short answer question rubric apush

AP® US History

How to improve ap® us history student success on short answer responses.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

The APUSH Redesign (and the Re-Redesign that followed immediately this year) has brought a great deal of uncertainty, angst and confusion to many teachers.  This is my eighth year teaching the course, and while I had certainly reached a comfort level with the traditional multiple-choice and free-response questions, I have come around to almost all of the aspects of the redesign.

In my opinion, the best addition to the test is the new short answer section, found in Section 1 of the exam (along with the stimulus multiple-choice questions ).  Last June, I was fortunate enough to attend the AP® US History Reading in Louisville Kentucky.  For one week, I graded the same Short Answer Question over 3,500 times (for the record, I never want to read about John Adams or Benjamin Rush and their interpretation of the American Revolution again).  While I certainly do not claim to be an expert, or have any “insider information” on the inner workings of the College Board, I am happy to share my insights and advice based on my experiences and conversations with colleagues.

Short Answer Format

• Two different secondary sources written by historians with varying perspectives on an event or time period.
• Primary sources (quotations cartoons, maps, etc.)
• A simple prompt or identification question with no stimulus
• These parts vary in difficulty, meaning that certain points may be more challenging (for example one part might ask for simple fact recall, while another part might require higher-level analysis).
• Different parts of the same question can build off of or reference each other (for example, Part A may ask for students to explain a quotation, and Part B might ask them to provide an example of something related to that same quotation).
• Some of the prompts will have “internal choice.” This means that students have options within the question.  For example, a prompt may ask students to “explain why ONE of the following was the most significant cause of the Civil War: The Dred Scott Decision, Bleeding Kansas, or publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin . Students can choose any of the options, describing WHAT it is and WHY it is the most significant.

Scoring Short Answer Questions

There is not really a rubric for these types of questions, like there is for the Document-Based Question (DBQ) or Long Essay Question (LEQ) .  Students are simply scored on whether or not they answered the prompt correctly.  Students either receive one point or zero points for each part of the question (A, B, and C), for a maximum total of three points per prompt.

Each letter is scored separately, meaning that students completely missing the point on Part A does not necessarily mean they are doomed for Parts B and C.

Readers are instructed that students receive credit as long as they “meet the threshold,” meaning they have completed the minimal amount needed to answer the question.  While what constitutes the threshold depends on the question, what this essentially means is that some students may earn all points by going into incredible depth, giving detailed and intricate examples, and taking up the entire page, while others may simply answer in a sentence or two for each potion, barely meet the requirements, and still receive all three points.  While I would never encourage my students to do the bare minimum, I do let them know that if you are short of time or unsure, it is better to put something rather than nothing.

If the amount of historically accurate and inaccurate information is roughly balanced and equal, the reader has discretion whether or not to reward the point.

One thing I was encouraged by at the reading is that in general, readers were told to give students the benefit of the doubt when scoring responses.  The goal was to award them points whenever merited, not to penalize or deduct points based on minor mistakes or misunderstandings.

Ten Tips for Student Success

To help illustrate my advice, I will refer to the prompt that still haunts me in my dreams, Short Answer Question #3 from the 2015 AP® US History Exam:

Source: 2015 AP® US History Exam, Short Answer Section from AP® Central (College Board)

1. Put it in Own Words

To receive full credit for responses, students must fully answer the question using their own words.  For the above prompt, many students parroted the prompts or excessively quoted them for Part A rather than describing the differences in their own words.  For example, students would regularly say a difference between Adams and Rush was that:

“Adams thought the revolution was in the minds of the people, while Rush said it would not be complete until principles, morals and manners of citizens were established.”

Students would not receive the point for this, as it is simply paraphrasing what is said, and does not demonstrate genuine understanding.

An example of a more successful response would be:

“Adams believed the American Revolution was not the actual War for Independence, but rather the psychological change in mindset of Patriot colonists leading up to the conflict.  Rush agrees with Adams that true revolution was not the war, but argues that the revolution is incomplete until stable federal government is established.”

2. Provide Specific Examples: HOW and WHY?

Parts B and C of the prompt ask the student to provide evidence that would support the claims of both Adams and Rush.  When doing so, students should provide specific examples AND explain WHY they are relevant.  For example, students might use the U.S. Constitution as an example that supports Rush’s interpretation of the revolution, as this document officially established the structure of the federal government and provided a Bill of Rights that defined people’s basic rights.

3. Get Right to the Point

No introductions are needed, as space and time are limited and these are not essays.  Nor is a thesis required or terribly helpful.  Students should dive right in and start directly answering the question.

4. What is Acceptable?

Complete sentences are required.  Sentence fragments or bullet points will not be scored.  They were very strict in enforcing this.

Use of common abbreviations is acceptable (for example, FDR, WPA, FBI, etc.).

With limited time and space, it is better to go into depth and explain ONE example rather than superficially list multiple.

5. Stay in the Time Period

One of the most common mistakes is that students do not stay in the time period.  For example, if the students use the Great Awakening as evidence that supports Adams’ quote, they would not receive the point because the religious movement preceded the period of 1760-1775.

6. Stay in the Boxes

Students need to be careful to leave themselves enough room to address all three parts on the 23-line page.  Students are NOT permitted to write onto a second page or even outside the boxed area.  Anything written outside the box will not be scored.

7. Make Sure Evidence and Examples are ESSENTIAL

If a question asks for ONE similarity or difference, the readers are actually looking for the MAIN or ESSENTIAL similarity or difference.  For example, students could not simply say:

“Adams thought the Revolution occurred between 1760-1776, while Rush thought the Revolution was after the war.”

This would not count because it is too superficial and simplistic.  It is not the MAIN difference described in the text.

8. Watch for Categories of Analysis or Historical Themes

Students should watch for categories of analysis (political, economic, cultural, social, intellectual).   Often students give examples that do not match the category they are being asked to identify.

Students should assume the reader has no background knowledge and fully explain their examples and evidence.

9. Minor Errors will NOT Kill your Score

Minor errors do not necessarily mean students will not be awarded points.  For example, for Part C, many students used Bacon’s Rebellion as an example that a stable federal government was needed to prevent uprisings or create a fairer and more equal society.  They are mistaking Bacon’s Rebellion for Shays’ Rebellion , but since their description of the events is correct and they simply switched the names, they still would be awarded the point for their example.  I have not shared this with my students per se, as I hold them to high expectations and want them to focus on knowing their content and striving for accuracy, but I do stress to them that even if you don’t know the law or person, describe them as best you can, as this is better than leaving it blank.

10. The Debate Over How to Organize Writing

There was a lot of debate at the reading as to which is better: writing responses in paragraph form without letter labels, or to have separate sets of complete sentences broken down and labeled by the specific letter being addressed.  The benefit of writing in paragraph form without labeled letters was that students were free to address the prompt in whatever order they preferred, and for good writers, it often had a more natural feel.  Additionally, if students failed to answer Part A in the beginning where they were initially trying to, but eventually answered it later on in the response, readers could still award the point when there were no labeled letters.  If the students labeled their sentences with the corresponding letters, students could not get credit if they answered the question in a different section (for example, some students failed to fully answer A in the section so labeled, but eventually got to it in Part C, but they could only receive the point in the labeled section.  However, a benefit to labeling their sentences was that it ensured students actually fully addressed the specific questions for A, B, and C.  Often students who wrote in unlabeled paragraph form forgot to answer parts or had incomplete responses as they jumped from one part to another.

I advise my students to do a hybrid of these two scenarios, as I believe it gives them the best of both worlds.  I suggest my students label their sections so they do not forget any portions, but when the are done writing they cross out the letters, so that they are able to be awarded points if they address them inadvertently in other parts of their response.

How to Teach the AP® US History Short Answer Question

1. Work with Students on Answering the Question

Students sometimes tend to have a tough time with these types of questions initially.  Some jot down fragments of vague partial answers that do not go far enough; overachievers want to turn them into complex essays with introductions and transitions.  It really is a skill that needs to be practiced and perfected.  Student answers should be concise (hence the SHORT answer), yet thorough with specific examples.

In the beginning, our class worked on short answers together and as partners, and walked through and discussed good responses.  I also pulled student samples from the College Board’s website and had students assess them and score them.  This was a great activity in helping students see the difference between incomplete, borderline and exceptional responses.

Student should be in the practice of putting their responses in their own words, not paraphrasing, parroting, or quoting the sources language.  This does not demonstrate understanding, which is what the College Board is looking for.  Working with students on putting responses in their own words is definitely worthwhile.

2. Expose Students to a Wide Variety of Historical Sources

Exposing your students to a wide variety of sources is great preparation for the Short Answer section (as well as the multiple choice and essays for that matter).

Looking at historians that differ in their ideological or other interpretations of history and discussing or debating in class helps students gain an understanding and appreciation of nuance and different points of view.  Using Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States and Larry Schweikart’s Patriot’s Guide to American History gives students both liberal and conservative perspectives on key events in American history.

I also like to do Socratic Seminars or debates using secondary texts that take a compelling or unorthodox perspective and allow students to discuss whether they agree or disagree with the historian’s argument.

Additionally primary source exposure can be beneficial in preparing students for reading and comprehending texts that they could see in the prompts for any parts of the exam, including short answers.

3. Timing is everything.

The short answer portion is part of Section 1, and students have 50 minutes specifically for these four questions after the multiple-choice section is completed.  This gives students less than 13 minutes per question.  Students need practice in this time crunch.  Many students will want to spend lots of time planning and writing that they will not have on exam day.  I typically start out more lax early in the year, but by October or November, students need to be in the habit of reading the prompt quickly and thoroughly, and moving into writing their responses under a time crunch.

Why I Have Learned to Love the Short Answer Question

The short answer section of the exam is a brand new addition to the AP® exam, but I actually believe it might be the most beneficial in many ways.  Students used to be forced to memorize “everything” and were at the mercy of what random factoid the College Board would ask them on the multiple-choice section.  With short answers, students can bring in relevant examples that they learned and recall.  They don’t need to know “everything” they just need to know some key things about each period.  This can be reassuring to students and liberating for teachers who are trying to cram everything into their classes in the few short months before the AP® exam.

Additionally, what I like best about the Short Answer Question is that unlike the other types of questions, it is very obvious when students know their stuff (and conversely, when they have no clue what is going on).  Multiple-choice can be “multiple guess,” and students can rationally narrow the distractors down and make an educated selection.  Essay pages can be filled with fluff, and a simple thesis and analyzing a couple of documents may get them a couple of points.  With the short answers, there is really nowhere for students to hide.  They either know what the author is arguing, or they don’t.  They either can provide an illustrative example, or they can’t.  As a teacher, I love the pureness and authenticity of this type of assessment.

Looking for AP® US History practice?

Kickstart your AP® US History prep with Albert. Start your AP® exam prep today .

We also go over a five-step strategy for writing AP® US History FRQs in this video:

Ben Hubing is an educator at Greendale High School in Greendale, Wisconsin.  Ben has taught AP® U.S. History and AP® U.S. Government and Politics for the last eight years and was a reader last year for the AP® U.S. History Short Answer.  Ben earned his Bachelors degree at The University of Wisconsin-Madison and Masters degree at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Interested in a school license?​

2 thoughts on “how to improve ap® us history student success on short answer responses”.

It was my understanding that even if students label A, B, C, that any content which could apply in any part of the question would be fair game. For example, If a student labels A, B, and C in their answer, but then provides a piece of evidence for B in their area marked A. This was confirmed for me as recently as Tuesday by some in the know people in regards to AP® World. Is it not the same for APUSH? Or is the information provided in the article incorrect?

Hi Liz, thanks for the question. We are not privy to the exact instructions that the College Board gives to its readers, so we cannot answer your question with certainty. We recommend erring on the side of caution and developing the habit of fully answering a question in the space for which it is labelled. This will guarantee that the readers count your response to the appropriate question.

Comments are closed.

Popular Posts

AP® Score Calculators

Simulate how different MCQ and FRQ scores translate into AP® scores

AP® Review Guides

The ultimate review guides for AP® subjects to help you plan and structure your prep.

Core Subject Review Guides

Review the most important topics in Physics and Algebra 1 .

SAT® Score Calculator

See how scores on each section impacts your overall SAT® score

ACT® Score Calculator

See how scores on each section impacts your overall ACT® score

Grammar Review Hub

Comprehensive review of grammar skills

AP® Posters

Download updated posters summarizing the main topics and structure for each AP® exam.

Interested in a school license?

Bring Albert to your school and empower all teachers with the world's best question bank for: ➜ SAT® & ACT® ➜ AP® ➜ ELA, Math, Science, & Social Studies aligned to state standards ➜ State assessments Options for teachers, schools, and districts.

APUSH Free Response Questions and Responses: A Study Guide

The Free Response Question (FRQ) is a tried-and-true component of the APUSH exam. The FRQ is basically a fancy way of saying an essay. But, as I’m sure you have uncovered, there’s a lot of different types of essays on the APUSH exam. Refer to the table below about the differences between the essay types.

For this blog post, I will take you through the steps of answering a Long Essay Question (LEQ) for the APUSH exam, including given you student responses to analyze. At the end of this blog post, I will give you a new question for you to try on your own (and you should – doing well on the APUSH exam will require lots of practice!). All of the material in this blog post will come from the College Board website, and I strongly suggest you create your own student account to get more material.

Alright, let’s go!

Free Response Questions: LEQ #1

This LEQ comes from the 2016 APUSH exam that you can find on the College Board website. Please read the question below:

Evaluate the extent to which United States participation in the First World War (1917–1918) marked a turning point in the nation’s role in world affairs. In the development of your argument, explain what changed and what stayed the same from the period immediately before the war to the period immediately following it. (Historical thinking skill: Periodization).

Maximum Possible Points: 6

Please note:

• Each point of the rubric is earned independently, e.g., a student could earn the point for synthesis without earning the point for thesis.
• Unique evidence from the student response is required to earn each point, e.g., evidence in the student response that qualifies for either of the targeted skill points could not be used to earn the point for thesis.

Before you start writing, it will be INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT for you to organize your thoughts. Follow these three steps to organize your thoughts for the LEQ.

1. Understand what the question is asking you to do. 2. Make a table about what information is and is not relevant. 3. Develop your outline. Start with your thesis.

Below, I will take you through each step.

Understand what the question is asking you to do

Not every question is going to ask you to do the same thing. Some questions will ask you to compare and contrast events, and others will have you identify change and continuities over time. For this question, you are asked to evaluate the role of the U.S. in World War I and the extent to which this represented a turning point in the post-WWI world. Three words should stick out to you here:

1. Evaluate; 2. Extent; and 3. Turning point.

(Yes, that’s technically four words. I know.)

If I were to translate this into plain speech, I would come up with the following:

How much (if at all) did the U.S. involvement in WWI represent a turning point in how the nation operated in global affairs? Explain with evidence.

It’s only when you can put the question in your own words that you can go about answering it at a high level.

Make a table about what information is and is not relevant

A table is a useful way for you to brainstorm information quickly and efficiently. I suggest creating two categories in your table because not everything you think up will be relevant to answering the question. Take a look at the table I have created below and see if you can identify which information is relevant and which information is not.

Can you identify what ideas would be useful to answer this question and which would not?

If you thought “women’s suffrage”, “Weimar Republic”, and “the Great Migration” wouldn’t be helpful, you were right. The question is asking about the United States involvement in global affairs after WWI. Women’s suffrage involves the US, and the 19th amendment passed after WWI, but it doesn’t deal with global affairs; the Weimar Republic is the post-WWI world, but doesn’t really affect the US in the way the question is asking; finally, the Great Migration hits the U.S. criteria, but isn’t really about global affairs.

Develop your outline. Start with your thesis.

After you have developed a list of ideas that are relevant to helping you answer the question, come up with your outline but always start with your thesis . Remember that your thesis is a direct answer to the question. In this instance, you need to answer how much the US involvement in WWI represented a turning point for the nation in global affairs.

What does the evidence you generated tell you?

However you decide to answer the question, make sure that your evidence matches the conclusion you reach.

Another useful way to organize your outline is based on the scoring rubric. You will be assessed on the following:

A. Thesis (1 point) B. Argument Development: Using the Targeted Historical Thinking Skill (2 points) C. Argument Development: Using Evidence (2 points) D. Synthesis (1 point)

In the next section, I will explain what the APUSH exam is looking for in a thesis statement. I strongly suggest that you look at all of the content that the College Board provides in their expanded version of scoring notes. You will need to create an account to access this, but trust me: it’s worth it.

Free Response Question (LEQ #1): Breaking Down the Scoring Rubric

In this section, I will explain what the APUSH scorers are looking at for each section. Remember, all of this information is available via the College Board website.

According to the College Board, the APUSH exam scoring notes state, “the thesis does not need to be a single sentence, it does need to be discrete, meaning it cannot be pieced together from across multiple places within the essay. It can be located in either the introduction or the conclusion, but not split between the two.”

Reference the table below for two examples of acceptable thesis statements.

If you noticed, the two thesis statements above opposite perspectives and yet, they both received full credit. It does not matter what side you come down on in answering the question, as long as you are clear and have evidence.

Notice the difference between the above thesis statements and the below thesis statement:

The United States has always been a powerhouse country. The American economy has been strong (despite a couple of bumps) and the people even stronger. The First World War showed the true power of the United States due to the willingness of its citizens and the brightness of their minds.

This thesis statement does not answer the question clearly, and, as such, it did not receive a point.

Free Response Question #2: Putting it all together

Now it’s your turn! This sample question is also from the 2016 APUSH exam. Once you have followed the steps I provided above (Understand what the question is asking you to do, 2. Make a table about what information is and is not relevant, and 3. Develop your outline. Start with your thesis!! ), you should check your response against the scoring notes provided for the question and read other student work. Good luck!

———————————————————————————————————–

Evaluate the extent to which the ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution marked a turning point in the history of United States politics and society. In the development of your argument, explain what changed and what stayed the same from the period immediately before the amendments to the period immediately following them. (Historical thinking skill: Periodization)

Allena Berry loves history; that should be known upfront. She loves it so much that she not only taught high school history and psychology after receiving her Master’s degree at Stanford University, she is now studying how students learn history at Northwestern. That being said, she does not have a favorite historical time period (so don’t bother asking). In addition to history, she enjoys writing, practicing yoga, and scouring Craigslist for her next DIY project or midcentury modern piece of furniture.

View all posts

More from Magoosh

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Find what you need to study

DBQ, LEQ, & SAQ Rubrics Points Explained

6 min read • may 15, 2022

Danna Esther Gelfand

AP World History Rubrics

📓  AP World History LEQ and DBQ Rubrics 

To ensure that you receive all the points possible in the Free-Response section of the exam you should be aware of and follow the criteria expected of you. It is important to note that AP World History graders are searching for specific things in your Short Answers, Long Essay, and Document-Based Essay.

You might be thinking, "I have to write the best essay possible to get all the points I need!" I assure you, that's not the case. The essays and brief responses you will be writing on your exam are not exactly similar to the ones you write in your English class. You're not expected to write the most thoughtful and well-structured piece that'll leave everyone in awe. AP graders take into consideration the time constraints on the exam and are only searching for rubric criteria to be fulfilled in your work. As a result, don't waste time perfecting every minute detail of your writing to impress and earn extra points.

Use your time wisely and efficiently. If you can't use the knowledge you have in the format expected of you, you will most likely and unfortunately lose points. Furthermore, the written portion of your exam is worth 60% of your grade, while the multiple choice is 40%. Therefore, understanding the rubric is your key to passing the AP Exam.

Document-Based Question (DBQ)

⚡ Live Stream Replay

🎥 Mastering The DBQ with Melissa Longnecker ⚡ Doing the DBQ with Charly Castillo

THESIS/CLAIM (1 point) 

⚡ Live Stream Replay - 🎥 Doing the DBQ: Thesis with Patrick Lasseter

• Write a valid response to the prompt - don't just restate it.
• Clearly and coherently create a logically reasonable claim that is argumentative that is about 1 to 2 sentences long.
• Included either at the end of your introduction or within your conclusion.

I suggest including your thesis in both area if you have enough time. This is because sometimes towards the end,  you have a better understanding of your work as a whole once you're done with establishing and proving your reasoning and will therefore write a more fitting, proper thesis in the conclusion. Make sure you include it in your intro paragraph, though! You don't know if you'll have enough time for the conclusion and you want to earn as many points as possible!

CONTEXTUALIZATION (1 point)

⚡ Live Stream Replay - 🎥 Doing the DBQ, Part 3: Contextualization with Evan Liddle

Give historical background information or context relevant to the prompt, such as significant events or developments. Try to write about 3 sentences. I suggest that give context taking place either during or within 100 years before the time period of the prompt or 100 years after what's given.

EVIDENCE (maximum of 3 points)

⚡ Live Stream Replay - 🎥 Doing the DBQ, Part 2: Evidence with Caroline Castellanos

• FIRST evidence point: R efer to, describe ,and relate at least 3 of the documents included to the prompt (question).
• SECOND evidence point: Refer to, describe, and relate at least 6 of the documents included to the prompt AND your argument/claim.
• THIRD evidence point: H istorical evidence that goes beyond the text documents included. Include any specific information you can remember that relates to the prompt and is not mentioned in the documents.

ANALYSIS AND REASONING (maximum of 2 points)

⚡ Live Stream Replay - 🎥 Doing the DBQ, Part 4: Reasoning with Melissa Longnecker

• FIRST analysis and reasoning point: Remember to use HIPPO (Historical Context, Intended Audience, Point of view, Purpose, or Outside Evidence ) for at least 3 documents and explain how that relates to your overall argument. Establish your analysis of those documents using at least one of the options in the acronym for each.
• SECOND analysis and reasoning point: Known to be quite tricky for AP History students for it is the dreaded complexity point. Not to fret! It's not as impossible as it seems to most. You can definitely get it! All you have to do is showcase a complex understanding of the historical development in the prompt.
• Some ways include:
• Explaining nuances (subtle differences) in an issue
• Providing both comparisons and contrasts if the essay is compare and contrast, or both continuities and changes if its a CCOT essay, or both causes and effects, making connections, etc.
• To earn the complexity point it should be laid out and develop in multiple parts of your essay, not just in one sentence or paragraph.

Long Essay Question (LEQ)

⚡ Watch - 🎥 Answering the Long Essay Question (LEQ) with Melissa Longnecker

⚡ Watch - Sharpening Your LEQ Skills with Melissa Longnecker

⚡ Watch - Writing the Long Essay Question with Safiya Menk

THESIS/CLAIM (1 point)

Same as DBQ.

EVIDENCE (maximum of 2 points)

• FIRST evidence point: Identify specific historical details or examples that relate to the prompt.
• SECOND evidence point: Use the specific historical evidence you identified in earning your first evidence point and connect it to an argument presented in response to your prompt and explain its relevance.
• FIRST analysis and reasoning point:  Use historical reasoning to build a framework for your overall argument through (comparison, causation, continuity or change).
• SECOND analysis and reasoning point: T he dreaded complexity point previously mentioned in the DBQ has the same criteria for the LEQ.

Short Answer Question (SAQ)

⚡ Watch - 🎥 Answering Short Answer Questions with Melissa Longnecker

⚡ Watch - Answering Short Answer Questions with Caroline Castellanos

⚡ Watch - Answering Short Answer Questions with Eric Beckman

• The FIRST and SECOND SAQs are required. Both address content within units 3-8.
• The THIRD and FOURTH SAQs are optional in a sense that you can choose to answer only one of the two.   The third addresses content within units 1-6, while the fourth addresses content within periods 6-9.
• They also assess a skill of either causation or comparison.
• This is where you would have to use your prior historical knowledge to earn points in these questions.

ACEing the SAQ

• First, ANSWER the question with a clear claim.
• Then, CITE the relevant evidence you know based on your knowledge of the content referred to in the prompts.
• Finally, EXPLAIN the relevance of your evidence and how it relates to your response.

This may seem like a lot to remember but I assure y'all that practice makes perfect. The more SAQs, DBQs, and LEQs you write following a specific format that will earn you the most points possible, the easier it will become. Soon enough you'll be following the structure without even realizing it. There's no doubt that you can get a 4 or 5 on this exam. This test is not based on solely your ability memorize random facts. That won't earn you more points. Your critical thinking and analysis skills coupled with background knowledge are key.The fact that you're challenging yourselves by taking an Advanced Placement College credit course is incredible and I applaud y'all for it! You got this! 💪

Review Time

After studying on your own, invite some friends to a study with me online session to go over each essay rubric and review anything that you may be confused on. It is a great way to for everyone to feel supported while studying!

Stay Connected

© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to ace the ap world history dbq: rubric, examples, and tips.

Advanced Placement (AP)

AP World History is a challenging class, and in order to get credit for it you’ll have to take an equally challenging exam. And one of the toughest parts of the test is the AP World History document-based question, or AP World DBQ. This question asks you to read and analyze documents on the fly, then write an argumentative essay…all in one hour. 

It can be hard to know what–and how–to study for the AP World History DBQ, especially when you don’t know which documents you’ll receive on test day. But don’t worry: we’ll break down everything you need to know about the AP World History DBQ so you can ace it on test day. (We’ll even give you AP World History DBQ example questions and an AP World History DBQ rubric example!) 

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• An explanation of what the AP World History DBQ is 
• A look at how the DBQ works on the AP World History exam
• A step-by-step process for tackling the AP World History DBQ
• A guide to studying for and answering the AP World History DBQ

Let’s get going!

What Is an AP World History DBQ? 

The document-based question (DBQ) is a question on the AP World History exam in which you are given a selection of seven documents and are asked to write an essay that incorporates information from at least six of them in a coherent argument based on a given prompt.

In other words: you’ll be writing an essay on a topic and incorporating resources that you’re given on the day of the exam! 

The DBQ tests over a wide range of skills , like writing, organizing thoughts, making arguments, making connections between different perspectives, and having a knowledge of world history. Yeah, the DBQs are definitely tough! That’s why it’s important to understand what the DBQ APWH is and how to best tackle it. 

How DBQs Work on the AP World History Exam

The DBQ format AP World History uses consists of a single open-ended prompt , and will focus on the time period of 1450-2001 .

Of the two free response questions, one is a long essay (worth 15%) and one is a DBQ. This means that the sole DBQ is, by itself, worth 25% of your total grade, making it the single most heavily-weighted question on the AP World History exam.  

Here are some actual AP World History DBQ examples from previous years’ AP World History exams:

• “Evaluate the extent to which economic factors led to the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920).” ( 2021 )
• “Evaluate the extent to which the Portuguese transformed maritime trade in the Indian Ocean in the sixteenth century.” ( 2019 )
• “Evaluate the extent to which railroads affected the process of empire-building in Afro-Eurasia between 1860 and 1918.” ( 2018 )

Of course, one of the things that makes AP DBQ questions unique is that you’ll be given seven documents to analyze as part of your essay response. Not only will you have to read and analyze these documents on exam day, you’ll have to include them as evidence in your essay to prove your argument! 

The seven documents you’ll receive will be a mixture of: 

• Primary texts : texts that were actually written in the time period you’re being asked about 
• Secondary texts : texts written by later historians that explain or interpret the time period 
• Images: usually either political cartoons or artwork from the time period 

How many of each type of document you get varies by year, so you’ll need to be comfortable using all three types to support an essay-based argument. 

To answer the AP World History DBQ, you’ll have to read through all seven documents and write an argumentative essay that answers the prompt. So not only will you have to come up with an arguable point, you’ll have to prove that thesis using evidence contained in at least three of the seven documents. If you want to earn full credit for your DBQ, you’ll actually have to use six of the seven documents to support your position! 

Just like in a sport, understanding how to score points on your DBQ is key to doing well on your exam. 

Understand the AP World DBQ Rubric

First, y ou need to understand what the expectations are and how your answer will be graded. Doing this will help you figure out what you need to study and which skills you need to brush up on. It’ll also ensure that you know exactly what a great DBQ response requires so that you earn as many points as possible! 

The good news is that the College Board has provided the AP World History DBQ rubric 2021 as part of their 2021 AP World History: Modern Sample Student Responses and Scoring Commentary document. The AP World History DBQ rubric contains all the information you need to know about how your response will be scored. 

Here’s how the rubric breaks down:

Thesis (1 Point) 

First you’ll need to create a thesis that “responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim that establishes a line of reasoning.” In order to get this point you’ll need to make an arguable claim based on the documents that answers the question of the prompt.  

Contextualization (1 Point) 

In order to get a point for contextualization you’ll need to “accurately describe a context relevant” to the time period covered by the prompt. What this means is that you’ll have to describe the political, social, or economic events and trends that contributed to the topic you’re writing about. 

Some of this you’ll know from the provided documents, but some of it you will also be expected to know based on what you’ve studied in AP World History class. You’ll also need to relate your knowledge to “broader historical events, developments, or processes that occur before, during, or continue after the time frame of the question.” In other words, you’ll have to show how the events of this time period are relevant now or how they are similar to some other historical situation.

Evidence (3 Points) 

This category assigns points based on how well you use the documents provided to you on the test. 

For this category, you get one of the potential three points solely for if you incorporate specific evidence that does not come from the provided documents in a way that is relevant to your thesis. 

However, in order to earn the other two points, you must support your argument by using even more evidence from the documents provided . If you use three to five documents, you’ll earn an additional point. If you integrate six or more documents in your response, you can earn up to two points…and full credit for this category!  

Just remember: You can’t just randomly throw information from the documents into your essay, though, you have to use it in a way that supports your argument and accurately represents what the documents are saying . 

Analysis and Reasoning (2 Points) 

For the analysis and reasoning section, you get one point for explaining “how or why the document’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience is relevant to an argument,” and you get one point for “complexity,” showing that you understand the time period that the prompt covers and use evidence to prove your understanding and back up your argument . 

Here’s what that means: you’ll have to prove how the documents are relevant to your argument, and your argument has to show that you understand the period you’re writing about. Additionally, you’ll need to write an essay that proves your argument in a way that shows you understand that there are a variety of possible perspectives about that time period or issue, and that not everyone in that period had the same experiences. 

If all that sounds like a lot...that's because it is! But don't worry. We'll walk you through the steps you can take to get prepared for your DBQ.

5 Steps for Tackling an AP World History DBQ

The AP World History DBQ is a complicated question that tests you over several different skills, so there isn’t a simple technique to ace it. However, if you master each of the individual skills it takes to do well on the DBQ examples, you’ll set yourself up to write a successful DBQ! response! 

Here are five steps you can follow to prepare for–and tackle!--the AP World History DBQ. 

Step 1: Use Past AP World DBQ Prompts to Practice

Taking practice exams is a great way to prepare for any standardized test–including the AP World exam. Not only do you get a chance to test your knowledge, practice tests also give you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the test format…which is really important when it comes to AP World DBQs.

There’s good news when it comes to AP World DBQ prompts, though. College Board’s website has the actual AP World DBQ prompts from 2002-2020 available to download. This means you can take almost 20 practice AP World History exams, as well as access AP World History DBQ example responses and AP World History DBQ rubrics, for free!  

It’s good to take one practice test before you start studying intensely for it because that will let you know where your skills are now (and it’ll let you track your progress). However, the nature of a free response means that it won’t be easy for you to grade by yourself. When it comes to assessing your response, use the AP World History DBQ rubric and honestly assess whether or not you incorporated the information thoroughly and accurately. If that doesn’t work for you, you can always ask a family member, tutor, or teacher to give you feedback on your response as well! 

Don’t be afraid to use multiple AP World DBQ prompts as part of your test prep strategy. The more DBQs you do, the better prepared you’ll be on test day! 

Step 2: Practice Creating a Thesis

A thesis statement is a sentence or two, located in your essay’s introduction, that explains what your essay will be about. In this case, your thesis will outline the argument you make in your AP World DBQ. 

The most important aspect of your thesis is that it has to make a claim that is both arguable and relevant to the prompt you’re given. However, you don’t want to just restate the prompt in your thesis! 

Here’s what we mean. Say you’re given the following prompt:

“Evaluate the extent to which economic factors led to the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920).” 

You don’t want your thesis to be “Economic factors led to the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution,” since that just restates the prompt without adding in your own argument. To write a great DBQ, you want to make a specific claim about how and why economic factors led to the Mexican Revolution, and you want to be able to use the AP World History DBQ documents provided to prove it!

Here are two AP World History DBQ examples that College Board considers acceptable theses for this prompt:

• “Mexico’s inability to resist the political dominance of the United States and European powers was the most significant factor in leading to the revolution because foreign dominance prevented the Mexican government from enacting economic reforms.”
• “Ethnic tensions were just as important in leading to the Mexican Revolution as economic factors because much of the economic exploitation that was occurring in Mexico affected poor indigenous communities.”

See how these two examples both make specific claims? The first argues that foreign influences prevented the Mexican government from enacting economic reforms. This is a claim that the author can prove by showing how foreign governments interfered with the Mexican government, and how that action led to reforms being stalled. 

The second AP World History DBQ example thesis addresses something more complex: how ethnic tensions led to economic exploitation. The author can then use the provided documents as evidence that poor indigenous communities were exploited, and can argue that those actions led to the Mexican Revolution.

Outlines take a little time, but they'll keep your DBQ from derailing. (Staying on topic is key!)

Step 3: Practice Creating an Outline

Remember the AP World History DBQ is timed, and you’ll only have one hour to complete it! To keep your writing organized and on track, it’s a good idea for you to create a quick outline before you jump into writing your essay. 

Having said that, you’ll need to be careful not to spend too much time on your outline so you have enough time to write your DBQ. That’s why we recommend spending 15 minutes reading documents, 5 minutes outlining your essay, and 40 minutes writing your response. 

The most important things that your outline will need are an introduction and conclusion ! Your introduction sets up your thesis while your conclusion restates your thesis and explains how it’s relevant to the reader in some way–perhaps by showing that a similar claim could be made about another time period, or that the effects of the thesis are still being felt today. 

Apart from your intro and conclusion, you’ll need body paragraphs. Since you only have about 45 minutes to write this essay, you don’t want too many of them. Three or four body paragraphs will be enough to make your argument. The most important thing about your body paragraphs is that each of them supports your argument and incorporates information from the documents!

To help you out, here is an example of a usable outline for the AP World History DBQ:

• Set up your argument and include your thesis.
• You can break down your thesis into several steps, which will then become the topics of each body paragraph
• Tell the reader what they need to know about the historical situation. 
• Include any information you might already know from outside the provided documents.
• Make the first point you mentioned in your introduction.
• Use information from the documents to illustrate and prove your point.
• Include two or three documents that support your point 
• Just like the previous paragraph, use two or three different documents to prove the second point of your thesis
• If you make a third point in your thesis, explain it here using one or two different documents as evidence 
• Restate your thesis and summarize the main points you’ve made.
• Show how it’s relevant to the reader.

Your outline doesn’t need to be anything fancy–it just needs to give you an idea of how to structure your DBQ. Trust us: outlining might seem like a waste of time, but having a guide will make writing go much faster. 

Step 4: Practice Incorporating Quotes and References

As you write your essay, you’ll need to use examples from the documents provided–and each time you do, you’ll need to indicate which documents you pulled the information from . You’ll do this whether you are quoting your source or just paraphrasing it. 

Here are two attribution examples that College Board considers acceptable for the AP World History DBQ:

• (Document 1): “The finance minister tells strikers that unemployment is the result of supply and demand and is out of the government’s hands, a position which probably increased people’s discontent with the government because they were unwilling to help.”
• (Document 2): “The newspaper cartoon shows that the government was willing to use violence to put down popular protests against a rigged election system. Such oppressive government policies may have contributed to increased support for the eventual revolution.”

Note that both of these connect the contents of the document to the argument the author is trying to make. They don’t just paraphrase or quote the contents of the document for the sake of using them– you should use documents to support your argument!

Keep in mind that the College Board is pretty specific about how they want you to use AP World history DBQ documents. In the 2021 AP World History Scoring Guidelines rubric, College Board makes the point that you should “ describe and explain ” the contents of the document: By “describe'' they mean you should point out to your reader what about the document is relevant and illustrate it as if the reader did not have the document in front of them. 

From there, you’ll need to explain the document. That means you should use the document to show the reader why changes or situations in history have happened or why there is a relationship between two factors you’re writing about. 

Step 5: Understand Time Management

One of the most important skills you can acquire by taking multiple attempts at the AP World DBQ practice test will be time management. 

When you’re in the actual test environment, you won’t be able to use your phone to set a timer or alarm, so it’ll be difficult to keep track of how much time you’re spending on reading and re-reading the documents, brainstorming, and outlining. You want to leave yourself the majority of the time allowed (which will be one hour) for writing. 

College Board’s AP World History DBQ rubric recommends that you spend 15 minutes reading the documents and 45 minutes writing the essay . When you write your practice DBQs, be sure to use this format so you can get a feel for how much time you do (or don’t!) have for the question. Practicing with a timer is a great way to make sure you’re using your time wisely on test day! 

4 Tips for Studying for and Answering the AP World History DBQs

Now that you’ve read our step-by-step process for tackling the AP World History DBQ and have seen several AP World History DBQ examples, here are some expert tips on doing well on the AP World History DBQ . We’ve developed these tips based on the AP World History rubric to make sure you earn as many points as possible! 

Tip 1: Know Your Rubric

Go through the AP World History DBQ rubric 2021 and notice that it tells you exactly how to earn points in each category . Most categories are worth multiple points, so you need to know how to earn all the points possible. 

For example, the rubric is clear about how to earn points for your thesis statement. You’ll have to make sure that you have a thesis that states outright what argument you are trying to make if you want to earn credit for that category of the rubric! 

The scoring for the DBQ is pretty objective, and knowing exactly what the scorers are looking for will help you earn the most points possible.

Tip 2: Your Essay Can Contain Errors

In an AP World History DBQ, you’ll be able to make tiny errors and still be able to earn full credit for your response. 

Before you get too excited, there are big (and we mean big!) limits to this rule. For instance, you can’t misrepresent a document by saying an author makes one claim when they clearly aren’t. You also can’t write something that is obviously wrong, like that America continues under British rule because the revolution was unsuccessful! 

But you can make minor errors that don’t detract from your argument as long as you are demonstrating a knowledge of the time period and the ability to incorporate evidence to make an argument. So for example, you can make the mistake of saying that President Nixon’s impeachment hearings began in July 1974 (instead of May, when they actually began), and still earn full credit as long as you aren’t making an argument that depends on the accuracy of those dates.  

Tip 3: Write for Clarity 

One thing to keep in mind is that you’re graded on the quality of your argument and how well you prove it– you don’t get graded on how beautifully or fluently you write ! 

So, while you’ll want to use correct grammar and write as clearly as you can, don’t spend too much time making your writing beautiful. Instead, focus on clearly explaining your ideas! 

To this end, you won’t have points taken away for grammatical errors unless they make it difficult for the graders to see how you’ve used the evidence to make an argument. So while you want your writing to be as error-free as possible, it’s more important that you’re making your argument as clearly–and as persuasively–as possible. 

Tip 4: Write for Relevance

As you’re outlining and writing your AP World DBQ, ask yourself, why is this relevant to today’s readers? To earn a perfect score, you’ll have to tie your argument to another time period or historical situation. 

This is your chance to show that while the period you’re writing about may have been long in the past, the events are still relevant to us today ! This is why we read, write, and study history in the first place. So as you outline and write your DBQ, make sure you’re doing your best to show your reader why this historical moment or event is still important.

What’s Next? 

No matter what AP course you’re taking, you’ll want to have a study plan in place when it comes to exam time. This blog article can help you put together a prep strategy that works.

Not sure what a “good” AP test score is for AP World History? This list of the average AP test scores for every exam will help you understand how your scores stack up. 

Perfect test scores are great, but do you really need a perfect AP World History score? Our experts will explain the pros and cons of getting perfect 5s on your AP exams. 

Looking for help studying for your AP exam?

Our one-on-one online AP tutoring services can help you prepare for your AP exams. Get matched with a top tutor who got a high score on the exam you're studying for!

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”