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Cranbrook Schools Alumna Posts Only Flawless Result in Nation on AP European History Exam

10/25/2016

Cranbrook Schools alumna Hannah Buonomo (’16) has achieved a top score on a recent AP European History exam, which she took this past May prior to her graduation. More remarkably, Buonomo answered every question correctly, giving her a perfect overall score on the exam.

Trevor Packer, College Board Senior Vice President of AP and Instruction, informed Buonomo that her performance “was so superior that it falls into a very select category.” Not only was her score of 5 a great achievement, Buonomo was “the only one of 109,621 AP European History Exam takers to earn every point possible on this difficult assessment.”

The AP European History Exam assesses students’ knowledge and understanding of European history. Exam questions are based on key and supporting concepts, course themes, and historical thinking skills as defined in the course and exam descriptions. The exam consists of 55 multiple choice questions, 4 short answer questions, 1 document-based response question, and 1 essay question. Tests are scored on a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being equivalent to a 4.0 in a college course.

Says Buonomo, “The college board had just changed the format of the exam, which made it hard to know how to prepare. However, Cranbrook's history classes are very rigorous and comprehensive so I went into the exam with a lot of practice using the skills the exam is supposed to test. I was also in both AP World and AP Euro at the same time which meant I learned about the events covered in euro from multiple perspectives.”

Buonomo’s accomplishment is noted by her former teacher, Frank “Chip” Wiswall, who has taught AP European History since 1994 and has served as a reader for the AP European History Exam since 2003. “Hannah is an exceptionally talented history student. Her range of interests and her enthusiasm for the discipline, as evidenced by the fact that she took AP Euro and AP World simultaneously,” he said. “I am fortunate to be part of a dedicated department of AP teachers and historians who could encourage her in her pursuit of excellence. Cranbrook Kingswood’s History Department is honored by her achievement, and wishes her all the best in her studies at the University of Chicago.”

To read this story on Patch, click here.

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