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Advanced Placement (AP)

The dreaded DBQ, or "document-based question," is an essay question type on the AP History exams (AP US History, AP European History, and AP World History). For the DBQ essay, you will be asked to analyze some historical issue or trend with the aid of the provided sources, or "documents," as evidence.

The DBQ is an unfamiliar type of in-class essay for many students, but it does not need to be a source of dread or panic. In this guide I'll go over the DBQ's purpose and format, what the documents are and how to use them, how this type of essay is scored, and how to prepare. I'll tell you everything you need torock this unique type of essay!

Note: The rubric, guidelines, and skills tested for all of the History APs are identical; only the historical source material is different.

The DBQ Essay Explained

As a veteran of the DBQ, I'm here to answer all your questions. Why do the AP History exams even have a document-based question? What will it look like on the exam? What are these documents, anyways? Let's dive right in.

This baby is too young to be diving into the DBQ!

Why the DBQ?

The point of the document-based question is not to torment you but actually to put you in the historian's shoes as an interpreter of historical material. Cool, right?

The DBQ is testing your ability to:

• create a strong thesis and support that thesis with the aid of the documents provided
• analyze sources for characteristics such as author's point of view, the author's purpose, the audience, and context
• make connections between the documents
• bring in outside knowledge to strengthen the argument

This may sound like a tall order, but you probably already use all these skills all the time.

Here's an example:

Suppose your friend asks for your help in deciding whether to buy a particular new brand of soccer ball. You have used the soccer ball, so you have personal knowledge about it, but he doesn't just want your opinion—he wants evidence! (Your friend takes buying soccer balls very seriously).

So first, you collect information (your "documents"). These could include:

• online reviews of the soccer ball
• your brother's opinion
• the price at the store
• the cost of other soccer balls
• ads for the soccer ball

Next, you'll analyze these "documents" to make a decision about whether the ball is a good purchase for your friend or not. For that, you might:

• Assess bias (also known as the author's point of view): Maybe the soccer ball ad isn't the most objective measure of the ball's quality. Maybe your brother hates soccer.
• Consider the author's audience: Maybe that review of the soccer ball was written for professional soccer players, and you want to know how it is for casual players!
• Think about the context of your friend's decision: What time of year is it? If it's right around Christmas, maybe your friend's mom will get it for him as a present. What you already know about soccer is part of the context as well--you know your friend won't want a ball that's too bouncy, for example.

Buying the right soccer ball might have higher stakes than the AP exam.

If you were going to go back and write an essay for your friend about this after you've reviewed your "documents," your thesis might be something like one of these examples:

• "This soccer ball is a good purchase for my friend because it has all the elements of a good soccer ball at a great price point."
• "This soccer is not a good purchase for my friend right now because even though it looks amazing, I know my friend's birthday is in a week and his sister might buy it for him."

Then you would use the "documents" and your outside knowledge (for example, your experience with the soccer ball and your knowledge about soccer) to support that claim.

That's a document-based question! In fact, I would assert that the DBQ is the easiest essay to score highly on in the AP History exams. As overwhelming as it might be now to think about all of that information getting thrown at you at once, think of it this way:

Instead of relying primarily on your knowledge, the DBQ gives you a bunch of sources to use in your analysis. This means you don't have to be worried you'll waste five minutes racking your brain trying to remember the name of that guy who did that thing. It's important to bring in some outside information for a top score, but the main thing you need to do is analyze.

95% of the info you really need is there. You just have to learn how to use it.

Let's move on to test formatting so you know what to expect from document-based questions.

What Does the DBQ Format Look Like?

Each of the AP history tests has one DBQ, and it is always the first question in the test booklet for the writing section (Part II of the exam). When you open your booklet and turn to the DBQ, you will see the instructions, the prompt, and then the documents.

You will have a 15-minute reading period, with a recommended 40 minutes of writing time. The test has two essays, and you will have 90 minutes total to plan and write them. You won't be forced to move on from one essay to the other, so be sure to budget your time carefully.

You are not required to use the entire reading/planning period. You can begin writing whenever you wish. However, be sure you plan carefully because the writing will go much faster if you have a good outline.

That covers the general format, but no doubt you want to hear more about these mysterious documents. Stay tuned!

What's the Deal With These Documents?

You will receive up to seven sources. These could be primary or secondary, and they could take almost any form: letters, newspaper articles, maps, pictures, cartoons, charts, and so on.

You will need to use all or all but one of the documents in your essay. You should go further in-depth on at least four of the documents. (See the rubric breakdown section below for more details).

For US History, no DBQ will focus exclusively on the time period prior to 1607 or after 1980, although they may focus on a broader time period that includes one of those time periods.

Don't worry, they won't be original copies.

Now that we've discussed the purpose, format, and document protocol of the DBQ, we need to discuss scoring.

How Is the DBQ Scored?

How much is the DBQ worth on your exam? And how do those pesky AP graders even score it?

How Much Is the Document-Based Question Worth?

The DBQ is 25% of your total grade. The entire second section of exam is 50% of your grade, and there are two equally weighted essays.

What Does the Rubric Mean?

The rubric the graders use is freely available to you on the College Board website.

• Click here for the rubric.

Don't worry if these look like gibberish to you. I'll break it down briefly here, and go even more in-depth on my article about how to prepare for and write a DBQ .

DBQ Rubric Breakdown

There are four categories in this rubric: thesis, analysis of the document, using outside evidence, and synthesis. You can score up to seven points.

Thesis and Argument—2 points

The breakdown:

• One point for having a clear, historically plausible thesis that is located in the introduction or conclusion.
• You can get another point here for having a particularly good thesis that presents a nuanced relationship between historical factors, and doing a good job supporting that thesis in your essay.

Document Analysis—2 points

• One point for using 6-7 of the documents in your essay. Easy-peasy.
• author's point of view
• author's purpose
• historical context

Just be sure to tie any further analysis back to your main argument!

Using Outside Evidence—2 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 about it but the contextual information can be very general.
• One point is for being able to name an additional specific example relevant to your argument that is not mentioned in the documents. Don't stress if you freeze up and can't remember one on test day. This is only one point and it will not prevent you from getting a 5 on the exam.

Synthesis—1 point

• 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.

Still with me? Just remember: the most important thing is having a strong thesis that is supported by the information in the documents and whatever other related information you have around in your brain.

If you are an auditory learner, I recommend this video , which breaks down all the components you need to get a seven.

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Parting Thoughts on Scoring

If this seems like a lot to take in, don't worry. You don't have to get a perfect score on the DBQ to get a five on the AP. Somewhere in the 5-6 range can definitely get you there. To get a 3 on the exam (which still gives you course credit at a lot of colleges), you only need a 3 on the DBQ. (See page eight of this document .)

Additionally, overall historical accuracy is important but not 100% necessary for every tiny detail of the essay. Anything that is in the documents should be correct, but when you start to bring in outside sources for your DBQ essay on unionization and working conditions and you can't remember if the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was in 1911 or 1912, just pick one and don't sweat it. If minor details are incorrect and don't detract from the overall meaning of the essay, you won't lose points.

Now that you understand the purpose, format, and rubric for document-based questions, I'll give you some tips on how to get the score you're aiming for.

How Can I Rock the DBQ?

Two things will help you crush the DBQ: prepping beforehand, and hitting all the right notes on test day!

Rock the DBQ like Jimi rocked the 1960s.

Preparing for the DBQ

As you might expect, the most important thing you can do to prepare is to practice writing this type of essay.

• Try out the practice DBQs available online at the College Board website: look here for AP US History (and here for a complete APUSH practice test ), here for AP European History , and here for AP World History . You don't necessarily have to write an entire essay every time you practice—it's also helpful to read the question and texts and then create outlines with a thesis.

Ask a trusted teacher or advisor to look over your practice drafts and/or outlines with the rubric and advise what you might be missing.

Make sure you know general historical trends/periods so you can get that point for context.

You can find more prep tips in my article on how to write a DBQ .

During the Test

• Read the question carefully . Make sure you know what is being asked before you start trying to answer.
• While you read the documents, take notes on what they mean, who is writing, etc.
• Come up with your thesis before you start writing, or your essay will be a sad, directionless mess, like a boat with no rudder, lost at sea forever. If you aren't sure of your thesis yet, brainstorm in your notes—not while you are writing.
• Once you have a thesis, stay on topic. If you're writing about how Smaug wrecked the Forbidden Mountain, don't start talking about how amazing and clever Bilbo is, even if it's true.
• Make sure you use all the documents—doing so gets you easy points.
• However, don't simply regurgitate sources with no analysis. If you find yourself doing a lot of "Source A says blah, and Source B says blah, and Source C says blah..." make sure you are using the documents to make a point , and not letting the documents use you.
• A great way to analyze the documents is to make connections between them! Who agrees? Who disagrees? Why?
• Don't forget to provide context, one outside example, and a connection to another period/area/historical theme if you can! That's three points right there.

And there you have it! You are ready to start prepping for success.

Abraham Lincoln believes in you!

Final Thoughts

I know I just threw a lot of information at you. So here are some key takeaway points:

• The document-based question is a way for the AP to test your skills as a historian!
• Don't panic! It doesn't have to be overwhelming, even though you are getting tons of information thrown at you in a short time.
• The DBQ is based on skills that you can learn and practice: writing a strong thesis, using given evidence to support an argument, making connections between different documents and pieces of evidence, placing specific information in a broader context, analyzing an author's intent, bias, audience, etc.

What's Next?

Need more study resources for AP World History ? See our Best AP World History Study Guide or get more practice tests from our complete list.

Need more resources for AP US History ? Try this article on the best notes to use for studying from one of our experts. Also check out her review of the best AP US History textbooks !

Or just looking for general information about your upcoming APs ? See here for instructions on how to register for AP exams , complete AP test dates , and information on how much AP tests cost (and how to get AP financial aid).

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

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AP World History Document-Based Question: Margaret Mee

Subjects : History

Time Required : 1 hour

Download DBQ Grading Rubric and Tips

Discover related activities in the  Margaret Mee: Portraits of Plants   Module .

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AP World History DBQ

Below, you will find our practice AP World History DBQ which is part of our full-length AP World History practice exam . This DBQ reflects the type of content you may see on your exam and will help prepare you to evaluate primary sources and respond effectively to the prompts. Once you have written your own response, you can review our sample answer, which will guide you towards a perfect score!

1. Evaluate the effects of the Columbian Exchange on the peoples and cultures of the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) and the New World (Americas) from the late 15th century to the 17th century.

Document 1: 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created,  Charles C. Mann, 2012. “Then as now, smoking was made to order for the boredom and inertia of army life. Tobacco was embraced by Ming soldiers, who disseminated it as they marched around the Empire. In the southwestern province of Yunnan, one physician reported, Chinese soldiers “entered miasma-ridden (malarial) lands, and none of them were spare disease except for a single unit, whose members were in perfect health. When asked the reason, the answer was that they all smoked.”…From that point, the account continued, “smoking spread…and now in the southwest, whether old or young, they cannot stop smoking from morning until night.” As a child in the 1630’s, the writer Wang Pu had never heard of tobacco. When he grew to adulthood, he later recalled, “customs suddenly changed, and all the people, even boys not four feet tall, were smoking.””  

Document 3: The Body of the Conquistador,  Rebecca Earle, 2012.  “The parallels between the introduction of European foods and European religion shaped the imagination of colonial actors in the sixteenth century. Writers often spoke of ‘planting’ the faith, and missionaries hoped to reap a good harvest of new souls. Christianity was a tender shoot introduced to a fertile or hostile soil. Such language drew on long-standing Christian traditions, for evangelisation had for centuries been presented as a form of spiritual gardening, using imagery derived from the Bible itself.”

Document 4: Excerpt from Christopher Columbus’s journal (1492) “They [the natives] brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things… They willingly traded everything they owned… They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features… They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane… They would make fine servants… With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”

Document 5: Letter from Hernán Cortés to Emperor Charles V (1520) “The city [Tenochtitlan] is as large as Seville or Cordova; its streets, I speak of the principal ones, are very wide and straight; some of these, and all the inferior ones, are half land and half water, and are navigated by canoes. We have seen so many cities built in the water and other great towns on dry land, and that straight and level highway leading to Mexico, we were astounded… The market place is twice as large as that of Salamanca and is surrounded by porticoes, where there are daily more than sixty thousand souls, buying and selling.”

Document 6: “An Account, Much Abbreviated, of the Destruction of the Indies” by Bartolomé de las Casas (1552) “The Indies were discovered in the year one thousand four hundred and ninety-two… Forty-nine years have passed since the first settlers penetrated the land, the first being the large and most happy isle called Hispaniola which is six hundred leagues in circumference. Around it in all directions are many other islands, some very big, others very small, and all of them were, as I saw with my own eyes, densely populated with native peoples called Indians. This large island was perhaps the most densely populated place in the world.”

Document 7: “The Commentaries of the Great Afonso Dalboquerque, Second Viceroy of India” by Afonso de Albuquerque (1515) “Upon our arrival at the Island of Ormuz, we were greeted by a diverse assembly of merchants from India, Persia, and beyond. Our ships were laden with a variety of goods, including precious metals and exotic spices. Among these, we introduced several plants from the New World, such as maize, which was unknown in these lands. The local inhabitants were intrigued by these new crops, and their interest quickly turned to eagerness as they began to cultivate them. The maize, in particular, thrived in this climate, promising to become a staple in their diet.”

In your response, you should do the following:

• Use the above documents to construct an essay that responds to the prompt.
• State a clear thesis that addresses the effects of the Columbian Exchange on both the Old and New Worlds.
• Include contextual information relevant to the period of the Columbian Exchange.
• Analyze at least two of the documents for their point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience.
• Incorporate at least one additional piece of historical evidence beyond the documents provided.
• Demonstrate complex understanding through sophisticated argumentation and effective use of evidence.

Once you have written your response, review our sample answer to see a response that would earn a perfect score on the official exam.

Find what you need to study

AP World DBQ HIPP Analysis Submissions & Feedback

7 min read • december 31, 2020

Melissa Longnecker

One of the skills AP World History: Modern holds you accountable for is  document analysis  - the ability not to only introduce a document but to deconstruct and break it down to smaller components to explore separately.

DBQ Early Modern Period Prompt

Here  are three documents from the Early Modern Period, c. 1450 to 1750. With your historical knowledge of Unit 3 (land empires), try to analyze at least 2 out of 3 documents. The more documents you practice analyzing, the more confident you’ll be in doing so in a timed fashion!

HIPP Strategy

Recap: We use the  HIPP strategy.  You might also know it as  HAPPY  but worry not, it has pretty much the same idea.

H: Historical Context - what was going on at this time period?

I: Intended Audience - who/whom is the document meant for?

P: POV - who/what is the document representing?

P: Purpose - why is the document created?

Responses and Feedback

Hipp analysis practice submission 1.

This document was compiled near the height of the Protestant Reformation, a time during which many countries and peoples in Europe began to break away from the Catholic Church on the basis of disputes of theological doctrine. To such examples are mentioned by Martin Luther in the passage, one being that the Catholic church had new practices that differed from that of traditional Christianity, such as indulgences and simony, and the second being that the Pope utilized the church as a means to accumulate power for himself rather than to glorify Jesus Christ. Martin Luther made these claims and speeches in private to his followers, whom he trusted. This trust allowed him to speak truly on his opinions of the Catholic Church, making more clear exactly how he believed Catholicism differed from true Christianity. However, this document was not written by Martin Luther himself, but rather his followers, who likely wrote it with the intent of distributing it to the peoples of Europe. This may have resulted in some inaccuracy and dramatization of Luther’s views towards the Catholic church in the document. His followers likely would have done this, with the goal of rallying more Christians to join the Protestant Movement and break away from the Catholic church.

This document was written at the height of the Sunni-Shia conflict between the Ottoman and Safavid Empires. Both the Ottomans and Safavids practiced slightly different versions of the Islamic faith, Sunni and Shia respectively. This document was written by the Ottoman sultan (Sunni) to the Safavid Shah (Shia). Because he believes that his own brand of Islam is superior, he attempts to downgrade Shia views by depicting them as sacrilegious while also attempting to uphold Sunni views by depicting them as righteous and holy. However, because the Safavid ruler is also Muslim, the Ottoman sultan makes sure to honor Muhammad, the undisputed founder of the faith, in his letter. Ultimately, his goal is to convince the Safavid sultan to convert to Sunni Islam, and he uses religious writing and sentiment to do so.

During this time, King Louis XIV ruled over France with the power of an absolute monarch. Under his supreme powers, he demanded that areas under French influence pay him reverence periodically. One of the areas was Siam, or modern-day Thailand, the king of which is depicted offering gifts to Louis in the document. The picture was created by a French artist, Nicolas Larmessin, who attempted to convey his own king’s, as well as France’s, power and sovereignty in this image. He likely intended the audience of this image to be both the people of France and foreign peoples under French influence. By showing it to these groups of people, its purpose would effectively be completed in that it would allow King Louis to legitimize his own power through an engraving him that depicted him and France as superior over other kings and nations.

DBQ Teacher Feedback

As usual, this response shows thoughtfulness and depth of understanding. Each HIPP category is present in your response to each document, and you’ve even developed each response to come to a conclusion about the document. Great job!

On the actual DBQ, you won’t need to be this thorough. This prompt is good practice with all of the different HIPP/HAPPY categories, but on the AP Exam you will be free to pick just one of these categories to describe and explain its relevance to your argument. That should save you time and energy on your final essay!

You wouldn’t actually do such robust analysis in your DBQ! Instead, you would choose one characteristic to describe about a document and then explain why that characteristic is relevant to know about in terms of understanding the document or your argument in response to the prompt. This is a really tricky skill!

Let’s talk about Document 3 - you have a good idea about purpose. The purpose of art like this was to legitimize the rule of the monarch. William does a good job in his response of briefly describing this purpose and connecting it to analysis of the document.

HIPP Analysis Practice Submission 2

was compiled during the Protestant Reformation when many people began to break away from the Catholic Church because of its wrongdoings. It is in the point of view of Martin Luther supporters; therefore, we can recon that they may be potentially biased against the Church, for Martin Luther believed the popes were changing the way of Christianity in the bible and protecting themselves by participating in acts such as the sale of indulgences or partaking in simony. The Purpose of this document was likely to inform the audience, other supporters of Martin Luther and people who didn’t know of the popes wrongdoing, to gather and spread the word of the the church’s injustice throughout Europe.

This document was compiled while there was a harsh split in Islamic beliefs in the Middles East, and a rival period was occurring between the Ottoman and Safavid empires over who should descend the prophet Muhammad. In this document The Ottoman empire addresses the Safavid. This is significant because the writing will try to persuade the Safavids that their beliefs are invalid and therefore should be scrapped for the Ottoman Sunni beliefs. The purpose of this document is to have the Shi’a Safavids convert to Sunni Islam while still respecting the words of the prophet Muhammad. Perhaps, this document even hints as a threat to the Safavids with its authoritative voice. The Ottomans and Safavids would often go to war, and towards the end of the document the Ottomans say that the Safavids will be granted royal favor once they become part of Ottoman land. This hints as a threat that if the Safavids don’t comply with Ottoman word, they will go to war with them over Islamic land and force the submission of their people towards the right branch of Islam.

Your responses here show that you have a good understanding of these documents and the history around them. Of the HIPP categories, your responses are strongest in terms of historical situation and POV.

On the actual DBQ, you won’t need to analyze all of the HIPP categories for any one document. This prompt is good practice with all of the different HIPP/HAPPY categories, but on the AP Exam you will be free to pick just one of these categories to describe and explain its relevance to your argument. That should save you time and energy on your final essay!

HIPP Analysis Practice Submission 3

In this document, King Louis XIV is shown in a throne and the King of Siam and the Siamese (Siam was a territory of France) are shown in grovelling postures. They seem to be bowing down to and almost worshiping King Louis XIV who ruled with divine right (claimed he was chosen to rule by God). But, since the painter is French, it stands to reason that the scenario depicted may not be entirely factual since the painter of this scenario would not want to insult King Louis XIV who had a significant amount of power over him and therefore portrayed the King as more powerful than he actually was in this painting.

In this document, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire is insulting the Shah of the Safavid Empire over not being faithful to Islam and is imploring the Safavids to join the Ottoman Empire and repent for sins. The purpose of this work is to get the Safavids to merge into the Ottoman Empire and therefore eliminate the Sh’ia Islam minority who make up the Safavid Empire since the Sunni (Ottoman Empire) have been in conflict with Sh’ia ideologies. If the Safavids join the Ottoman Empire, then a huge part of the Sh’ia population will become Sunni and that is what the Ottoman leader wants. The Ottoman sultan also will become politically more successful if he gets the Safavids to merge into his empire since he will rule a much larger territory.

This is a great example of what sourcing analysis might look like on the AP exam! I know the prompt was encouraging folks to try using all of the HIPP/HAPPY categories for each document, and your responses focused in on just one category each. This is actually the way you’ll write it on the exam, so that’s great!

I would encourage you to try on some additional HIPP categories in your practice so you’re prepared to use any category on your DBQ essay. Some documents lend themselves more to purpose or POV, while others make more sense in their historical situation. Try practicing with all of these so nothing throws you for a loop!

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