Learn how text to speech applications can help you study for AP exams, such as the AP US History exam.
Each May, American college students take Advanced Placement exams. These range from all subjects, including the history of the United States. To take the test, students currently need to pay $93. However, if they are foreign and take it outside U.S. territory, the cost is higher, $123. As such, taking the test as a joke isn’t really an option, especially nowadays with the state of the economy.
Besides taking APs seriously and studying hard during the crash course, some students look for other ways to increase their chances of passing the test. Some take additional classes, others take practice tests, while a few take things to a whole new level. Yep! They use audio study material for better learning.
Audio study material is usually an audiobook that tackles certain topics. For the AP U.S. history exam, the audio material obviously talks about the past and present of America. Some colleges offer their students audio material as part of the class, especially to those with learning disabilities like dyslexia or impaired vision.
Yet, what if you’re an average student without obstacles? Can audio-learning benefit you as well as it does them? The short answer is yes. Listening and reading simultaneously can increase your chances of passing the AP exam.
But let’s expand on this idea a bit more. Allow us to, therefore, take you through our APUSH review and the benefits of audio study material.
A brief history of the AP US History exam
AP is short for Advanced Placement, and it refers to College Board exams. These examinations cover numerous subjects, from biology and chemistry to U.S. government and world history. Most AP exams offer multiple-choice and free-response questions. Either way, students take APs every year in Spring, and the last one was on Friday, the 6th of May.
The history of APs goes way back to the beginning of the 1950s. It was initiated in 1951, and the students were administered the first one three years later. However, it was used in only 27 schools for testing. It wasn’t until 1956 that APs were given on a national level, with the cost of a single test being $10.
When it comes to APUSH exams (the history of the United States), it’s a bit more complex than just key terms and dates. It involves critical historical thinking, analysis, writing, and contextualization. APUSH periods include 9 parts, divided into historical epochs, from 1491 to the present day in America.
To answer these document-based questions, college students have more than enough time. Precisely, three hours and fifteen minutes. The AP United States history test is separated into two parts. Each of these sections is further divided into parts A and B.
- Section 1A — Multiple Choice
- Section 1B — Short Answer
- Section 2A — Document-Based Questions
- Section 2B — Long Essay Question
The first section lasts for 55 minutes, and you can get a maximum of 40% score. 2A takes 40 minutes and you can score 20%. On the other hand, section 2A is the longest due to a 15-minute-long reading period, and it takes one hour to complete. You can score 25% on it. Lastly, section 2B is 40 minutes, and the AP values it at only 15%.
Benefits of using audio study material
When someone mentions audiobooks and text to speech apps, most people imagine lazy folks who find it easier to listen than to read. However, that’s not really the case. We live in a day and age where time is a currency. It seems like 24 hours is never enough to achieve all we want in one day. Therefore, we require ways to multitask and improve our daily performance. And if that means listening instead of reading, well, so be it.
All this aside, using audiobooks is a great way for people with learning disabilities to catch up with the rest of their class. Dyslexics, along with ADHD and blind people, can hugely benefit from text to speech services that turn written study guides into audio. It allows them almost the same chance of achieving their educational goals. As such, it’s not a privilege as much as it is a necessity so that they can at least have an equal opportunity that others have.
Numerous studies suggest that audiobooks can increase students’ comprehension of study material. They also show that by using this method of experiencing books, a person can increase their reading capabilities. Furthermore, audible material can enrich their vocabulary and improve their fluency. And lastly, listening can provide help to foreign students who still struggle with the language and its proper word pronunciation.
All in all, audiobooks benefit everyone. It’s not just for those who prefer to listen. This technology is beneficial for students with learning disabilities, as much as it is for average people. And if you intend to use it for your Advanced Placement American history exam, well, we can only say that you’re making the right decision. It will get you a high score without the need of taking numerous practice exams.
How to use audio study material to improve your score on the AP US History exam
The basic idea behind using audiobooks for studying is simple. It suggests that listening while simultaneously reading increases the amount of information you remember. It’s like that two-heads-are-smarter-than-one phrase. But this isn’t some mumbo jumbo. There are numerous studies that suggest that.
So, how to get started with audio study material for your U.S. history course test? You first need to acquire all the material from which you’ll listen/read. But don’t despair if you don’t have audiobooks on Native Americans, the Civil War, World War II, and the Cold War. You can always turn written text into speech and use it as an audiobook.
Turning text to speech (TTS) is as easy as one, two, three with an app like Speechify. This TTS tool uses high-end technology, such as optical character recognition, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. You can paste the digital text into it or even snap photos of long essays, and Speechify will transcribe it into speech, or even create a playlist of practice questions.
Aside from being available on pretty much any platform (iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows), it shows versatility in its easy-to-use interface. The app allows for various reading voices, speed, and diction. You can also fiddle with tone controls to adjust AI voices to your liking. And the best part is that it comes with a yearly subscription at a reasonable price.
