ap us history essay types

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AP®︎/College US History

Course: ap®︎/college us history   >   unit 10, ap us history periods and themes.

• AP US History multiple choice example 1
• AP US History multiple choice example 2
• AP US History short answer example 1
• AP US History short answer example 2
• AP US History DBQ example 1
• AP US History DBQ example 2
• AP US History DBQ example 3
• AP US History DBQ example 4
• AP US History long essay example 1
• AP US History long essay example 2
• AP US History long essay example 3
• Preparing for the AP US History Exam (5/4/2016)
• AP US History Exam Prep Session (5/1/2017)

AP US history periods and themes

Example ap us history problems, key terms, documents, and court cases to know, primary documents:.

John Winthrop, “City on a Hill” / “A Model of Christian Charity”

Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

Thomas Jefferson, “Declaration of Independence”

James Madison, “Constitution of the United States”

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, “Declaration of Sentiments”

Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

Harriet Beecher Stowe, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (main ideas)

Abraham Lincoln, “House Divided” speech, Second Inaugural Address

Sojourner Truth, “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Andrew Carnegie, “The Gospel of Wealth” (main ideas)

Josiah Strong, “Our Country” (main ideas)

Upton Sinclair “The Jungle” (main ideas)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address, December 8 1941 address

George Kennan, “Long Telegram”

Martin Luther King Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, “I Have a Dream” speech

Betty Friedan “The Feminine Mystique” (main ideas)

Ronald Reagan “Evil Empire” speech

Supreme Court cases:

Marbury v. Madison

Dred Scott v. Sanford

Plessy v. Ferguson

Brown v. Board of Education

Roe v. Wade

Bush v. Gore

Foreign policy doctrines:

Monroe Doctrine

Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

Truman Doctrine

Nixon Doctrine

Bush Doctrine

virgin soil epidemic

salutary neglect / benign neglect

mercantilism

Anti-Federalist

isolationism

judicial review

Democratic-Republican

Jacksonian Democracy

nullification

popular sovereignty

Emancipation

Jim Crow segregation

sharecropping

mass production

labor union

imperialism

self-determination

prohibition

laissez-faire economics

liberalism (economics/politics)

Soviet Union

containment

Domino Theory

non-violent protest (Civil Rights)

Vietnamization

conservatism

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Question Types on the AP U.S. History Exam

April 8, 2024.

The AP U.S. History exam, also called the APUSH exam, tests your ability to use historical thinking skills and reasoning processes and your understanding of historical themes. There are several different question types on the AP U.S. History exam you should practice before taking the exam in May. The APUSH exam has two sections, and each section has two parts. Section I consists of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Section II consists of the document-based question and long essay question. Familiarizing yourself with the question types on the exam will help you feel more confident on test day.

What are the Four Question Types on the AP U.S. History Exam?

There are four types of questions on the AP U.S. history exam. This includes 55 multiple-choice questions, three short-answer questions, one document-based question (DBQ), and one long essay question (LEQ). You will have 95 minutes for the first section, which includes the multiple-choice questions and short-answer questions, and 100 minutes for the essay section. It is important to pace yourself to have sufficient time to answer all the questions.

AP U.S. History Question Types: Multiple-Choice Questions

The first part of the APUSH exam includes 55 multiple-choice questions, which you must answer in 55 minutes. 40% of your total exam grade is based on this section. 

The multiple-choice questions on the APUSH exam test your ability to reason about different types of historical evidence. You will be required to show proficiency in one or more of the themes and apply one or more of the historical thinking skills or processes. The multiple-choice questions require you to reason about specific stimulus material provided with each set of questions. The types of stimulus material can be anything from political cartoons to speeches –  virtually any primary or secondary source. These questions will ask you to draw on the stimulus material as well as your knowledge of the concepts and historical developments in the College Board’s course framework. 

Expert tip: Bring a watch when you take the APUSH exam and try to work at a steady pace. In the multiple-choice section, you only have a minute for each question. If the answer doesn’t immediately come to you, make a notation in the test booklet and come back to it.

[ LISTEN: Barron’s AP U.S. History Podcast Episode 9: “Multiple-Choice Questions” on Apple and Spotify ]

Sample Multiple-Choice Question

The following is an example of a multiple-choice question you would find on the AP U.S. History exam. In this case, you are presented with a political cartoon that you must use to answer the question below.

Question 1 refers to the following image:

• The political cartoon shown above makes the point that a. northern capitalists benefit as much from the institution of slavery as southern plantation owners do. b. Reconstruction was brought to an unfortunate end by a coalition of forces in the North and South. c. African Americans were incapable of effectively participating in the political process. d. nativist politicians were unfairly presenting Irish Americans as ignorant and brutish.

Check your answer.

Answer: (B) This evocative political cartoon requires you to read a whole host of clues before you can understand its meaning. The man on the left is an Irish immigrant; the “5 Points” on his hat refers to the Irish neighborhood in New York City. Note his almost ape-like face. This was typical of representations of Irish immigrants as drawn by nativist cartoonists. The man in the middle has “C.S.A.” on his belt buckle: Confederate States of America. His knife says “Lost Cause,” an allusion to the southern nostalgia for the noble fight the South put up in the Civil War. The man on the right has “Capital” written on the object he is holding; he is a northern capitalist, ready to use money to purchase votes. 

These three sinister forces are working together in the Democratic Party to deny African Americans the right to vote. Note the ballot box contents strewn on the ground in the lower right-hand corner of the cartoon. Thomas Nast intended the cartoon as a warning about the dangers of a Democratic victory in the upcoming presidential election. The cartoon does not allude to the slave system or cotton production (A). The cartoon is drawn sympathetically toward African Americans; there is no allusion that the man on the ground is ignorant or debased (C). It is true that Irish immigrants were presented as ignorant, but the cartoonist is not critiquing that. In fact, he himself is presenting an Irish immigrant in an unflattering manner (D).

AP U.S. History Question Types: Short-Answer Questions

Section I, Part B of the APUSH exam consists of four short-answer questions, of which you will answer three. The first two questions are required, then you will choose whether to respond to the third or fourth question. Each short-answer question has three parts, with each part given a grade of 0 or 1. The maximum grade for each short-answer question is a score of 3. You will have 40 minutes to complete the short-answer questions, and 20% of your total exam grade is based on this section.

• Short-answer question #1: The first short-answer question on the AP U.S. History exam will assess your ability to analyze secondary sources. You will be presented with one or two secondary sources – generally excerpts from the work of one or more historians. The question will ask you to describe a historical interpretation or to describe differences in historical interpretation. Then it will ask you to explain how evidence from the period under discussion could be used to support the interpretation(s). This first question will draw on material from Periods 3 to 8 (1754-1980).
• Short-answer question #2: The second short-answer question on the exam will include primary source material, such as newspaper articles. The question will use one of two reasoning practices – causation or comparison. You will be asked to describe the document’s significance and use historical evidence to explain a historical development related to the image. This question will also draw on material from Periods 3 to 8.
• Short-answer question #3: Last, you will be provided with a choice of two questions to answer for your third question on the APUSH exam. Neither of these questions will have stimulus material. They will both use the same reasoning skill—either causation or comparison (whichever of the two skills that was not used in the second question). A causation question will ask you to describe a historical development and explain its causes and/or effects. A comparison question will present you with two historical developments and ask you to describe how they are similar and how they are different. In addition, it may ask you to explain the reasons for differences or the impact of one or the other historical development. Again, you will be asked to provide relevant historical evidence. The first of these two questions (Question 3) will draw from material in Periods 1 through 5 (1491-1877); the second of the two questions (Question 4) will draw from material in Periods 6 through 9 (1865-Present). Be sure to choose the short-answer question you feel most confident in answering. 

[ LISTEN: Barron’s AP U.S. History Podcast Episode 10: “Short-Answer Questions” on Apple and Spotify ]

Sample Short-Answer Question

Below is one example of a short-answer question you might encounter on the AP U.S. history exam. In this example, you are required to use the excerpts below to answer the three-part question. 

Question 1 refers to following excerpts:

“Out of this frontier democratic society where the freedom and abundance of land in the great

Valley opened a refuge to the oppressed in all regions, came the Jacksonian democracy. . . . It was because Andrew Jackson personified these essential Western traits that in his presidency he became the idol and mouthpiece of the popular will. . . . [H]e went directly to his object with the ruthless energy of a frontiersman. . . . The triumph of Andrew Jackson marked the end of the old era of trained statesmen for the Presidency. With him began the era of the popular hero.”

Frederick Jackson Turner, historian, The Frontier in American History, 1920

“Not only was [Andrew] Jackson not a consistent politician, he was not even a real leader of democracy. He had no part whatever in the promotion of the liberal movement which was progressing in his own state. . . . [H]e always believed in making the public serve the ends of the politician. Democracy was good talk with which to win the favor of the people and thereby accomplish ulterior objectives. Jackson never championed the cause of the people; he only

invited them to champion his.”

Thomas P. Abernathy, historian, From Frontier to Plantation in Tennessee, 1932

• Using the excerpts above, answer (a), (b), and (c). a. Briefly describe ONE major difference between Turner’s and Abernathy’s historical interpretations of President Andrew Jackson. b. Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event or development during the period 1820 to 1850 that is not explicitly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Turner’s interpretation. c. Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event or development during the period 1820 to 1850 that is not explicitly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Abernathy’s interpretation.

(a) A good response would explain differences between Turner’s and Abernathy’s historical interpretations of President Andrew Jackson, such as: Both Turner and Abernathy address the issue of whether President Andrew Jackson was a “man of the people,” an upholder and proponent of democratic values. Turner argues that Jackson does live up to his reputation as a true democrat. He traces Jackson’s democratic spirit back to his upbringing in the frontier region, along the border of the colonies of North and South Carolina. Turner asserts that the region fostered an independent and egalitarian spirit that was reflected in Jackson’s actions. Abernathy, however, argues that Jackson’s talk of democracy was hollow. He asserts that Jackson was typical of most politicians in that he was self-serving. He talked about the interests of the common man, but his policies did not advance a democratic agenda.

(b) Good responses would cite evidence that would support Turner’s interpretation of Jackson, such as: Jackson supported the rotation of office in government, also known as the “spoils system.” Jackson brought new individuals into government positions rather than allowing the old established officeholders to continue to exercise power. (c) Good responses would cite evidence that would support Abernathy’s interpretation of Jackson, such as:

Jackson did not attempt to promote the right to vote for people other than white males. As a slaveholder, he did not want to extend democratic rights to African Americans or to challenge the institution of slavery. Nor did he support extending democratic rights to women.

AP U.S. History Question Types: Document-Based Question

The second section of the AP U.S. history exam begins after a short break. In Section II, Part A, you will answer a document-based question, or DBQ. You will have 60 minutes to complete this part of the exam, and it is worth 25% of your total exam grade.

The DBQ evaluates your ability to assess, analyze, and synthesize various types of historical evidence and construct a coherent essay. Your written response is judged on your ability to formulate a thesis and support it with relevant evidence. The documents can include written materials, charts, graphs, cartoons, and pictures. Each DBQ on the APUSH exam will focus on one of the historical reasoning processes: comparison, causation, or continuity. It will also assess all six historical thinking skills – skills—developments and processes, sourcing and situation, claims and evidence in sources, contextualization, making connections, and argumentation.

Expert tip: When writing your response to the document-based question, be sure to maintain historical neutrality. Avoid using words like “us” or “our” when discussing the United States. Strong essays should be intellectually engaged but not emotionally invested in a particular outcome or position. Such personal investment tends to undermine one’s argument. 

[ LISTEN: Barron’s AP U.S. History Podcast Episode 11: “The Document-Based Question” on Apple and Spotify ]

Sample Document-Based Question

The following is an example of a document-based question. We suggest you spend 15 minutes reading the documents and 45 minutes writing your response. This sample DBQ is based on the documents below.

In your response, you should do the following:

• Respond to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis or claim that establishes a line of reasoning.
• Describe a broader historical context relevant to the prompt.
• Use at least six documents in order to support an argument in response to the prompt.
• Use at least one additional piece of specific historical evidence (beyond that found in the documents) relevant to an argument about the prompt.
• For at least three documents, explain how or why the document’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience is relevant to an argument.
• Use evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the prompt.

Prompt: Compare the mobilization efforts by local, state, and federal authorities in the United States during World War I with mobilization efforts during World War II.

This document-based question asks you to compare the mobilization efforts of World War I with those of World War II. As you look at the documents, several themes should emerge. One theme that quickly emerges is that in both World War I and World War II, the role of the federal government grew. We can see this in the conservation efforts in both wars. In World War I, we see this in Document 2, a poster from the Food Administration urging a change in diet to prevent shortages of certain commodities (meat, sugar, and fat) for the war effort. In World War II, we see a similar effort at conservation in Document 5; commuters are urged to carpool so as to save fuel for the war effort.

In addition to conservation, we can see that in both wars authorities put a good deal of effort into filling defense-industry plants with workers. For World War I, we see this implied in Document 1—the efforts of the War Industries Board. For World War II, we see this effort in Document 6, urging women to take industrial jobs, assuring them that they could handle such jobs. The World War II efforts to find employees are alluded to in Document 7 as well. This document describes one of the “zoot-suit riots” that occurred in Los Angeles and elsewhere during the war. These anti-Mexican riots occurred after the federal government instituted the Bracero program, allowing thousands of Mexicans to enter the United States legally as temporary guest workers.

Another theme that emerges in the comparison is the treatment of different ethnicities. In World War I, we see violence against German Americans in Document 3. This document should remind you of the rise in xenophobia and anti-German violence during World War I. In World War II, in addition to the violence against Mexicans in the “zoot-suit riots” (Document 7), we can go beyond the documents and cite discrimination against Japanese Americans with their forced relocation to the interior of the United States. In both wars, ugly expressions of ethnic hatred were unleashed by the war.

The final area of comparison to examine is the limits placed on civil liberties in both conflicts. In World War I, the government passed the Espionage and Sedition Acts, limiting free-speech rights. These acts are referenced in Document 4, an excerpt from the Espionage Act. During World War II, the government limited the civil liberties of the entire population of West Coast Japanese Americans by issuing Executive Order 9066, calling for the internment of people of Japanese descent in a series of camps. In both wars, the government expanded its power to limit civil liberties. You can judge the merits of each action, noting similarities and differences.

A successful essay would earn a point for developing a strong thesis that addresses the prompt—one that makes a claim in regard to comparisons between government mobilization efforts during World War I with those of World War II. The thesis should reflect a complex understanding of the topic, an understanding that would then be developed in the body of the essay (see below for a discussion of historical complexity). The second possible point in the essay would be for contextualization . You must put the government mobilization efforts into a wider context. For instance, this essay could note that the efforts to expand the role of government during wartime occurred in the context of broader efforts to expand the role of government in society. In the case of World War I, this would involve discussing the efforts of the Progressive movement; in the case of World War II, this would involve invoking the ideology of the New Deal. The next three points would be for using evidence —both within and outside of the documents. For the first of these points, the essay must successfully use the content of at least three of the documents to address the topic of the prompt. The next point can be earned for using the content of at least six of the documents in a way that supports an argument in response to the prompt. The third evidence point would be for using evidence outside the documents—the circumstances of the arrest of Eugene Victor Debs during World War I, the role of Herbert Hoover as administrator of the Food Administration during World War II, or the Bracero program during World War II. To earn this point, the essay must explain how the outside evidence is relevant to the argument. It is not enough to simply mention or describe this information.

The last two points are for analysis and reasoning . The first of these two points is for sourcing —for at least three of the documents, explaining how or why the document’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience is relevant to the argument. For example, the essay could discuss the historical situation of Document 6—the “We Can Do It!” poster. Before the war, very few women worked in heavy industry. Women worked in lighter industry—notably the garment industry—but not in the shipbuilding industry. The poster played a role in changing this gender norm. This point could be connected to a broader argument about changing conceptions of gender during times of war. Or, the essay could discuss the purpose of the Espionage Act (Document 4) during World War I. This point could note that the act was designed to blunt objections to a war that was widely criticized by Americans. This could be connected with a broader point about the role of government in organizing and producing enthusiasm for American participation in military ventures. The last point is for demonstrating a complex understanding of the historical development that is the focus of the essay. This point could be earned by extending the argument to another time period—such as the Civil War or the Vietnam War—and drawing conclusions about the growth of federal power during times of crisis. Or, the argument could be modified by considering diverse or alternative views or evidence, such as how the impact of World War II mobilization on African Americans differed from the impact on white Americans. This point could focus on discrimination in war-related industries and the moves by A. Philip Randolph and other civil-rights leaders to organize a major civil-rights demonstration during the war. This point could also note that the demonstration was called off when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order banning segregation in war-related industries.

How is the Document-Based Question Scored?

The document-based question on the APUSH exam is scored on the four elements described below. Understanding how the document-based question’s grading system can help you achieve a top score of 7. 

• Thesis: 0-1 points Earn 1 point by responding to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim that establishes a line of reasoning. 
• Contextualization: 0-1 points Earn 1 point by describing a broader historical context relevant to the prompt 
• Evidence: 0-3 points  Earn 1 point by using the content of at least three documents to address the prompt’s topic, or earn 2 points by supporting an argument in response to the prompt using at least six documents. Earn an extra point by using at least one additional piece of specific historical evidence beyond that found in the documents relevant to an argument about the prompt.
• Analysis & Reasoning: 0-2 points Earn 1 point by using at least three documents to explain how or why the documents’ point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience is relevant to an argument. Earn a second point by demonstrating a complex understanding of the historical development that is the focus of the prompt, using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the question. 

AP U.S. History Question Types: Long Essay Question

The last part of the AP U.S. History exam is the long essay question, or LEQ. In Section II, Part B, you will choose between three similar long essay questions. You will have 40 minutes to complete this part on the exam. 15% of your grade is based on your response to the LEQ.

The long essay requires you to develop a thoughtful historical thesis or argument and support your thesis with an analysis of specific and relevant historical evidence. Each of the three questions you’ll choose from will focus on the same historical reasoning process—comparison, causation, or continuity and change. The LEQ also assesses four historical thinking skills—developments and processes, contextualization, making connections, and argumentation. Where the three questions differ is in the time periods they cover. The first question will draw on material from Periods 1 through 3, the second from Periods 4 through 6, and the third from Periods 7 through 9. Be sure to pick the essay question you feel most prepared and confident to answer. 

[ LISTEN: Barron’s AP U.S. History Podcast Episode 12: “The Long Essay” on Apple and Spotify ]

Sample Long Essay Prompt

Below are three sample long essay questions. The three questions are all built around the same

theme and the same historical reasoning skill. The theme for each question is “Culture and Society.” These questions ask you to analyze patterns of continuity and change regarding the roles and conditions for women during three different periods in American history. 

Directions: Answer Question 1 or Question 2 or Question 3.

• Support an argument in response to the prompt using specific and relevant examples of evidence.
• Use historical reasoning (e.g., comparison, causation, continuity or change over time) to frame or structure an argument that addresses the prompt.
• Evaluate the extent to which roles and conditions for women changed in the United States in the period 1750 to 1800.
• Evaluate the extent to which roles and conditions for women changed in the United States in the period 1800 to 1850.
• Evaluate the extent to which roles and conditions for women changed in the United States in the period 1940 to 1980.

Check your answer to Question #1.

Question 1, on changes and continuities in regard to women’s roles and conditions, covers the time period of the crisis of empire, from the end of the French and Indian War through the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolutionary War (1765–1783), and the development of an independent United States, up to 1800. In addition, Enlightenment thinking—much of which explicitly challenged traditional gender roles—became important in the Revolution and in the early republic. These political and intellectual developments could be used in this essay to establish the context of the essay.

A key change to note in terms of roles and conditions for women in this period is the increasingly public role women played in these major events. This was the era of the Daughters of Liberty, boycotts, spinning bees, and homespun cloth. In North Carolina in 1774, fifty-one women signed a declaration vowing to give up tea and other British products, in what is known as the Edenton Tea Party. Abigail Adams reflected Enlightenment ideals when she encouraged her husband, John, to “remember the ladies” as the structure of a new nation was being debated in 1776. Some women participated in the fighting of the American Revolution, including Deborah Sampson of Massachusetts, who dressed as a man and served in several theaters of war. Many women participated in supplying the soldiers and working as nurses. In the early republic, the ideas of republican motherhood developed. These are all pieces of evidence that could be used to support an argument in this essay.

As you develop an argument to respond to this prompt, think about the final point for demonstrating a complex understanding of the topic. For instance, if an essay discusses changes for women in this period, it might acknowledge continuities as well ( explaining both continuity and change ). By 1800 women still did not have the right to run for office or vote. Many of the legal strictures on married women, under the doctrine of feme covert , were in place. And though republican motherhood asserted that women had an important role to play in the new republic, it was still as mothers. Further, some of the changes that impacted white women had no impact on enslaved African-American women ( qualifying or modifying an argument by considering diverse or alternative views or evidence ).

A strong thesis to this question could attempt to acknowledge change, while stressing its limited nature. “During the period of 1750 to the 1800s, conflicts between the colonists and the British opened new avenues for women to participate in public life. By 1800, however, the laws and constitutions that were created in the new republic relegated women to second-class status just as they had been under British rule.” A different tack in developing a thesis might acknowledge different perspectives: “For many white women, the crisis of empire and the birth of a new country offered new opportunities and possibilities to participate in the public realm. However, for enslaved African-American women, the rhetoric of the American Revolution changed little.”

A successful essay would bring all the elements of the essay together—relevant contextualization, a strong thesis, evidence in support of the argument of the essay, and a complex understanding of the topic.

How is the Long Essay Question Scored?

The long essay question on the AP U.S. History exam is scored on a scale from 0 to 6, with 6 being the highest score you can receive. Below is a description of the specific scoring criteria for each element of the long essay. 

• Thesis: 0-1 points Earn 1 point by responding to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim that establishes a line of reasoning.
• Contextualization: 0-1 points Earn 1 point by describing a broader historical context relevant to the prompt. 
• Evidence: 0-2 points  Earn 1 point by providing specific examples of evidence relevant to the prompt’s topic, or earn 2 points by supporting an argument in response to the prompt using specific and relevant examples of evidence.
• Analysis & Reasoning: 0-2 points Earn 1 point by using historical reasoning (comparison, causation, or continuity and change over time) to frame and structure an argument that addresses the prompt. Earn 2 points by demonstrating a complex understanding of the historical development that is the focus of the prompt, using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the question. 

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The AP ® U.S. History exam, also known as APUSH, is a college-level exam administered every year in May upon the completion of an Advanced Placement U.S. History course taken at your high school. If you score high enough, you could earn college credit!

Check out our AP U.S. History Guide for the essential info you need about the exam:

• AP U.S. History Exam Overview
• AP U.S. History Sections & Question Types
• AP U.S. History Scoring
• How to Prepare

What's on the AP U.S. History Exam?

The College Board requires your AP teacher to cover certain topics in the AP U.S. History course. As you complete your APUSH review, make sure you are familiar with the following topics:

• Period 1 (1491–1607) : Native American Societies Before European Contact; European Exploration in the Americas; Columbian Exchange, Spanish Exploration, and Conquest; Labor, Slavery, and Caste in the Spanish Colonial System; Cultural Interactions Between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans
• Period 2 (1607–1754) : European Colonization; The Regions of British Colonies; Transatlantic Trade; Interactions Between American Indians and Europeans; Slavery in the British Colonies; Colonial Society and Culture
• Period 3 (1754–1800) : The Seven Years’ War (The French and Indian War); Taxation Without Representation; Philosophical Foundations of the American Revolution; The American Revolution; The Influence of Revolutionary Ideals; The Articles of Confederation; The Constitutional Convention and Debates over Ratification; The Constitution; Shaping a New Republic; Developing an American Identity; Movement in the Early Republic
• Period 4 (1800–1848) : The Rise of Political Parties and the Era of Jefferson; Politics and Regional Interests; America on the World Stage; Market Revolution: Industrialization; Market Revolution: Society and Culture; Expanding Democracy; Jackson and Federal Power; The Development of an American Culture; The Second Great Awakening; An Age of Reform; African Americans in the Early Republic; The Society of the South in the Early Republic
• Period 5 (1844–1877) : Manifest Destiny; The Mexican–American War; The Compromise of 1850; Sectional Conflict: Regional Differences; Failure of Compromise; Election of 1860 and Secession; Military Conflict in the Civil War; Government Policies During the Civil War; Reconstruction; Failure of Reconstruction
• Period 6 (1865–1898) : Westward Expansion: Economic Development; Westward Expansion: Social and Cultural Development; The “New South”; Technological Innovation; The Rise of Industrial Capitalism; Labor in the Gilded Age; Immigration and Migration in the Gilded Age; Responses to Immigration in the Gilded Age; Development of the Middle Class; Reform in the Gilded Age; Controversies over the Role of Government in the Gilded Age; Politics in the Gilded Age
• Period 7 (1890–1945) : Imperialism: Debates; The Spanish–American War; The Progressives; World War I: Military and Diplomacy; World War I: Home Front; 1920s: Innovations in Communication and Technology; 1920s: Cultural and Political Controversies; The Great Depression; The New Deal; Interwar Foreign Policy; World War II: Mobilization; World War II: Military; Postwar Diplomacy
• Period 8 (1945–1980) : The Cold War from 1945 to 1980; The Red Scare; Economy after 1945; Culture after 1945; Early Steps in the Civil Rights Movement (1940s and 1950s); America as a World Power; The Vietnam War; The Great Society; The African American Civil Rights Movement (1960s); The Civil Rights Movement Expands; Youth Culture of the 1960s; The Environment and Natural Resources from 1968 to 1980; Society in Transition
• Period 9 (1980–Present): Reagan and Conservatism; The End of the Cold War; A Changing Economy; Migration and Immigration in the 1990s and 2000s; Challenges of the 21 st Century

Read More: Review for the exam with our AP U.S. History Crash Courses

Sections & Question Types

The APUSH exam takes 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete and is comprised of two sections: a multiple-choice/short answer section and a a free response section. There are two parts to each section.

APUSH Multiple Choice Questions

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.

APUSH Short Answer Questions

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.

APUSH Document-Based Question (DBQ)

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.

APUSH Long Essay Question

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

What’s a good AP U.S. History Score?

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:

Source: College Board

How can I prepare?

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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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, every ap us history practice exam available: free and official.

Advanced Placement (AP)

If you want to do well on the AP US History exam, you have to practice! Practice tests can help you organize your prep logically around areas of the curriculum that are most challenging for you. This article provides a complete list of all official and unofficial AP US History practice test materials available online , as well as detailed instructions and tips on how to use them in your studying.

Official AP US History Practice Exams and Questions

This section lists all the free official practice tests and questions available online for AP US History. These practice tests and free-response questions come directly from the College Board. You can use the free-response questions to practice writing essays at any point during the school year, but I'd save the full exams for the final stages of your study process .

The closer you get to the AP US History exam, the more important it'll be to understand exactly where your weaknesses lie and which aspects of the test present the most significant challenges. Official materials provide the best practice because the questions are a consistently accurate representation of the content and format of the real test .

Full-Length AP US History Practice Exams

There is one full-length, official AP US History practice tests available for download:

• 2017 Practice Exam

Though the practice test comes with answer keys for the multiple-choice part, you'll have to use the official scoring guidelines to score your own free-response answers. You could also ask your AP US History teacher if they'd be willing to grade your practice essays for you.

This test is the very best free practice exam available online, so try to save it for when you're closer to test day and want to get an accurate estimate of your score level.

AP US History Free Response Questions, 2015-2020 and 2021

Free-response questions for AP US History have undergone some minor changes in recent years, but these sample questions will still closely resemble the format of the free-response section of the test that you're taking . You'll also find scoring guidelines here and some sample student responses.

I encourage you to save the most up-to-date questions for later on in the study process so that you can get a better idea of what your scores will look like on the real AP test.

AP US History Course and Exam Descriptions

Official AP US History Course and Exam Descriptions offer plenty of multiple-choice questions and free-response questions—just not in the format of a full-length test . You can get some great practice with these materials, especially if you're looking to zero in on specific weaknesses.

Here are the APUSH Exam Descriptions that are currently available online:

• Course and Exam Description : Updated for current AP exam format. Contains 17 multiple-choice questions, one short-answer question, one DBQ, and one Long Essay prompt.
• 2017-18 Course and Exam Description : Mostly updated for current exam format. Contains the same questions as those in the 2017 practice test linked above.

There is also this document with sample questions from the 2012 AP US History curriculum framework . With this, you'll get 11 multiple-choice questions, three short-answer questions, one DBQ, and two Long Essay prompts.

AP Classroom

This new and innovative tool by the College Board allows you to complete and submit homework for your AP US History class online through a special portal managed by your US History teacher. What's really cool, though, is that your teacher can also assign you official practice questions here as a way to supplement your exam prep.

AP US History Document-Based Questions, 1973-1999

This document includes a bunch of DBQs from past versions of the AP US History test. This question has remained relatively consistent throughout the years, so I'd say these are totally fine to use as practice materials.

You never know exactly what the documents will look like on the test, so you should practice analyzing them until you feel comfortable with all different types of sources.

Unofficial AP US History Practice Tests and Questions

The following AP US History tests are not directly from the College Board, but they will still help you become familiar with the material. This section includes links to both full unofficial practice tests and small-scale, topic-specific quizzes. The short quizzes may be useful in the early stages of your studying when you want to target certain eras or avoid questions on material your class hasn't covered yet.

AP US History Prep Books

Even though I'm emphasizing online practice materials in this article, it's also worth mentioning that some APUSH prep books include high-quality practice tests that are modeled directly after the newest version of the exam. If you're willing to part with some of that sweet cash money, check out our list of the best review books for AP US History .

High School Test Prep Practice Tests

This site has nine quizzes, each covering a different time period. The quizzes are each 20 questions long and are multiple choice. They're not a great match for the actual AP US History exam, but they can be good practice for basic dates and facts, especially if there's a time period you're particularly shaky on.

Full Old-Format Practice Exam

This old-format AP US History practice test was created by an AP teacher. It has 80 multiple-choice questions, each with five answer choices (the current test format has 55 questions and four answer choices for each question, so you'll need to tweak this old exam a lot). It also has one DBQ and some essay prompts that are a little different from the current Long Essay requirement.

Historyteacher.net Mini Practice Quizzes

Here, you'll find practice quizzes for every topic covered in the US History course. There are multiple-choice questions and for some topics "short answer" questions (there's a drop-down menu of 12 answer choices). These won't help much with the more analytical elements of the test, but if you want to test your factual recall, they'll serve you well.

Albert AP US History Practice Quizzes

Albert maintains a series of free, high-quality practice quizzes on every topic covered by the AP US History curriculum (and all have been updated for the 2020 exam format and units). Some resources other fee, other require a paid membership. As you take them, the site will display stats that detail how you're faring on questions of each difficulty level. This should help you figure out the areas in which your memory is shakier.

Practice Quizzes for The American Pageant , 12th Edition

This site has chapter-by-chapter practice quizzes organized around an old edition of The American Pageant textbook. Questions are multiple choice and true/false. Again, this is more helpful for factual recall than for analysis questions.

AP US History Notes Multiple-Choice Practice Test

This test has just 40 questions, but the website also includes a list of frequently asked AP US History multiple-choice questions that will prepare you better for the exam.

McGraw-Hill American History Chapter Quizzes

This site contains 32 multiple-choice quizzes, one for each chapter of the 13th edition of the McGraw-Hill US History textbook. The quizzes follow the organization of the textbook, but they can still be useful even if your class uses a different book. Each quiz is titled so you can know what part of US History it's testing you on.

Additional Resources for Practice Quizzes on All US History Topics

These are a few additional sites that have a bunch of short practice quizzes on every topic in the APUSH curriculum. Use these resources if you're looking for additional questions that will test your basic knowledge of events in US History, or if you're looking for more questions dealing with a specific time period.

• CourseNotes Practice Quizzes for AP US History
• Varsity Tutors AP US History Practice Quizzes  
• Matching and Multiple-Choice Short Practice Quizzes
• Crack AP Multiple-Choice Practice Tests

How to Use AP US History Practice Exams in Each Semester

Now, you have all sorts of AP US History practice resources—but what's the best way to use them? In this section, we go over exactly how you should be studying with AP practice exams during each semester of the APUSH class.

First Semester

At this point, you can mostly rely on unofficial AP US History tests and quizzes that only deal with the topics your class has covered. Many of the websites listed above have large collections of questions for each unit of the course. Work on building a strong foundation of knowledge so that you'll be prepared to answer more advanced analytical questions in the future.

You can also look through the official free-response practice questions to find some you feel confident answering based on what you've learned so far. It's never too early to start practicing for the free-response section, especially when it comes to the Document-Based Question, or DBQ.

Writing a coherent argumentative essay that incorporates six or seven different sources in just 50 minutes is a tough skill to master! Try to come up with an essay-writing process that works well for you so that you're a pro by the time the AP test rolls around.

Second Semester

Start taking full AP US History practice tests and assessing your score level midway through the second semester (March is a good time to get the ball rolling on this). By then, you've learned enough of the material for your scores on APUSH practice tests to be fairly accurate predictions of your final AP exam scores.

Since the US History test has undergone various changes in recent years, you won't have many full official practice tests that reflect the current format. Use your limited resources wisely by carefully assessing your performance on each practice test and studying your weak areas before you take additional tests.

We recommend taking and scoring an initial APUSH practice test (with accurate time constraints!) before you do any studying. As you take the test, mark any questions you're unsure about; you will want to study that material later even if you end up guessing correctly. After you score your test, categorize your mistakes by time period and theme to see whether there are any patterns .

Next, start studying the areas that need work . You can turn to unofficial AP US History practice questions here to test your knowledge. You should also practice writing essay outlines so you're more prepared for the free-response section. Once you feel that you've mastered all the AP topics that stumped you on the first test, take another practice test to see whether you've improved.

Decide whether or not you want to repeat this process based on your score on the second test. If you haven't improved much, you should reconsider your prep methods. Spend a longer time checking in with yourself to make sure you've retained information. You can also plan on doing more practice questions between full tests so that you're prepared for both the format and the content tested.

AP US History Practice: 4 Essential Testing Tips

Before we wrap up, here are four critical test-day tips to remember on the day of your US History exam.

#1: Read Excerpts Carefully and Look for Direct Evidence

The multiple-choice section on AP US History is based on excerpts from historical source materials, or stimuli, so it tests both analytical skills and factual recall. You'll have to read the source material carefully to find the correct answer.

In many cases, several answer choices are historically accurate, but only one will be directly supported by the evidence in the excerpt or illustration. Look for direct connections, and don't make too many assumptions based on your prior knowledge.

#2: Plan Out Your Essays

When you have to write a timed essay, it can sometimes end up an unfocused, disorganized mess. This is exactly what you don't want to happen on the AP US History exam. Hold yourself back from starting the writing process immediately, even if you're anxious about not finishing in time.

Writing a preliminary outline is critical on this test. Without an outline, you run the risk of rambling and getting stuck when you can't identify a good piece of supporting evidence! It'll be far easier to write your essays if you already have a structure in place that makes sense.

#3: Get Comfy With the Document-Based Question

The Document-Based Question is different from other essay questions that you'll encounter on AP tests. In fact, it's probably the only question of its kind that you've ever seen on any test. DBQs can seem intimidating and weird, so make sure you practice them as much as possible before the real exam.

Write notes next to each piece of source material to give yourself a basic idea of what it is and how it could be used to support the points you plan on making in your essay. You should also come up with a strategy for approaching these questions that works well for you before you're face-to-face with the DBQ on test day.

#4: Incorporate Background Information (Wisely)

It's a great move to include outside historical references that support your arguments for the DBQ and/or Long Essay. Even though you're given seven sources to use as evidence in the DBQ, making additional outside connections will show that you've really mastered the material .

Just remember to be careful with using outside information. Don't fact-vomit all over the essay with everything you've ever learned about a topic. Structure your thoughts so that any outside information relates directly to the main argument of your essay.

Recap: Using AP US History Practice Tests to Ace the Exam

The AP US History practice tests in this article should serve as useful resources for you as you prep for the AP exam and any in-class assessments. Remember that official College Board questions are the highest quality practice materials, so use them wisely. We recommend trying to save most of the official practice resources for when you're closer to the actual APUSH test. You can use unofficial materials throughout the school year to brush up on specific topics in the course.

To recap, here are our four top study tips for AP US History :

• Read excerpts carefully and look for direct evidence in the source(s)
• Practice planning out and outlining your essays for free-response questions
• Get comfortable with the Document-Based Question
• Use background information without over using it

With these tips in mind, you can take full advantage of the practice materials, become a master of US History, and show the AP test who's boss!

What's Next?

Are you missing some of your notes from class? We've got links to great notes for AP US History that will give you tons of information on every topic in the course.

How can you know whether your AP US History practice test results are equivalent to a high or low AP score? Learn more about how AP tests are scored in our guide .

Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

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