Read the prompt three times. The prompt is going to give you all of the general information and direction that you will need. Even if you have never seen any of the documents on the test before, the prompt will address material that was covered in the AP world history class.
Underline the action word in the prompt. The specific task of the prompt will tell you something about the documents you will be reading and what you need to do with them. For example, if the prompt says "compare and contrast," you can expect that the documents provided take two different positions.
Before reading the documents, take a moment to consider everything you already know about the material mentioned in the prompt. If the question is about the World War I, take a moment to refresh yourself on the basic historical facts of the war, who won and lost, and how the war has changed the world.
Read each of the documents. Take note of the date, the author, and what biases the author's national or political affiliations may bring to the document. Write the main idea of the document at the top. Move on to the next document and repeat.
Combine your knowledge of the topic of the prompt and what you have read in the documents to form an argument, following the formatting suggested by the prompt "explain," "analyze" or "compare and contrast," as examples. Then write a well-laid out essay, which addresses all parts of the prompt thoroughly and engages with the documents.