Everything to Know About The AP® U.S. Government And Politics Exam

Why Take AP U.S. Government and Politics?

Taking AP U.S. Government and Politics not only provides college credit opportunities, enhances critical thinking skills, and prepares students for informed citizenship but also fosters skill development, historical understanding, engagement in civic discourse, exposure to diverse perspectives, leadership development, and interdisciplinary connections. If you're looking for a social science class that opens doors to many sought-after majors, AP United States Government and Politics is your ticket. Nail that AP U.S. Gov exam and you'll be set for studying subjects like American studies, international relations, journalism, mass communication, law, and sociology.

AP U.S. Gov exam requires dedication and rigor to succeed. It all comes down to assessing the benefits and drawbacks to see if a subject fits you. Let's consider a few more reasons this course can improve your future career options.

1. Build a Solid Foundation in U.S. Political Studies for College

   For students interested in political science, law, or related fields, AP U.S. Government provides a solid foundation of subject-specific knowledge and skills. AP U.S. Gov is no ordinary boring class. It contains more content than typical high school courses, pushing you to dive into research and flex those analytical muscles.

2. Improve Your College Applications

   Want to showcase your college readiness and instantly boost your college application? Here's the deal: AP courses are like gold on a high school transcript. Since they follow a standardized curriculum, colleges know they can trust AP class credits. Passing the AP U.S. Gov exam also shows your academic prowess and proves you're ready to take on the challenge of college-level courses. Your chances of getting into your dream school are bound to increase as a result.

   “85 percent of institutions say that a student's AP experience influences admission decisions positively.”¹

3. Potential College Credit

   While each college has its requirements, AP U.S. Gov is generally comparable to a first-semester college course in United States government and political studies. If your prospective college offers college credit for a passing score on AP exams, a score of 3 or above will usually qualify you for that benefit.

   An AP score in AP U.S. Gov often fulfills the requirements for a history or social sciences major.

4. Boost Your High School Transcript

   Many high schools weight AP courses higher than traditional high school courses on your GPA. As a result, receiving an average grade in an AP class is generally considered a better alternative than getting an A on a traditional high school course exam.

5. Save Time and Money

   If you score well on the exam, you may be able to skip through introductory college courses related to AP Gov and enroll in advanced courses. This can help you save one year (25%) of college and one-fourth of your overall tuition fees.

   “Studies show that students who achieve a 3 or better on AP exams have higher academic success and graduation rates than their non-AP classmates.”¹

6. Broaden Your Career Options

   Imagine this scenario: you start on the path of politics, but then a few semesters into college, you decide the law is your calling. No worries, AP U.S. Gov’s got you covered. It will keep your options open, no matter what you decide to do. With the AP U.S. Gov course in your arsenal, you can confidently explore different majors and keep your prospects open.

7. Build Critical Thinking And Writing Skills

   AP U.S. Gov is about spotting cultural trends, placing solid arguments, and developing critical thinking skills. So if you want to level these skills up for a career in politics or related career paths, AP Gov is a great option. The ability to succinctly create an argument and support it with evidence will give you an edge over many of your peers in college..

(But wait, there's more!) This course plays well with others. Consider teaming it up with AP U.S. History, AP World History, or AP Comparative Government and Politics. These power combos give you everything you need to know about the U.S. political system, its roots, and the documents that shaped it. You'll become proficient in understanding why certain decisions were made and how they fit into the bigger picture of what was going on at home and worldwide. These reasons–and several others–might explain AP Gov’s popularity among students. In 2024, alone, over 350,000 students took the course, and a solid 73% of them earned scores of 3 or higher.

Let’s check out a few questions that explore how the AP U.S. Gov course and exam can boost your career and college prospects:

How many college credits do you get with a score of 3, 4, or 5 on the AP U.S. Government exam?

Generally, a score of 3 is considered passing, and many institutions may award you college credit for it. A passing AP U.S. Gov score typically fulfills prerequisites for a history or social science college course and earns around 3 college credits for passing the AP exam.

However, the amount of credit and the specific course it satisfies can vary institution to institution. The best way to know the credit policies for a specific college is to check with the college's admissions or registrar's office, or consult their official AP credit policy.

Does AP U.S. Government look good on a college application?

Yes, completing AP U.S. Government and Politics can positively impact your college application. Completing AP U.S. Government and Politics enhances a college application by demonstrating academic rigor, showcasing subject-specific knowledge, and indicating readiness for college-level work.

Is AP U.S. Government worth taking? Yes, we think so! It can be valuable for earning college credit, developing critical thinking skills, preparing for civic engagement, and standing out in college admissions. 

Should I Take AP U.S. Government?

If you are still unsure if AP U.S. Gov could be the right fit for you, ask yourself:

• What are your future goals?

  Are you interested in pursuing a career in political sciences, legislation, or something similar? AP U.S. Gov is a versatile course for international relations, journalism, and legal and paralegal studies students. It is also an option if you wish to fulfill a course requirement for your college major.

  Understanding your career ambitions and aptitude is important to deciding whether a course like AP U.S. Government and Politics could benefit you in the long run.

• Are you skilled at reading, analyzing, and interpreting data?

  The AP U.S. Gov course emphasizes analyzing information over rote memorization. However, since a big chunk of this course is based on foundational documents, it also requires skills. You will likely excel in this course if you possess excellent analytic, organizational, critical thinking, and memorization skills.

• How many other AP classes are you taking? How rigorous are they?

  As an AP course, AP U.S. Government and Politics requires its due diligence, planning, and effort to secure a good AP score. Sometimes, students overburden themselves by enrolling in several AP classes, then burn out before the end of the semester. It is always better to take a few courses you know you can confidently handle than it is to take many courses and falter midway. It’s important to ask yourself if it’s realistic to add another AP class and still succeed without burning out. The number of AP courses a student can feasibly take on is different for everyone, so it’s important to make this decision based on what’s right for you.

Is AP U.S. Government and Politics Difficult?

Scoring a 3 or higher on the AP U.S. Government exam has historically been a challenge for students. In 2022, only 48.7% achieved this benchmark, and in 2023, the number rose slightly to 49.2%. However, the 2024 exam saw a significant jump, with 73% of students earning a score of 3 or higher. This improvement could be attributed to the course's unique demands—it requires students to analyze, recall complex information, and write effectively, skills that take time and practice to master.

To maximize your preparation, UWorld offers a comprehensive AP U.S. Government study guide and an extensive QBank designed to help you understand key concepts and excel on the exam.

AP U.S. Government Review Tips

Preparing for a heavyweight course like AP U.S. Gov requires meticulous planning, preparation, time, and dedication, which can sometimes feel tricky. Not to worry, however, because a few simple tips can help you easily review the course material.

• Prepare a study schedule well ahead of time

  Students preparing for AP exams often fail to plan a detailed study schedule ahead of time, preventing them from engaging with the subject systematically. Planning a study schedule will help you break the course content into smaller, manageable chunks and will also help you identify the difficult portions of each unit. You can revise and work on these portions as you proceed through the course.

• Make study notes on the side

  Remember to always make study notes while preparing for your exam. If you are following a regular study schedule, you’ll already have the course broken down into bite-sized chunks. While focusing on each unit, note down the tricky topics so you can follow up on them during your review. Take notes while studying for each of your politics or government courses–these notes will come in handy and serve as a foundation for your AP notes later.

• Familiarize yourself with the question format through practice tests

  You can choose from various practice tests, like UWorld's AP U.S. Government and Politics QBank. As you practice more, you will become familiar with what the questions are asking of you and the various ways to approach and analyze a question. Since this course requires argumentative essay-type questions, practice tests boost your knowledge of the subject so you can draft your essays quickly.

While studying for an AP exam with reference books can help, it’s ideal to actually enroll in AP classes, either online or in-person, where you clear up any misconceptions with the help of an AP teacher for an efficient learning process. Our step-by-step AP U.S. Government and Politics Study Plan can also help. We work hard for you so you can prep faster and smarter. The best part? We offer a free trial!