AP U.S. Government & Politics

AP US Government & Politics

Use the menu above to access the best AP Government practice exams, free response questions, notes, videos, flashcards, and study guides. These online resources include all the information you need to succeed in you Government & Politics course.

AP US Government & Politics Exam

This course went through a major revision for the 2018–2019 school year. The updated course has five units covering the following topics: Foundations of American Democracy, Interactions Among Branches of Government, Civil Liberties & Civil Rights, American Political Ideologies & Beliefs, and Political Participation.

The AP Government exam format is:

Section I
55 Multiple Choice Questions (80 Minutes)

Section II
4 Free Response Questions (100 Minutes)

Each section makes up 50% of your final score. Many of the AP Government multiple choice questions include stimulus material such as charts, graphs, or text passages. There are four different types of free response questions. You are given 100 minutes total, but the College Board recommmends that you spend 20 minutes on each of the first three, and then 40 minutes of the fourth one. Here is the breakdown on the free response:

  1. Concept Application — Respond to a political scenario.
  2. Quantitative Analysis — Analyze data and explain how it relates to a principal, policy, or institution.
  3. SCOTUS Comparison — You are given a non-required supreme court case and must compare it to one of the required ones.
  4. Argument Essay — Develop an argument using several foundation documents.

When is the AP Government Exam?

The AP U.S. Government & Politics Exam for the 2022–2023 school year is Monday, May 1, 2023 at 8 a.m. The test is only offered once per year.

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