3 TIPS for Crushing STIMULUS-BASED Multiple Choice (APUSH, AP World, AP Euro)

Heimler's History

7 Apr 202204:16

EducationalLearning

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TLDRIn this educational video, Steve Heimler offers strategies to tackle stimulus-based multiple-choice questions for AP exams, which account for 40% of the score. He emphasizes the importance of timing, reading the question first, and understanding the attribution to save time. Heimler explains how to identify and eliminate obviously wrong answers and distinguishes between distractors and the correct answer. He also provides tactical advice, such as not changing answers without certainty and the reality that scoring in the mid-70s on multiple-choice can lead to a high school AP success.

Takeaways

😀 Stimulus-based multiple choice questions are often disliked due to their complexity and the time they take to complete.
🕒 The time limit for these questions is 55 minutes for 55 questions, averaging to one minute per question.
📝 The recommended order of operations is to first read the question, then the attribution, and finally the stimulus.
🔍 Reading the question first helps to identify what to look for in the stimulus, saving time and increasing efficiency.
✏️ Marking up the stimulus while reading can help in quickly identifying relevant information needed to answer the question.
🗑️ There are typically two obviously wrong answers per question, often due to being from a different time period or historical thinking skill.
🚫 The 'distractor' is a factually correct but irrelevant answer, designed to mislead test-takers.
✅ The correct answer is the one that best fits the question's requirements without being a distractor or obviously wrong.
📚 Knowing the course content is crucial for identifying the obviously wrong answers and is a key to success.
🧠 Memorizing vocabulary and arranging concepts by time periods can help in quickly recognizing incorrect time periods in the answers.
🤔 Trusting one's initial instinct is often better than overthinking, especially given the time constraints of the test.
💯 Scoring in the mid-70s on the multiple choice section can be enough to achieve a high score overall on the AP exam.

Q & A

What type of questions does Steve Heimler discuss in the video?
-Steve Heimler discusses stimulus-based multiple choice questions, specifically those found in AP exams such as AP Euro, AP US, and AP World.
Why do many students find stimulus-based multiple choice questions frustrating?
-Students find them frustrating because they are confusing, take a long time to answer, and cause anxiety during the AP exam season.
What is the main goal of Steve's advice in the video?
-The main goal is to help students understand how to approach stimulus-based multiple choice questions to improve their performance on AP exams.
How much time is allocated for stimulus-based multiple choice questions in the AP exam?
-Students have 55 minutes to complete 55 stimulus-based multiple choice questions.
What is the significance of the time period mentioned in the video?
-The time period is significant because it informs the students about the historical context they need to consider when answering the questions.
What is the recommended order of operations when tackling a stimulus-based multiple choice question?
-The recommended order is to first read the question, then read the attribution, and finally read and mark up the stimulus.
What are the three types of answer choices typically found in stimulus-based multiple choice questions?
-The three types are: obviously wrong answers, distractors, and the correct answer.
Why should students eliminate the obviously wrong answers first?
-Eliminating the obviously wrong answers first narrows down the choices and increases the chances of selecting the correct answer.
What advice does Steve give regarding changing answers on the multiple choice section?
-Steve advises not to change answers unless you are 100% sure that the initial answer was wrong, as overthinking can lead to incorrect changes.
What is the general score range for students aiming to achieve a high score on the AP exam?
-Students who score in the mid-70s on the multiple choice section are generally on track to achieve a high score on the AP exam.
What additional resource does Steve offer for students who want to see him work through multiple choice questions?
-Steve offers another video where he walks through multiple choice questions for AP World and APUSH, demonstrating the tips and thought process in action.

Outlines

00:00

😖 Understanding AP Multiple Choice Questions

This paragraph introduces the common frustration with stimulus-based multiple choice questions in AP exams, particularly during the stressful exam season. The speaker, Steve Heimler, promises to help viewers approach these questions more effectively, with the goal of improving their performance. He emphasizes the importance of these questions, which constitute about 40% of the exam score, and introduces himself as a guide to achieving high grades and exam scores.

⏳ Time Management for AP Multiple Choice Questions

The speaker discusses the timing aspect of the AP multiple choice questions, explaining that students have 55 minutes to complete 55 questions, which averages to one minute per question. He mentions an upcoming video that will provide strategies for answering questions more quickly but stresses that the test makers expect students to read and understand the documents within the given time frame, not to spend excessive time on any single question.

🔍 Order of Operations for Answering Questions

Steve outlines the recommended order of operations for tackling each multiple choice question: first, read the question to know what to look for in the stimulus; second, read the attribution to gather valuable information about the time period and entities involved; and third, read the stimulus quickly and mark up potential clues. He then advises on how to proceed to answer the question from the four possible choices.

📋 Identifying Incorrect and Correct Answers

The paragraph explains the types of incorrect answers one might encounter: those that are obviously wrong due to being from a different time period or historical thinking skill, distractors that are factually correct but do not answer the question, and the correct answer. The speaker suggests eliminating the obviously wrong answers first and provides advice on how to recognize them, emphasizing the importance of knowing the course content and arranging concepts within their respective time periods.

🚀 Tactical Tips for Multiple Choice Success

Steve offers tactical advice for the multiple choice section, including answering all questions to avoid getting no credit for blanks, not changing answers unless absolutely certain of a mistake, and trusting one's initial instincts over overthinking. He also reassures viewers that a high score on the multiple choice section is not as critical as one might think for achieving a high overall exam score, citing that mid-70s scores are often sufficient.

👀 Further Assistance with AP Multiple Choice Questions

The final paragraph invites viewers to watch additional content where Steve will demonstrate how to apply the tips discussed in the video to actual AP multiple choice questions. He promises to show the thought process behind answering these questions effectively and encourages viewers to follow the link provided to see these strategies in action.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Stimulus-based multiple choice questions

These refer to a type of question that is based on a provided stimulus, such as a document, image, or text excerpt, which students must analyze to answer the accompanying question. In the video's context, these questions are a source of anxiety for students due to their complexity and time constraints. The script mentions that these questions are part of AP exams and are disliked by students because they are confusing and time-consuming.

💡AP exam season

AP stands for 'Advanced Placement,' which is a program in the United States offering college-level courses and exams to high school students. 'AP exam season' refers to the period when these exams are administered, typically causing stress and anxiety among students as they prepare to test their knowledge and skills. The script mentions 'AP exam season' to emphasize the timing and pressure associated with these exams.

💡Time management

Time management is the process of allocating the available time to different tasks efficiently. In the script, it is mentioned that students have 55 minutes to complete 55 multiple-choice questions, which means they have approximately one minute per question. The concept is crucial for students to perform well on the exam, as it helps them pace themselves and avoid spending too much time on any single question.

💡Order of operations

In the context of the video, 'order of operations' refers to the recommended sequence of steps a student should follow when tackling a multiple-choice question. The script suggests reading the question first, then the attribution, and finally the stimulus, which helps in identifying what to look for in the provided material and saves time during the exam.

💡Attribution

Attribution, in this context, refers to the small piece of text or information that accompanies the stimulus in a multiple-choice question. It provides valuable context, such as the time period or the people/entities involved, which is essential for understanding and answering the question correctly. The script emphasizes its importance and advises students not to overlook it.

💡Distractor

A distractor is a type of incorrect answer choice in multiple-choice questions that may be factually correct but does not answer the specific question being asked. The script describes distractors as answers that can mislead students if they do not carefully consider the question's requirements, making it crucial for students to eliminate these to find the correct answer.

💡Elimination

In the context of the video, 'elimination' refers to the strategy of ruling out incorrect answer choices to increase the likelihood of selecting the correct one. The script advises students to first eliminate the two obviously wrong answers based on time period or historical thinking skill mismatch, which simplifies the decision-making process to choosing between the remaining options.

💡Content mastery

Content mastery implies a deep understanding and knowledge of the subject matter. The script emphasizes that knowing the content is irreplaceable for success on AP exams, especially for eliminating obviously wrong answers and understanding the context provided by the attribution. It is the foundation for correctly answering multiple-choice questions.

💡Tactical tips

Tactical tips are specific, actionable advice or strategies that can be directly applied to a task. In the script, the presenter offers several tactical tips for the multiple-choice section, such as not leaving any questions unanswered, not changing answers without certainty, and understanding that a high score is not necessary to achieve a desired result on the exam.

💡Scoring a five

In the AP exam system, 'scoring a five' refers to achieving the highest possible score on the exam, which is a 5 out of 5. The script mentions this as the ultimate goal for students, indicating that while multiple-choice questions make up a significant portion of the score, other sections of the exam also contribute to achieving this top score.

💡Gut instinct

Gut instinct refers to making decisions based on one's intuition or first impression rather than overthinking or second-guessing. The script advises students to trust their gut when answering multiple-choice questions, suggesting that initial instincts are often more accurate than revised choices, especially under time constraints.

Highlights

Stimulus-based multiple choice questions are often disliked due to their confusion and time-consuming nature.

The video aims to help viewers understand how to approach these types of questions to improve their performance.

Steve Heimler introduces himself as a guide to help students achieve high scores in their exams.

Multiple choice questions constitute about forty percent of the exam score.

The exam timing is 55 minutes for 55 questions, averaging one minute per question.

Test makers design questions with the allotted time in mind, expecting quick understanding rather than in-depth analysis.

The order of operations for approaching questions involves reading the question first, then the attribution, and finally the stimulus.

Reading the question first helps in identifying what to look for in the stimulus, saving time.

The attribution provides valuable information such as the time period and entities involved.

Marking up the stimulus while reading can aid in answering the question.

Multiple choice answers are categorized into obviously wrong, distractors, and the correct answer.

Eliminating obviously wrong answers based on time period or historical thinking skill is a key strategy.

Mastering the content and arranging concepts by time period helps in identifying wrong answers.

Tactical tips include answering all questions, not changing answers without certainty, and trusting one's gut.

Scoring in the mid-70s on multiple choice questions can contribute to achieving a high overall exam score.

An additional video will demonstrate how to apply these tips in practice.

The transcript concludes with an invitation to watch a follow-up video for further guidance.

Transcripts

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