Part A: 55 minutes
Part B: 40 minutes
55 multiple-choice questions
3 short answer questions
40%
20%
Part A: 60 minutes (including 15-minute reading period)
Part B: 40 minutes
1 document-based question
1 long essay
25%
15%
Questions are grouped into sets of three or four questions and based on a primary source, secondary source, or historical issue. Each set of questions is based on a different piece of source material. This section will test your ability to analyze and engage with the source materials while recalling what you already know about U.S. history.
The three questions in this section will be tied to a primary source, historical argument, data or maps, or general propositions of U.S. history. Students are required to answer the first and second questions and then answer either the third or the fourth question. You are not required to develop and support a thesis statement, but you must describe examples of historical evidence relevant to the source or question.
The DBQ question requires you to answer a question based on seven primary source documents and your knowledge of the subject and time period. All the documents will pertain to a single subject. Students should develop an argument about the question and use the documents to support this argument.
For the long essay question, you’ll be given a choice of three essay options on the same theme, and you must choose one. You must develop and defend a relevant thesis, but there won’t be any documents on which you must base your response. Instead, you’ll need to draw upon your own knowledge of topics you learned in your AP U.S. History class.
For a comprehensive content review, check out our book, AP U.S. History Prep
AP scores are reported from 1 to 5. Colleges are generally looking for a 4 or 5 on the AP U.S. History exam, but some may grant credit for a 3. Here’s how students scored on the May 2020 test:
|
|
|
5 | Extremely qualified | 10.8% |
4 | Well qualified | 15.6% |
3 | Qualified | 21.9% |
2 | Possibly qualified | 23.0% |
1 | No recommendation | 28.8% |
Source: College Board
AP classes are great, but for many students they’re not enough! For a thorough review of AP U.S. History content and strategy, pick the AP prep option that works best for your goals and learning style.
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Advanced Placement (AP)
The DBQ, or document-based-question, is a somewhat unusually-formatted timed essay on the AP History Exams: AP US History, AP European History, and AP World History. Because of its unfamiliarity, many students are at a loss as to how to even prepare, let alone how to write a successful DBQ essay on test day.
Never fear! I, the DBQ wizard and master, have a wealth of preparation strategies for you, as well as advice on how to cram everything you need to cover into your limited DBQ writing time on exam day. When you're done reading this guide, you'll know exactly how to write a DBQ.
For a general overview of the DBQ—what it is, its purpose, its format, etc.—see my article "What is a DBQ?"
What Should My Study Timeline Be?
Establish a Baseline
Foundational Skills
Rubric Breakdown
Take Another Practice DBQ
How Can I Succeed on Test Day?
Reading the Question and Documents
Planning Your Essay
Writing Your Essay
Key Takeaways
Your AP exam study timeline depends on a few things. First, how much time you have to study per week, and how many hours you want to study in total? If you don't have much time per week, start a little earlier; if you will be able to devote a substantial amount of time per week (10-15 hours) to prep, you can wait until later in the year.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the earlier you start studying for your AP test, the less material you will have covered in class. Make sure you continually review older material as the school year goes on to keep things fresh in your mind, but in terms of DBQ prep it probably doesn't make sense to start before February or January at the absolute earliest.
Another factor is how much you need to work on. I recommend you complete a baseline DBQ around early February to see where you need to focus your efforts.
If, for example, you got a six out of seven and missed one point for doing further document analysis, you won't need to spend too much time studying how to write a DBQ. Maybe just do a document analysis exercise every few weeks and check in a couple months later with another timed practice DBQ to make sure you've got it.
However, if you got a two or three out of seven, you'll know you have more work to do, and you'll probably want to devote at least an hour or two every week to honing your skills.
The general flow of your preparation should be: take a practice DBQ, do focused skills practice, take another practice DBQ, do focused skills practice, take another practice DBQ, and so on. How often you take the practice DBQs and how many times you repeat the cycle really depends on how much preparation you need, and how often you want to check your progress. Take practice DBQs often enough that the format stays familiar, but not so much that you've done barely any skills practice in between.
He's ready to start studying!
The general preparation process is to diagnose, practice, test, and repeat. First, you'll figure out what you need to work on by establishing a baseline level for your DBQ skills. Then, you'll practice building skills. Finally, you'll take another DBQ to see how you've improved and what you still need to work on.
In this next section, I'll go over the whole process. First, I'll give guidance on how to establish a baseline. Then I'll go over some basic, foundational essay-writing skills and how to build them. After that I'll break down the DBQ rubric. You'll be acing practice DBQs before you know it!
The first thing you need to do is to establish a baseline— figure out where you are at with respect to your DBQ skills. This will let you know where you need to focus your preparation efforts.
To do this, you will take a timed, practice DBQ and have a trusted teacher or advisor grade it according to the appropriate rubric.
For the AP US History DBQ, you'll be given a 15-minute reading period and 45 minutes of writing time.
A selection of practice questions from the exam can be found online at the College Board, including a DBQ. (Go to page 136 in the linked document for the practice prompt.)
If you've already seen this practice question, perhaps in class, you might use the 2015 DBQ question .
Other available College Board DBQs are going to be in the old format (find them in the "Free-Response Questions" documents). This is fine if you need to use them, but be sure to use the new rubric (which is out of seven points, rather than nine) to grade.
I advise you to save all these links , or even download all the Free Response Questions and the Scoring Guides, for reference because you will be using them again and again for practice.
The College Board has provided practice questions for the exam , including a DBQ (see page 200 in the linked document).
If you've already seen this question, the only other questions available through the College Board are in the old format, because the 2016 DBQ is in a new, seven-point format identical to the AP US History exam. Just be sure to use the new DBQ rubric if you want to use any of the old prompts provided by the College Board . (DBQs are in the documents titled "Free-Response Questions.")
I advise you to save all these links (or even download all the Free Response Questions and the Scoring Guides) for reference, because you will be using them again and again for practice.
Who knows—maybe this will be one of your documents!
For this exam, you'll be given a 15-minute reading period and 45 minutes of writing time . As for the other two history exams, the College Board has provided practice questions . See page 166 for the DBQ.
If you've already seen this question, the only other questions available through the College Board are in the old format, because the 2017 World History DBQ is in a new, seven-point format identical to the AP US History and AP European History exams. So be sure to use the new DBQ rubric if you want to use any of the old prompts provided by the College Board . (DBQs are in the documents titled "Free-Response Questions.")
A history teacher would be a great resource, but if they are not available to you in this capacity, here are some other ideas:
If you know nothing about the DBQ and you'd like to do a little basic familiarization before you establish your baseline, that's completely fine. There's no point in taking a practice exam if you are going to panic and muddle your way through it; it won't give a useful picture of your skills.
For a basic orientation, check out my article for a basic introduction to the DBQ including DBQ format.
If you want to look at one or two sample essays, see my article for a list of DBQ example essay resources . Keep in mind that you should use a fresh prompt you haven't seen to establish your baseline, though, so if you do look at samples don't use those prompts to set your baseline.
I would also check out this page about the various "task" words associated with AP essay questions . This page was created primarily for the AP European History Long Essay question, but the definitions are still useful for the DBQ on all the history exams, particularly since these are the definitions provided by the College Board.
Once you feel oriented, take your practice exam!
Don't worry if you don't do well on your first practice! That's what studying is for. The point of establishing a baseline is not to make you feel bad, but to empower you to focus your efforts on the areas you need to work on. Even if you need to work on all the areas, that is completely fine and doable! Every skill you need for the DBQ can be built .
In the following section, we'll go over these skills and how to build them for each exam.
You need a stronger foundation than this sand castle.
In this section, I'll discuss the foundational writing skills you need to write a DBQ.
I'll start with some general information on crafting an effective thesis , since this is a skill you will need for any DBQ exam (and for your entire academic life). Then, I'll go over outlining essays, with some sample outline ideas for the DBQ. After I'll touch on time management. Finally, I'll briefly discuss how to non-awkwardly integrate information from your documents into your writing.
It sounds like a lot, but not only are these skills vital to your academic career in general, you probably already have the basic building blocks to master them in your arsenal!
Writing a good thesis is a skill you will need to develop for all your DBQs, and for any essay you write, on the AP or otherwise.
Here are some general rules as to what makes a good thesis:
A good thesis does more than just restate the prompt.
Let's say our class prompt is: "Analyze the primary factors that led to the French Revolution."
Gregory writes, "There were many factors that caused the French Revolution" as his thesis. This is not an effective thesis. All it does is vaguely restate the prompt.
A good thesis makes a plausible claim that you can defend in an essay-length piece of writing.
Maybe Karen writes, "Marie Antoinette caused the French Revolution when she said ‘Let them eat cake' because it made people mad."
This is not an effective thesis, either. For one thing, Marie Antoinette never said that. More importantly, how are you going to write an entire essay on how one offhand comment by Marie Antoinette caused the entire Revolution? This is both implausible and overly simplistic.
A good thesis answers the question .
If LaToya writes, "The Reign of Terror led to the ultimate demise of the French Revolution and ultimately paved the way for Napoleon Bonaparte to seize control of France," she may be making a reasonable, defensible claim, but it doesn't answer the question, which is not about what happened after the Revolution, but what caused it!
A good thesis makes it clear where you are going in your essay.
Let's say Juan writes, "The French Revolution, while caused by a variety of political, social, and economic factors, was primarily incited by the emergence of the highly educated Bourgeois class." This thesis provides a mini-roadmap for the entire essay, laying out that Juan is going to discuss the political, social, and economic factors that led to the Revolution, in that order, and that he will argue that the members of the Bourgeois class were the ultimate inciters of the Revolution.
This is a great thesis! It answers the question, makes an overarching point, and provides a clear idea of what the writer is going to discuss in the essay.
To review: a good thesis makes a claim, responds to the prompt, and lays out what you will discuss in your essay.
If you feel like you have trouble telling the difference between a good thesis and a not-so-good one, here are a few resources you can consult:
This site from SUNY Empire has an exercise in choosing the best thesis from several options. It's meant for research papers, but the general rules as to what makes a good thesis apply.
About.com has another exercise in choosing thesis statements specifically for short essays. Note, however, that most of the correct answers here would be "good" thesis statements as opposed to "super" thesis statements.
So how do you practice your thesis statement skills for the DBQ?
While you should definitely practice looking at DBQ questions and documents and writing a thesis in response to those, you may also find it useful to write some practice thesis statements in response to the Free-Response Questions. While you won't be taking any documents into account in your argument for the Free-Response Questions, it's good practice on how to construct an effective thesis in general.
You could even try writing multiple thesis statements in response to the same prompt! It is a great exercise to see how you could approach the prompt from different angles. Time yourself for 5-10 minutes to mimic the time pressure of the AP exam.
If possible, have a trusted advisor or friend look over your practice statements and give you feedback. Barring that, looking over the scoring guidelines for old prompts (accessible from the same page on the College Board where past free-response questions can be found) will provide you with useful tips on what might make a good thesis in response to a given prompt.
Once you can write a thesis, you need to be able to support it—that's where outlining comes in!
This is not a good outline.
You may be the greatest document analyst and thesis-writer in the world, but if you don't know how to put it all together in a DBQ essay outline, you won't be able to write a cohesive, high-scoring essay on test day.
A good outline will clearly lay out your thesis and how you are going to support that thesis in your body paragraphs. It will keep your writing organized and prevent you from forgetting anything you want to mention!
For some general tips on writing outlines, this page from Roane State has some useful information. While the general principles of outlining an essay hold, the DBQ format is going to have its own unique outlining considerations.To that end, I've provided some brief sample outlines that will help you hit all the important points.
Sample DBQ Outline
Depending on your number of body paragraphs and your main points, you may include different numbers of documents in each paragraph, or switch around where you place your contextual information, your outside example, or your synthesis.
There's no one right way to outline, just so long as each of your body paragraphs has a clear point that you support with documents, and you remember to do a deeper analysis on four documents, bring in outside historical information, and make a comparison to another historical situation or time (you will see these last points further explained in the rubric breakdown).
Of course, all the organizational skills in the world won't help you if you can't write your entire essay in the time allotted. The next section will cover time management skills.
You can be as organized as this library!
Do you know all of your essay-writing skills, but just can't get a DBQ essay together in a 15-minute planning period and 40 minutes of writing?
There could be a few things at play here:
Do you find yourself spending a lot of time staring at a blank paper?
If you feel like you don't know where to start, spend one-two minutes brainstorming as soon as you read the question and the documents. Write anything here—don't censor yourself. No one will look at those notes but you!
After you've brainstormed for a bit, try to organize those thoughts into a thesis, and then into body paragraphs. It's better to start working and change things around than to waste time agonizing that you don't know the perfect thing to say.
Are you too anxious to start writing, or does anxiety distract you in the middle of your writing time? Do you just feel overwhelmed?
Sounds like test anxiety. Lots of people have this. (Including me! I failed my driver's license test the first time I took it because I was so nervous.)
You might talk to a guidance counselor about your anxiety. They will be able to provide advice and direct you to resources you can use.
There are also some valuable test anxiety resources online: try our guide to mindfulness (it's focused on the SAT, but the same concepts apply on any high-pressure test) and check out tips from Minnesota State University , these strategies from TeensHealth , or this plan for reducing anxiety from West Virginia University.
Are you only two thirds of the way through your essay when 40 minutes have passed?
You are probably spending too long on your outline, biting off more than you can chew, or both.
If you find yourself spending 20+ minutes outlining, you need to practice bringing down your outline time. Remember, an outline is just a guide for your essay—it is fine to switch things around as you are writing. It doesn't need to be perfect. To cut down on your outline time, practice just outlining for shorter and shorter time intervals. When you can write one in 20 minutes, bring it down to 18, then down to 16.
You may also be trying to cover too much in your paper. If you have five body paragraphs, you need to scale things back to three. If you are spending twenty minutes writing two paragraphs of contextual information, you need to trim it down to a few relevant sentences. Be mindful of where you are spending a lot of time, and target those areas.
You don't know the problem —you just can't get it done!
If you can't exactly pinpoint what's taking you so long, I advise you to simply practice writing DBQs in less and less time. Start with 20 minutes for your outline and 50 for your essay, (or longer, if you need). Then when you can do it in 20 and 50, move back to 18 minutes and 45 for writing, then to 15 and 40.
You absolutely can learn to manage your time effectively so that you can write a great DBQ in the time allotted. On to the next skill!
The final skill that isn't explicitly covered in the rubric, but will make a big difference in your essay quality, is integrating document citations into your essay. In other words, how do you reference the information in the documents in a clear, non-awkward way?
It is usually better to use the author or title of the document to identify a document instead of writing "Document A." So instead of writing "Document A describes the riot as...," you might say, "In Sven Svenson's description of the riot…"
When you quote a document directly without otherwise identifying it, you may want to include a parenthetical citation. For example, you might write, "The strikers were described as ‘valiant and true' by the working class citizens of the city (Document E)."
Now that we've reviewed the essential, foundational skills of the DBQ, I'll move into the rubric breakdowns. We'll discuss each skill the AP graders will be looking for when they score your exam. All of the history exams share a DBQ rubric, so the guidelines are identical.
Don't worry, you won't need a magnifying glass to examine the rubric.
The DBQ rubric has four sections for a total of seven points.
One point is for having a thesis that works and is historically defensible. This just means that your thesis can be reasonably supported by the documents and historical fact. So please don't make the main point of your essay that JFK was a member of the Illuminati or that Pope Urban II was an alien.
Per the College Board, your thesis needs to be located in your introduction or your conclusion. You've probably been taught to place your thesis in your intro, so stick with what you're used to. Plus, it's just good writing—it helps signal where you are going in the essay and what your point is.
You can receive another point for having a super thesis.
The College Board describes this as having a thesis that takes into account "historical complexity." Historical complexity is really just the idea that historical evidence does not always agree about everything, and that there are reasons for agreement, disagreement, etc.
How will you know whether the historical evidence agrees or disagrees? The documents! Suppose you are responding to a prompt about women's suffrage (suffrage is the right to vote, for those of you who haven't gotten to that unit in class yet):
"Analyze the responses to the women's suffrage movement in the United States."
Included among your documents, you have a letter from a suffragette passionately explaining why she feels women should have the vote, a copy of a suffragette's speech at a women's meeting, a letter from one congressman to another debating the pros and cons of suffrage, and a political cartoon displaying the death of society and the end of the ‘natural' order at the hands of female voters.
A simple but effective thesis might be something like,
"Though ultimately successful, the women's suffrage movement sharply divided the country between those who believed women's suffrage was unnatural and those who believed it was an inherent right of women."
This is good: it answers the question and clearly states the two responses to suffrage that are going to be analyzed in the essay.
A super thesis , however, would take the relationships between the documents (and the people behind the documents!) into account.
It might be something like,
"The dramatic contrast between those who responded in favor of women's suffrage and those who fought against it revealed a fundamental rift in American society centered on the role of women—whether women were ‘naturally' meant to be socially and civilly subordinate to men, or whether they were in fact equals."
This is a "super" thesis because it gets into the specifics of the relationship between historical factors and shows the broader picture —that is, what responses to women's suffrage revealed about the role of women in the United States overall.
It goes beyond just analyzing the specific issues to a "so what"? It doesn't just take a position about history, it tells the reader why they should care . In this case, our super thesis tells us that the reader should care about women's suffrage because the issue reveals a fundamental conflict in America over the position of women in society.
One point for using six or seven of the documents in your essay to support your argument. Easy-peasy! However, make sure you aren't just summarizing documents in a list, but are tying them back to the main points of your paragraphs.
It's best to avoid writing things like, "Document A says X, and Document B says Y, and Document C says Z." Instead, you might write something like, "The anonymous author of Document C expresses his support and admiration for the suffragettes but also expresses fear that giving women the right to vote will lead to conflict in the home, highlighting the common fear that women's suffrage would lead to upheaval in women's traditional role in society."
Any summarizing should be connected a point. Essentially, any explanation of what a document says needs to be tied to a "so what?" If it's not clear to you why what you are writing about a document is related to your main point, it's not going to be clear to the AP grader.
You can get an additional point here for doing further analysis on 4 of the documents. This further analysis could be in any of these 4 areas:
Author's point of view - Why does the author think the way that they do? What is their position in society and how does this influence what they are saying?
Author's purpose - Why is the author writing what they are writing? What are they trying to convince their audience of?
Historical context - What broader historical facts are relevant to this document?
Audience - Who is the intended audience for this document? Who is the author addressing or trying to convince?
Be sure to tie any further analysis back to your main argument! And remember, you only have to do this for four documents for full credit, but it's fine to do it for more if you can.
So how do you practice document analysis? By analyzing documents!
Luckily for AP test takers everywhere, New York State has an exam called the Regents Exam that has its own DBQ section. Before they write the essay, however, New York students have to answer short answer questions about the documents.
Answering Regents exam DBQ short-answer questions is good practice for basic document analysis. While most of the questions are pretty basic, it's a good warm-up in terms of thinking more deeply about the documents and how to use them. This set of Regent-style DBQs from the Teacher's Project are mostly about US History, but the practice could be good for other tests too.
This prompt from the Morningside center also has some good document comprehensions questions about a US-History based prompt.
Note: While the document short-answer questions are useful for thinking about basic document analysis, I wouldn't advise completing entire Regents exam DBQ essay prompts for practice, because the format and rubric are both somewhat different from the AP.
Your AP history textbook may also have documents with questions that you can use to practice. Flip around in there!
This otter is ready to swim in the waters of the DBQ.
When you want to do a deeper dive on the documents, you can also pull out those old College Board DBQ prompts.
Read the documents carefully. Write down everything that comes to your attention. Do further analysis—author's point of view, purpose, audience, and historical context—on all the documents for practice, even though you will only need to do additional analysis on four on test day. Of course, you might not be able to do all kinds of further analysis on things like maps and graphs, which is fine.
You might also try thinking about how you would arrange those observations in an argument, or even try writing a practice outline! This exercise would combine your thesis and document-analysis skills practice.
When you've analyzed everything you can possibly think of for all the documents, pull up the Scoring Guide for that prompt. It helpfully has an entire list of analysis points for each document.
Consider what they identified that you missed.
Do you seem way off-base in your interpretation? If so, how did it happen?
Don't be freaked out by the fact that this is two points!
One point is just for context—if you can locate the issue within its broader historical situation. You do need to write several sentences to a paragraph about it, but don't stress; all you really need to know to be able to get this point is information about major historical trends over time, and you will need to know this anyways for the multiple choice section. If the question is about the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression, for example, be sure to include some of the general information you know about the Great Depression! Boom. Contextualized.
The other point is for naming a specific, relevant example in your essay that does not appear in the documents.
To practice your outside information skills, pull up your College Board prompts!
Read through the prompt and documents and then write down all of the contextualizing facts and as many specific examples as you can think of.
I advise timing yourself—maybe 5-10 minutes to read the documents and prompt and list your outside knowledge—to imitate the time pressure of the DBQ.
When you've exhausted your knowledge, make sure to fact-check your examples and your contextual information! You don't want to use incorrect information on test day.
If you can't remember any examples or contextual information about that topic, look some up! This will help fill in holes in your knowledge.
All you need to do for synthesis is relate your argument about this specific time period to a different time period, geographical area, historical movement, etc. It is probably easiest to do this in the conclusion of the essay. If your essay is about the Great Depression, you might relate it to the Great Recession of 2007-2009.
You do need to do more than just mention your synthesis connection. You need to make it meaningful. How are the two things you are comparing similar? What does one reveal about the other? Is there a key difference that highlights something important?
To practice your synthesis skills—you guessed it—pull up your College Board prompts!
That's a wrap on the rubric! Let's move on to skill-building strategy.
I know you're tired, but you can do it!
So, you established a baseline, identified the skills you need to work on, and practiced writing a thesis statement and analyzing documents for hours. What now?
Take another timed, practice DBQ from a prompt you haven't seen before to check how you've improved. Recruit your same trusted advisor to grade your exam and give feedback. After, work on any skills that still need to be honed.
Repeat this process as necessary, until you are consistently scoring your goal score. Then you just need to make sure you maintain your skills until test day by doing an occasional practice DBQ.
Eventually, test day will come—read on for my DBQ-test-taking tips.
Once you've prepped your brains out, you still have to take the test! I know, I know. But I've got some advice on how to make sure all of your hard work pays off on test day—both some general tips and some specific advice on how to write a DBQ.
Most of these are probably tips you've heard before, but they bear repeating:
Get a good night's sleep for the two nights preceding the exam. This will keep your memory sharp!
Eat a good breakfast (and lunch, if the exam is in the afternoon) before the exam with protein and whole grains. This will keep your blood sugar from crashing and making you tired during the exam.
Don't study the night before the exam if you can help it. Instead, do something relaxing. You've been preparing, and you will have an easier time on exam day if you aren't stressed from trying to cram the night before.
This dude knows he needs to get a good night's rest!
Below I've laid out how to use your time during the DBQ exam. I'll provide tips on reading the question and docs, planning your essay, and writing!
Be sure to keep an eye on the clock throughout so you can track your general progress.
First thing's first: r ead the question carefully , two or even three times. You may want to circle the task words ("analyze," "describe," "evaluate," "compare") to make sure they stand out.
You could also quickly jot down some contextual information you already know before moving on to the documents, but if you can't remember any right then, move on to the docs and let them jog your memory.
It's fine to have a general idea of a thesis after you read the question, but if you don't, move on to the docs and let them guide you in the right direction.
Next, move on to the documents. Mark them as you read—circle things that seem important, jot thoughts and notes in the margins.
After you've passed over the documents once, you should choose the four documents you are going to analyze more deeply and read them again. You probably won't be analyzing the author's purpose for sources like maps and charts. Good choices are documents in which the author's social or political position and stake in the issue at hand are clear.
Get ready to go down the document rabbit hole.
Once you've read the question and you have preliminary notes on the documents, it's time to start working on a thesis. If you still aren't sure what to talk about, spend a minute or so brainstorming. Write down themes and concepts that seem important and create a thesis from those. Remember, your thesis needs to answer the question and make a claim!
When you've got a thesis, it's time to work on an outline . Once you've got some appropriate topics for your body paragraphs, use your notes on the documents to populate your outline. Which documents support which ideas? You don't need to use every little thought you had about the document when you read it, but you should be sure to use every document.
Here's three things to make sure of:
Make sure your outline notes where you are going to include your contextual information (often placed in the first body paragraph, but this is up to you), your specific example (likely in one of the body paragraphs), and your synthesis (the conclusion is a good place for this).
Make sure you've also integrated the four documents you are going to further analyze and how to analyze them.
Make sure you use all the documents! I can't stress this enough. Take a quick pass over your outline and the docs and make sure all of the docs appear in your outline.
If you go over the planning time a couple of minutes, it's not the end of the world. This probably just means you have a really thorough outline! But be ready to write pretty fast.
Writing the Essay - 45 min
If you have a good outline, the hard part is out of the way! You just need to make sure you get all of your great ideas down in the test booklet.
Don't get too bogged down in writing a super-exciting introduction. You won't get points for it, so trying to be fancy will just waste time. Spend maybe one or two sentences introducing the issue, then get right to your thesis.
For your body paragraphs, make sure your topic sentences clearly state the point of the paragraph . Then you can get right into your evidence and your document analysis.
As you write, make sure to keep an eye on the time. You want to be a little more than halfway through at the 20-minute mark of the writing period, so you have a couple minutes to go back and edit your essay at the end.
Keep in mind that it's more important to clearly lay out your argument than to use flowery language. Sentences that are shorter and to the point are completely fine.
If you are short on time, the conclusion is the least important part of your essay . Even just one sentence to wrap things up is fine just so long as you've hit all the points you need to (i.e. don't skip your conclusion if you still need to put in your synthesis example).
When you are done, make one last past through your essay. Make sure you included everything that was in your outline and hit all the rubric skills! Then take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back.
You did it!! Have a cupcake to celebrate.
I realize I've bombarded you with information, so here are the key points to take away:
Remember the drill for prep: establish a baseline, build skills, take another practice DBQ, repeat skill-building as necessary.
Make sure that you know the rubric inside and out so you will remember to hit all the necessary points on test day! It's easy to lose points just for forgetting something like your synthesis point.
On test day, keep yourself on track time-wise !
This may seem like a lot, but you can learn how to ace your DBQ! With a combination of preparation and good test-taking strategy, you will get the score you're aiming for. The more you practice, the more natural it will seem, until every DBQ is a breeze.
If you want more information about the DBQ, see my introductory guide to the DBQ .
Haven't registered for your AP test yet? See our article for help registering for AP exams .
For more on studying for the AP US History exam, check out the best AP US History notes to study with .
Studying for World History? See these AP World History study tips from one of our experts.
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Every essay needs to begin with an introductory paragraph. It needs to be the first paragraph the marker reads.
While your introduction paragraph might be the first of the paragraphs you write, this is not the only way to do it.
You can choose to write your introduction after you have written the rest of your essay.
This way, you will know what you have argued, and this might make writing the introduction easier.
Either approach is fine. If you do write your introduction first, ensure that you go back and refine it once you have completed your essay.
An introductory paragraph is a single paragraph at the start of your essay that prepares your reader for the argument you are going to make in your body paragraphs .
It should provide all of the necessary historical information about your topic and clearly state your argument so that by the end of the paragraph, the marker knows how you are going to structure the rest of your essay.
In general, you should never use quotes from sources in your introduction.
While your introduction paragraph does not have to be as long as your body paragraphs , it does have a specific purpose, which you must fulfil.
A well-written introduction paragraph has the following four-part structure (summarised by the acronym BHES).
B – Background sentences
H – Hypothesis
E – Elaboration sentences
S - Signpost sentence
Each of these elements are explained in further detail, with examples, below:
The first two or three sentences of your introduction should provide a general introduction to the historical topic which your essay is about.
This is done so that when you state your hypothesis , your reader understands the specific point you are arguing about.
Background sentences explain the important historical period, dates, people, places, events and concepts that will be mentioned later in your essay.
This information should be drawn from your background research .
Example background sentences:
Middle Ages (Year 8 Level)
Castles were an important component of Medieval Britain from the time of the Norman conquest in 1066 until they were phased out in the 15 th and 16 th centuries. Initially introduced as wooden motte and bailey structures on geographical strongpoints, they were rapidly replaced by stone fortresses which incorporated sophisticated defensive designs to improve the defenders’ chances of surviving prolonged sieges.
WWI (Year 9 Level)
The First World War began in 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The subsequent declarations of war from most of Europe drew other countries into the conflict, including Australia. The Australian Imperial Force joined the war as part of Britain’s armed forces and were dispatched to locations in the Middle East and Western Europe.
Civil Rights (Year 10 Level)
The 1967 Referendum sought to amend the Australian Constitution in order to change the legal standing of the indigenous people in Australia. The fact that 90% of Australians voted in favour of the proposed amendments has been attributed to a series of significant events and people who were dedicated to the referendum’s success.
Ancient Rome (Year 11/12 Level)
In the late second century BC, the Roman novus homo Gaius Marius became one of the most influential men in the Roman Republic. Marius gained this authority through his victory in the Jugurthine War, with his defeat of Jugurtha in 106 BC, and his triumph over the invading Germanic tribes in 101 BC, when he crushed the Teutones at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae (102 BC) and the Cimbri at the Battle of Vercellae (101 BC). Marius also gained great fame through his election to the consulship seven times.
Once you have provided historical context for your essay in your background sentences, you need to state your hypothesis .
A hypothesis is a single sentence that clearly states the argument that your essay will be proving in your body paragraphs .
A good hypothesis contains both the argument and the reasons in support of your argument.
Example hypotheses:
Medieval castles were designed with features that nullified the superior numbers of besieging armies but were ultimately made obsolete by the development of gunpowder artillery.
Australian soldiers’ opinion of the First World War changed from naïve enthusiasm to pessimistic realism as a result of the harsh realities of modern industrial warfare.
The success of the 1967 Referendum was a direct result of the efforts of First Nations leaders such as Charles Perkins, Faith Bandler and the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.
Gaius Marius was the most one of the most significant personalities in the 1 st century BC due to his effect on the political, military and social structures of the Roman state.
Once you have stated your argument in your hypothesis , you need to provide particular information about how you’re going to prove your argument.
Your elaboration sentences should be one or two sentences that provide specific details about how you’re going to cover the argument in your three body paragraphs.
You might also briefly summarise two or three of your main points.
Finally, explain any important key words, phrases or concepts that you’ve used in your hypothesis, you’ll need to do this in your elaboration sentences.
Example elaboration sentences:
By the height of the Middle Ages, feudal lords were investing significant sums of money by incorporating concentric walls and guard towers to maximise their defensive potential. These developments were so successful that many medieval armies avoided sieges in the late period.
Following Britain's official declaration of war on Germany, young Australian men voluntarily enlisted into the army, which was further encouraged by government propaganda about the moral justifications for the conflict. However, following the initial engagements on the Gallipoli peninsula, enthusiasm declined.
The political activity of key indigenous figures and the formation of activism organisations focused on indigenous resulted in a wider spread of messages to the general Australian public. The generation of powerful images and speeches has been frequently cited by modern historians as crucial to the referendum results.
While Marius is best known for his military reforms, it is the subsequent impacts of this reform on the way other Romans approached the attainment of magistracies and how public expectations of military leaders changed that had the longest impacts on the late republican period.
The final sentence of your introduction should prepare the reader for the topic of your first body paragraph.
The main purpose of this sentence is to provide cohesion between your introductory paragraph and you first body paragraph .
Therefore, a signpost sentence indicates where you will begin proving the argument that you set out in your hypothesis and usually states the importance of the first point that you’re about to make.
Example signpost sentences:
The early development of castles is best understood when examining their military purpose.
The naïve attitudes of those who volunteered in 1914 can be clearly seen in the personal letters and diaries that they themselves wrote.
The significance of these people is evident when examining the lack of political representation the indigenous people experience in the early half of the 20 th century.
The origin of Marius’ later achievements was his military reform in 107 BC, which occurred when he was first elected as consul.
Once you have written all four parts of the BHES structure, you should have a completed introduction paragraph.
In the examples above, we have shown each part separately. Below you will see the completed paragraphs so that you can appreciate what an introduction should look like.
Example introduction paragraphs:
Castles were an important component of Medieval Britain from the time of the Norman conquest in 1066 until they were phased out in the 15th and 16th centuries. Initially introduced as wooden motte and bailey structures on geographical strongpoints, they were rapidly replaced by stone fortresses which incorporated sophisticated defensive designs to improve the defenders’ chances of surviving prolonged sieges. Medieval castles were designed with features that nullified the superior numbers of besieging armies, but were ultimately made obsolete by the development of gunpowder artillery. By the height of the Middle Ages, feudal lords were investing significant sums of money by incorporating concentric walls and guard towers to maximise their defensive potential. These developments were so successful that many medieval armies avoided sieges in the late period. The early development of castles is best understood when examining their military purpose.
The First World War began in 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The subsequent declarations of war from most of Europe drew other countries into the conflict, including Australia. The Australian Imperial Force joined the war as part of Britain’s armed forces and were dispatched to locations in the Middle East and Western Europe. Australian soldiers’ opinion of the First World War changed from naïve enthusiasm to pessimistic realism as a result of the harsh realities of modern industrial warfare. Following Britain's official declaration of war on Germany, young Australian men voluntarily enlisted into the army, which was further encouraged by government propaganda about the moral justifications for the conflict. However, following the initial engagements on the Gallipoli peninsula, enthusiasm declined. The naïve attitudes of those who volunteered in 1914 can be clearly seen in the personal letters and diaries that they themselves wrote.
The 1967 Referendum sought to amend the Australian Constitution in order to change the legal standing of the indigenous people in Australia. The fact that 90% of Australians voted in favour of the proposed amendments has been attributed to a series of significant events and people who were dedicated to the referendum’s success. The success of the 1967 Referendum was a direct result of the efforts of First Nations leaders such as Charles Perkins, Faith Bandler and the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. The political activity of key indigenous figures and the formation of activism organisations focused on indigenous resulted in a wider spread of messages to the general Australian public. The generation of powerful images and speeches has been frequently cited by modern historians as crucial to the referendum results. The significance of these people is evident when examining the lack of political representation the indigenous people experience in the early half of the 20th century.
In the late second century BC, the Roman novus homo Gaius Marius became one of the most influential men in the Roman Republic. Marius gained this authority through his victory in the Jugurthine War, with his defeat of Jugurtha in 106 BC, and his triumph over the invading Germanic tribes in 101 BC, when he crushed the Teutones at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae (102 BC) and the Cimbri at the Battle of Vercellae (101 BC). Marius also gained great fame through his election to the consulship seven times. Gaius Marius was the most one of the most significant personalities in the 1st century BC due to his effect on the political, military and social structures of the Roman state. While Marius is best known for his military reforms, it is the subsequent impacts of this reform on the way other Romans approached the attainment of magistracies and how public expectations of military leaders changed that had the longest impacts on the late republican period. The origin of Marius’ later achievements was his military reform in 107 BC, which occurred when he was first elected as consul.
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How did the United States become THE United States? What happened to the American economy when factories went from being powered by water to powered by coal? Or how have definitions of who is, and who is not, a U.S. citizen changed over time? In AP United States History, you’ll explore and try to answer questions like these, while discussing the ways in which Americans have debated their values, practices, and traditions since even before the country’s founding.
Evaluating primary and secondary sources
Analyzing the claims, evidence, and reasoning you find in sources
Putting historical developments in context and making connections between them
Coming up with a claim or thesis and explaining and supporting it in writing
College course equivalent.
A two-semester introductory college course in U.S. history
Fri, May 9, 2025
This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP United States History Exam.
The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.
Unit 1: period 1: 1491–1607.
You’ll learn about Native American societies as well as how and why Europeans first explored, and then began to colonize, the Americas.
Topics may include:
On The Exam
4%–6% of score
You'll study the colonies established in the New World by the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British.
6%–8% of score
You'll explore the events that led to the American Revolution and the formation of the United States and examine the early years of the republic.
10%–17% of score
You’ll examine how the young nation developed politically, culturally, and economically in this period.
You’ll learn how the nation expanded and you’ll explore the events that led to the secession of Southern states and the Civil War.
You’ll examine the nation’s economic and demographic shifts in this period and their links to cultural and political changes.
You’ll examine America’s changing society and culture and the causes and effects of the global wars and economic meltdown of this period.
You’ll learn about the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States, the growth of various civil rights movements, and the economic, cultural, and political transformations of this period.
You’ll learn about the advance of political conservatism, developments in science and technology, and demographic shifts that had major cultural and political consequences in this period.
Credit and Placement
Find colleges that grant credit and/or placement for AP Exam scores in this and other AP courses.
Ap classroom resources.
Once you join your AP class section online, you’ll be able to access AP Daily videos, any assignments from your teacher, and your assignment results in AP Classroom. Sign in to access them.
Review these tips to help you better understand and analyze the material you’ll read in this course.
Read these suggestions for writing a good essay, such as one you’d write as a response to a document-based question or other free-response question on the exam.
This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and the AP Program in general.
AP United States History can lead to a wide range of careers and college majors
Are you preparing for the AP® U.S. History (APUSH) exam? The first step to good exam preparation is to familiarize yourself with the test's format. This overview will help you know what to expect on the exam and boost your confidence. It will also reduce test-day anxieties!
In this article, we've simplified the AP U.S. History exam format to make it easier for students to understand. We'll explain the different types of questions and answer some FAQs to prepare you for what you can expect on the AP U.S. History test day.
The AP U.S. History exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long and is administered in paper-and-pencil and digital formats. The test evaluates your historical reasoning skills and understanding of the course objectives. The APUSH exam consists of two sections: multiple-choice (MCQ) and free-response questions (FRQ). Check out the table below to get a detailed understanding of the APUSH exam structure:
Sections | Parts | Question Types | Time Allocated | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|
Section I | Part A | 55 MCQs | 55 minutes | 40% |
Part B | 3 SAQs | 40 minutes | 20% | |
Section II | Part A | 1 DBQ | 60 minutes | 25% |
Part B | 1 LEQ | 40 minutes | 15% |
Section I consists of both MCQs and FRQs and is divided into two parts. Part A has 55 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), and students are given 55 minutes to answer them . Part B comprises three short-answer questions (SAQs), and you'll have 40 minutes to answer those. You must note that the SAQs in Part B come in a set of two to three parts, and you’ll have to write your responses as precisely as possible within the least number of words.
Spending 1 minute per MCQ and 10 - 12 minutes on each SAQ is ideal . This method gives you ample time to go over your answers and see if there are any that you missed.
Section II of the APUSH exam consists of two types of free-response questions. Part A consists of one document-based question (DBQ), and Part B consists of one long essay question (LEQ) . For the DBQ , students have 60 minutes to answer, including 15 minutes for reading, whereas for the LEQ, students get just 40 minutes to complete it .
You should take at least one AP U.S. History practice test with a format that mimics the real exam to prepare for it adequately. Doing so will help by testing you with questions that closely resemble those on the actual exam.
The AP U.S. History course comprises nine units, each carrying a specific weight on the exam. Check out the table 2 below to learn about the units, their importance, and the chronological period each unit covers.
Units | Topics | Chronological Period | Weight on the Exam |
---|---|---|---|
Unit 1 | Period 1 | 1491 to 1607 | 4%–6% |
Unit 2 | Period 2 | 1607 to 1754 | 6%–8% |
Unit 3 | Period 3 | 1754 to 1800 | 10%–17% |
Unit 4 | Period 4 | 1800 to 1848 | 10%–17% |
Unit 5 | Period 5 | 1844 to 1877 | 10%–17% |
Unit 6 | Period 6 | 1865 to 1898 | 10%–17% |
Unit 7 | Period 7 | 1890 to 1945 | 10%–17% |
Unit 8 | Period 8 | 1945 to 1980 | 10%–17% |
Unit 9 | Period 9 | 1980 to the present | 4%–6% |
There are four main types of questions on the AP U.S. History exam . These questions test your historical reasoning and familiarity with the course's 8 "themes/big ideas 3 ". But knowing the question types and course content does not guarantee a high score. It is crucial to understand how to respond to these questions. To help you prepare better, let’s review each question type and its format.
As stated earlier, Section I of the AP U.S. History exam consists of 55 multiple-choice questions presented in groups of three to four questions. Each question comes with one or more stimuli, including primary texts, secondary texts, images, charts, and maps. There will also be text-based stimuli (in either the multiple-choice questions or one of the short-answer questions). Multiple-choice questions require analyzing stimulus sources and historical events and processes.
The weights of each unit for MCQs are listed below:
Units Tested | Chronological Period | Weight of MCQs |
---|---|---|
[Unit 1] Period 1 | 1491 to 1607 | 1.6%-2.4% |
[Unit 2] Period 2 | 1607 to 1754 | 2.4%-3.2% |
[Unit 3] Period 3 | 1754 to 1800 | 04%-6.8% |
[Unit 4] Period 4 | 1800 to 1848 | 04%-6.8% |
[Unit 5] Period 5 | 1844 to 1877 | 04%-6.8% |
[Unit 6] Period 6 | 1865 to 1898 | 04%-6.8% |
[Unit 7] Period 7 | 1890 to 1945 | 04%-6.8% |
[Unit 8] Period 8 | 1945 to 1980 | 04%-6.8% |
[Unit 9] Period 9 | 1980 to the present | 1.6%-2.4% |
Want to learn more about these units and topics? Our guide to the APUSH course and exam description is here to help! For even more expert tips and strategies on how to approach APUSH MCQs , click here.
Section I, Part B, has three short-answer questions and takes 40 minutes to complete.
Units Tested | Chronological Period |
---|---|
[Unit 1] Period 1 | 1491 to 1607 |
[Unit 2] Period 2 | 1607 to 1754 |
[Unit 3] Period 3 | 1754 to 1800 |
[Unit 4] Period 4 | 1800 to 1848 |
[Unit 5] Period 5 | 1844 to 1877 |
[Unit 6] Period 6 | 1865 to 1898 |
[Unit 7] Period 7 | 1890 to 1945 |
[Unit 8] Period 8 | 1945 to 1980 |
[Unit 9] Period 9 | 1980 to the present |
Want to learn more? Our expert guide can show you how to approach APUSH short-answer questions with confidence.
The document-based question gives students seven documents related to a historical event or process. Students must:
The historical developments or processes between 1754 and 1980 will be the focus of the document-based question.
Students must complete the following tasks in response to the long essay question:
Students choose one of three essay questions. Each question uses the same reasoning to examine historical events and processes. The first option covers 1491–1800, the second 1800–1898, and the third 1890–2001.
Learn how to approach the APUSH FRQs here.
The AP U.S. History exam is available in both paper and digital formats . Both exams are 3 hours and 15 minutes in length, and the content is the same for both.
Section | Question Type | No. of Questions | Time Allocated | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|
Section I | Multiple Choice | 55 | 55 minutes | 40% |
Short Answer | 3 | 40 minutes | 20% | |
Section II | Document-based | 1 | 60 minutes | 25% |
Long Essay | 1 | 40 minutes | 15% |
The curriculum for AP U.S. history is based on two pillars: historical reasoning skills and the 8 Big Ideas . Exam success is equally dependent on knowing what and how to study. Therefore, it is vital to comprehend the topics and concepts included in the AP United States History exam.
The AP U.S. History exam tests historical thinking skills. Check the table below for the skills tested:
Historical Thinking Skills | Description |
---|---|
Developments and Processes | Understanding historical procedures and occurrences |
Sourcing and Situations | Source and context analysis |
Claims and Evidence in Sources | Check primary and secondary sources for support of your argument |
Contextualization | Knowing what to expect on the exam will give you confidence and eliminate test-day surprises |
Making Connections | Examine historical patterns and connections (comparison, causation, continuity, and change). |
Argumentation | Develop an argument |
The exam also tests knowledge of the course's eight "Big Ideas"
We hope this APUSH exam format breakdown was helpful. Here are three key takeaways as you prepare for the upcoming AP U.S. History exam.
Invest in your future today and unlock opportunities for advanced placement. At UWorld, we have hundreds of AP U.S. History practice questions created by former AP teachers and experts. Each question has a detailed explanation to help you retain the information, and our precise performance tracking will show you where you stand and what you need to improve. Don't wait! Click the link below to enroll and kickstart your journey towards exam success.
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Using the following documents, analyze how the Ottoman government viewed ethnic and religious groups within its empire for the period 1876–1908. Identify an additional document and explain how it would help you analyze the views of the Ottoman Empire.
Kaplan Pro Tip Your thesis can be in the first or last paragraph of your essay, but it cannot be split between the two. Many times, your original thesis is too simple to gain the point. A good idea is to write a concluding paragraph that might extend your original thesis. Think of a way to restate your thesis, adding information from your analysis of the documents.
There were many ways in which the Ottoman government viewed ethnic and religious groups.
The next statement paraphrases the historical background and does not address the question. It would not receive credit for being a thesis.
The Ottoman government brought reforms in the Constitution of 1876. The empire had a number of different groups of people living in it, including Christians and Muslims who did not practice the official form of Islam. By 1908 a new government was created by the Young Turks and the sultan was soon out of his job.
This next sentence gets the question backward: you are being asked for the government’s view of religious and ethnic groups, not the groups’ view of the government. Though the point-of-view issue is very important, this statement would not receive POV credit.
People of different nationalities reacted differently to the Ottoman government depending on their religion.
The following paragraph says a great deal about history, but it does not address the substance of the question. It would not receive credit because of its irrelevancy.
Throughout history, people around the world have struggled with the issue of political power and freedom. From the harbor of Boston during the first stages of the American Revolution to the plantations of Haiti during the struggle to end slavery, people have battled for power. Even in places like China with the Boxer Rebellion, people were responding against the issue of Westernization. Imperialism made the demand for change even more important, as European powers circled the globe and stretched their influences to the far reaches of the known world. In the Ottoman Empire too, people demanded change.
Now we turn to thesis statements that do work. These two sentences address both the religious and ethnic aspects of the question. They describe how these groups were viewed.
The Ottoman government took the same position on religious diversity as it did on ethnic diversity. Minorities were servants of the Ottoman Turks, and religious diversity was allowed as long as Islam remained supreme.
This statement answers the question in a different way but is equally successful.
Government officials in the Ottoman Empire sent out the message that all people in the empire were equal regardless of religion or ethnicity, yet the reality was that the Turks and their version of Islam were superior.
Don’t
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Review the free-response questions from the 2024 ap exam., exam overview.
Exam questions assess the course concepts and skills outlined in the course framework. For more information, download the AP World History: Modern Course and Exam Description (CED).
Encourage your students to visit the AP World History: Modern student page for exam information.
We’ve updated the AP World History: Modern document-based question (DBQ) and long essay question (LEQ) rubrics for the 2023-24 school year.
This change only affects the DBQ and LEQ scoring, with no change to the course or the exam: the exam format, course framework, and skills assessed on the exam all remain unchanged.
The course and exam description (CED) has been updated to include:
Thu, May 8, 2025
12 PM Local
Exam format.
The AP World History: Modern Exam has consistent question types, weighting, and scoring guidelines, so you and your students know what to expect on exam day.
55 Questions | 55 Minutes | 40% of Exam Score
3 Questions | 40 Minutes | 20% of Exam Score
2 questions | 1 Hour, 40 minutes | 40% of Exam Score
Document-Based Question (DBQ) Recommended time: 1 Hour (includes 15-minute reading period) | 25% of Exam Score
Long Essay Recommended time: 40 Minutes | 15% of Exam Score
Ap world history: modern exam questions and scoring information.
View free-response questions and scoring information from this year's exam and past exams.
Ap score reports for educators.
Access your score reports.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
AP United States History Exam - AP Central - College Board
Step 1: Analyze the Prompt. Each long essay question will ask you to "evaluate the extent" of some factor in American history. Since you are evaluating, you will need to develop an argument that addresses the prompt. Make sure to read all three prompts carefully. Think of the evidence you could use and the argument you could develop in ...
The Ultimate Guide to the AP US History Exam
How to answer a "to what degree/extent" essay question
How to Approach AP World History: Modern Long Essay ...
AP History Long Essay Question Rubric AP History LEQ Rubric (6 points) Reporting Category Scoring Criteria Decision Rules A THESIS/CLAIM (0-1 pt) ... frame or structure an argument, although the reasoning might be uneven or imbalanced. To earn the second point, the response must demonstrate a complex understanding. This can
AP ® United States History Sample Student Responses ... Long Essay Question 2 ... continuity, and change) to frame or structure an argument that addresses the prompt. 2 points. Demonstrates a complex understanding of the historical development that is the focus of the prompt, using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or ...
AP U.S. History Long Essay Example
Here are the three types of prompts you can choose from for the Long Essay: Prompt 1: Focuses on the years 1200-1750. Prompt 2: Focuses on the years 1450-1900. Prompt 3: Focuses on the years 1750-2001. Sadly, Stonehenge won't be tested on the exam. But, hey, at least its picture made it into this article!
The rubrics for the AP History Document-Based Question (DBQ) and Long Essay Question (LEQ) have been modified for the 2017-18 school year, using feedback received from AP teachers and Readers and in tandem with recently announced changes to the Course and Exam Descriptionfor each course. Introductory notes:
Guide to the AP U.S. History Exam
AP US History. For the AP US History DBQ, you'll be given a 15-minute reading period and 45 minutes of writing time. A selection of practice questions from the exam can be found online at the College Board, including a DBQ. (Go to page 136 in the linked document for the practice prompt.)
AP United States History Exam Questions - AP Central
How to write an introduction for a history essay
AP United States History - AP Students - College Board
It is Wednesday morning, May 17, and you will be taking the AP United States History Exam. In a moment, you will open the packet that contains your exam materials. By opening this packet, you agree to all of the AP Program's policies and. procedures outlined in the. 2016-17 Bulletin for AP Students and Parents.
A Complete Guide to the AP® U.S. History Exam Format ...
AP History DBQ LEQ SEQ Rubrics
AP World History Essay Section. The AP World History exam has a two-part writing section, totaling in a 100-minute section of the exam. Part A is a document-based essay question; you will be given ...
Let's take a look at a sample AP World History DBQ question and techniques to construct a solid thesis. Using the following documents, analyze how the Ottoman government viewed ethnic and religious groups within its empire for the period 1876-1908. Identify an additional document and explain how it would help you analyze the views of the ...
AP World History: Modern Exam - AP Central - College Board
AP ® UNITED STATES HISTORY 2015 SCORING COMMENTARY . Question 3 — Long Essay (continued) Score—Synthesis: 1 . This essay earned a point for synthesis by linking the tensions driven by expansion into Texas and California with the earlier example of heated debates over the constitutionality of Jefferson's acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase.
2. The AP Readers need to be able to see that your essay has one main point. 3. Your thesis statement should indicate exactly what your essay is about, and help keep you on track A thesis statement in APUSH is the position a student is going to take, the argument that is going to be made. It is therefore the answer to the question being asked.