APUSH or IB HOTA? If I take IB, should I take the AP exam?
I'm a current sophomore trying to decide between APUSH or IB HOTA. Why do people choose to take the AP exam when they take IB HOTA? Does it give you extra college credit?
What makes me interested in IB is that it doesn't seem as rushed as APUSH. You learn one period of time over two years instead of learning many topics like in APUSH, so it doesn't seem overwhelming. I also took AP modern and didn't care for it. It's not that I hated it, it just felt very rushed but that could've just been my teacher. What I don't like about IB is that two years is a long commitment and I'm not doing the IB diploma so I don't know if it's worth it. For people who took either class, what did you think of it?
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1 answer
AP and IB classes award the same amount of college credit. Some people choose to take both exams just in case one happens to be easier for them than the other. A high exam score is needed to receive credit at top colleges - for example, Georgetown University requires AP exam scores of 4 or 5 for them to count for credit. The more chances a student has to earn a top score, the better.
My experience with APUSH felt a bit rushed like yours, but I found the AP exam to easier to do well on than other APs. This is because the APUSH exam largely tests for analysis skills rather than a knowledge of historical facts. Once you have mastered answering DBQs, the exam becomes straightforward. The IB exam, on the other hand, is much more intensive. Hope this helps!
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