of them aren't adequately prepared. AP Psychology is also commonly taken during junior or senior year when students are more prepared for college-level material. This could be part of the reason students percieve the class as being relatively easy. By junior year, many high school students have taken other AP classes and can compare their experiences in those classes to their experiences in AP Psychology. Dude, I hear you get to watch movies every day in AP Psych, and you don't have to do, like, any work. Will AP Psychology Be Hard for You? Whether AP Psychology is difficult for you depends on how the class is taught at your school and what your strengths are as a student. Here’s what you should do to figure out if you're in for a challenge: #1: Ask Previous Students, Guidance Counselors, or Teachers About the Class The best way to learn whether the AP Psychology class taught at your school will be difficult is to ask people who either know about the class or have been through it themselves. If you're friends with any older students or have siblings, ask them what they thought of the class. You might even ask your current teachers to see how they feel about AP Psychology and if they think you’d be able to handle it. Your guidance counselor will also be familiar with your school's AP Psychology class and how students similar to you have fared in the course. This is a good way to judge whether the class is disproportionately easy or disproportionately hard in comparison to the actual AP test. It’s nice to know beforehand if you’ll need to do extra preparation for the test on your own to make up for a deceptively easy course. #2: Determine Whether Psychology Is Your Kind of Subject You should also think about whether you tend to succeed in classes that require similar skills to AP Psychology. AP Psychology is memorization-heavy, so you'll probably do well in it if history or biology classes have been your strong suit in the past. You might find it more challenging if you’re not great at memorizing facts and instead gravitate towards classes where the ability to use logical reasoning takes precedence over memorization (like math). #3: Consider Your Schedule If you’re taking a bunch of other difficult classes, you might not want to add AP Psychology into the mix. Even if it’s a relatively easy class at your school, you’ll still have to devote some study time to it, and taking an additional class could stress you out too much. AP Psychology could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. And YOU'RE THE CAMEL. Conclusion: So Is AP Psychology Hard? After considering all the factors, I would say that AP Psychology is not hard in comparison to other high-level classes. There isn’t a huge amount of material to cover, students usually report that the class is easy, and the exam is less demanding and complex than many other AP exams. This doesn’t guarantee that the class won’t be challenging for you (every school is different, and so is every student), but the amount of work required will probably be less than most other APs, and the most important skill you’ll need is memorization. Make sure that you don’t under-prepare for the exam, especially if your class ends up being especially easy. As long as you don’t let your guard down too much, AP Psychology should be a manageable class for you overall! What's Next? What are some topics you might cover in AP Psychology? Get a taste with our discussion of Stockholm Syndrome and whether or not it's real. If you're curious about the difficulty levels of other AP classes, read this article for an overview of how challenging the AP program is in general. You should also check out this article that lists the average scores for all AP tests. It will give you a better idea of which classes are right for you and how you might structure your schedule going forward. One of the benefits of AP is the ability to earn college credit. Learn more about how AP credit works at colleges. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Researching the Civil War Soldiers in Your Family Tree

Researching the Civil War Soldiers in Your Family Tree The American Civil War, fought from 1861-1865, affected nearly every man, woman, and child living in the United States. Almost 3.5 million soldiers are believed to have been involved, with around 360,000 Union soldiers and 260,000 Confederate soldiers losing their lives as a direct result of the war. Given the dramatic impact of this conflict, if your ancestors lived in the United States during this time, it is likely that youll find at least one Civil War soldier in your family tree. Locating a Civil War ancestor, whether it is a direct ancestor or a collateral relative, can provide another source of information on your family tree. Civil War pension files, for example, contain statements of family relationships, dates and places of marriage, and lists of various places the soldier lived after the war. Muster-in rolls often contain places of birth, as do descriptive rolls. Before You Begin the soldiers namewhether he served for the Union or Confederate armythe state from which the soldier served In Which Unit Did Your Soldier Serve? Once youve determined the state from which your Civil War ancestor likely served, the next helpful step is to learn which company and regiment to which he was assigned. If your ancestor was a Union soldier, he may have been part of the U.S. Regulars, a unit of the United States Army. More likely he was a member of a volunteer regiment raised by his home state, such as the 11th Virginia Volunteers or the 4th Maine Volunteer Infantry. If your Civil War ancestor was an artilleryman, you may find him in a battery unit such as Battery B, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery or Battery A, 1st North Carolina Artillery, also called Manlys Battery. African-American soldiers served in regiments ending with U.S.C.T. which stands for United States Colored Troops. These regiments also had Caucasian officers. While infantry regiments were the most common type of service unit of the Civil War, there were many other branches of service on both sides - Union and Confederate. Your Civil War ancestor may have been in a heavy artillery regiment, cavalry, engineers or even the navy. There are many ways to learn the regiment in which your ancestor served. Begin at home, by asking your parents, grandparents and other relatives. Check photo albums and other old family records as well. If you know where the solider is buried, his tombstone may list his state and unit number. If you know the county where the soldier lived when he enlisted, then county histories or other county resources should provide details of the units formed in the area. Neighbors and family members often enlisted together, which may provide further clues. Even if you only know the state in which your Civil War ancestor served, most states compiled and published a list of the soldiers in each unit from that state. These can often be found at a libraries with a local history or genealogical collection. Some lists have also been partially published online. There are also two country-wide published series that list the soldiers who served in the Union or Confederate armies during the war, along with their regiments: The Roster of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot Publishing) - A 33-volume set that lists all of the men who served in the Union armies by state, regiment and company.The Roster of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 - A 16-volume set that lists all of the individuals who served in the southern armies during the war, by state and organization. Civil War Soldiers Sailors System (CWSS) sponsored by the National Park Service. The system features an on-line database of names of soldiers, sailors, and United States Colored Troops who served in the Civil War based on records at the National Archives. The subscription-based U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles collection at Ancestry.com and the American Civil War Research Database are other excellent resources for online Civil War research. They will cost you, but both generally offer further details than the CWSS database. If your ancestor has a common name, however, it may be difficult to distinguish him in these lists until you have identified his location and regiment. are other excellent resources for online Civil War research. They will cost you, but both generally offer further details than the CWSS database. If your ancestor has a common name, however, it may be difficult to distinguish him in these lists until you have identified his location and regiment. Once youve determined your Civil War soldiers name, state and regiment, its time to turn to service records and pension records, the meat of Civil War research. Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR) Whether fighting for the Union or the Confederacy, each volunteer soldier who served in the Civil War will have a Compiled Military Service Record for each regiment in which he served. The majority of Civil War soldiers served in volunteer regiments, distinguishing them from individuals serving in the regular U.S. Army. The CMSR contains basic information about the soldiers military career, when and where he enlisted, when he was present or absent from camp, amount of bounty paid, how long he served, and when and where he was discharged, or died. Additional detail, when pertinent, may also be included, including information on hospitalization for injury or illness, capture as a prisoner of war, courts martial, etc. The CMSR is an envelope (called a jacket) containing one or more cards. Each card contains information compiled several years after the Civil War from original muster rolls and other records that survived the war. This includes Confederate records captured by the Union armies. How to Obtain Copies of Compiled Military Service Records Online from Fold3.com – Fold3.com, in collaboration with the National Archives, has digitized CMSRs from most states, both Confederate and Union, and put them online where they can be viewed and downloaded for a fee. CMSRs are currently available for most, but not all states at Fold3.com.Order Online from the National Archives – You can order Civil War Service records from the National Archives online or by mail for a fee. To use this service, you will need the soldiers name, regiment, state and allegiance. If you prefer to order a copy by mail, you will need to download and use NATF Form 86. Civil War Pension Records Most Union Civil War soldiers, or their widows or other dependents, applied for a pension from the U.S. federal government. The biggest exception were unmarried soldiers who died during or soon after the war. Confederate pensions, on the other hand, were generally only available for disabled or indigent soldiers, and sometimes their dependents. Union Civil War Pension Records are available from the National Archives. Indexes to these Union pension records are available online by subscription at Fold3.com and Ancestry.com (subscription links). Copies of the full Union Pension File (often containing dozens of pages) and be ordered online or by mail from the National Archives. Confederate Civil War Pension Records can generally be found in the appropriate State Archives or equivalent agency. Some states have also put indexes to or even digitized copies of their Confederate pension records online.Confederate Pension Records – A State by State Guide