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How to Approach the AP U.S. History Long Essay Question

The second part of Section II of the AP US History exam contains three long essay questions—you must respond to one. The long essay question assesses your ability to apply knowledge of history in a complex, analytical manner. In other words, you are expected to treat history and historical questions as a historian would. This process is called historiography—the skills and strategies historians use to analyze and interpret historical evidence to reach a conclusion. Thus, when writing an effective essay, you must be able to write a strong, clearly developed thesis and supply a substantial amount of relevant evidence to support your thesis and develop a complex argument.

The College Board’s characteristics of a high-scoring long essay question response are listed below. Note that the requirements are very similar to those of the DBQ ; the primary difference is that any requirements related to use of the documents are removed from the scoring requirements for the long essay question.

• Thesis: Make a thesis or claim that responds to the prompt. The thesis or claim must be historically defensible and establish a line of reasoning.
• Context: Provide context relevant to the prompt by describing a broader historical development or process.
• Evidence: Use specific and relevant examples as evidence to support an argument in response to the prompt.
• Historical Skill: Use a historical reasoning skill (causation, comparison, or continuity and change) to develop an argument in response to the prompt.
• Complex Understanding: Demonstrate a complex understanding of an argument that responds to the prompt by using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify the argument.

AP U.S. History Long Essay Strategy

Consider the following special strategies for the long essay question. Scoring requirements are highlighted in bold.

Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

• Each long essay question will ask you to “evaluate the extent” of some factor in American history. Since you are evaluating, you will need to develop an argument that addresses the prompt. Make sure to read all three prompts carefully. Think of the evidence you could use and the argument you could develop in response to each one, then choose the question you feel most confident about.
• Begin crafting your thesis statement. You must have a thesis that makes a claim and introduces the reasoning of your argument. It is not enough to merely restate the question as your thesis; you must take a position. Don’t be afraid of making a strong claim; just be sure you can provide relevant evidence to support your assertion. Your thesis may also outline the categories of analysis, or the major points, you will use in your essay.
• Part of developing your thesis should be considering how your essay’s argument will demonstrate a complex understanding, perhaps by analyzing multiple variables, by considering both changes and continuities, or by making an insightful connection to another time period.

Step 2: Plan Your Response

• Making a careful plan can help you make sure you address all the scoring requirements.
• Paraphrase your thesis statement. Knowing your claim will make it easier for you to plan an effective argument in your essay. In light of the documents, you must make a claim and/or demonstrate a line of reasoning that responds to the prompt. Avoid statements that are vague or general (“The Vietnam War was very significant”) and make a claim that responds to the prompt, uses both the documents and your historical knowledge, and sets up the rest of your essay (“The Vietnam War impacted Americans’ perceptions of the U.S. role in international politics, the power of the federal government, and the status of young people, influencing legal and social changes in American society”).
• Be sure your thesis or overall plan incorporates a complex understanding . You need to demonstrate that you have more than just a basic understanding of the content, so your thesis or overall essay should address complexity in the historical development—perhaps by including multiple variables, by considering both causes and effects, or by making an insightful connection to another time period. See below for a complete list of ways to demonstrate complex understanding.
• Make a note about how you will provide context for the topic of the prompt. This may fit well in the introduction or first body paragraph.
• List the documents you will use as evidence —remember that you must use six or seven to earn the maximum number of points for using the documents.
• Consider whether the paragraph is a good place to provide additional evidence —you must include one additional historical example.
• Think about when it would be beneficial to explain sourcing , or how a document’s context or situation is relevant to the argument—you must do so for three documents.
• Finally, review your plan and check off each requirement in your test booklet to ensure you addressed all six.

Step 3: Action! Write Your Response

• Nothing is more important in the first paragraph than the clear statement of an analytical thesis. The reader is most interested in seeing a strong thesis as soon as possible.
• Your thesis can be more than just one sentence. With the compound questions often asked by the DBQ, two sentences might be needed to complete the idea.
• Refer to the authors of the documents, not just the document numbers.
• A good idea is to write a concluding paragraph that might extend your original thesis. Think of a way to restate your thesis, adding information from your analysis of the documents.

Step 4: Proofread

• Skim for any glaring errors and, if you have time, check again to make sure your response meets each of the DBQ requirements.

AP Expert Note

Be prepared to demonstrate complex understanding The AP exam asks you to analyze sources and develop arguments in a sophisticated way. Demonstrating your complex understanding of the topic at hand is crucial to your success, and here are some ways you can do so.

• Analyze multiple variables
• Employ a complex historical reasoning skill by explaining both similarities and differences, both continuity and change, both causes and effects, or multiple causes
• Explain relevant connections to other regions or other time periods
• Corroborate perspectives across multiple course themes (such as environment, cultural developments, governance, economic systems, social organization, and technology)
• Qualify an argument using other evidence or views

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Score Higher on AP US History 2024: Tips for LEQs

1 min read • june 18, 2024

Long Essay Question (LEQ)

This guide organizes advice from past students who got 4s and 5s on their exams. We hope it gives you some new ideas and tools for your study sessions. But remember, everyone's different—what works for one student might not work for you. If you've got a study method that's doing the trick, stick with it. Think of this as extra help, not a must-do overhaul.

• 15% of Exam Score
• Recommended you spend 40 minutes on the LEQ
• Thesis/Claim (1)
• Contextualization (1)
• Uses Specific Evidence (2)
• Complexity (2)

💭 General Advice

Tips on mindset, strategy, structure, time management, and any other high level things to know

• Imagine that it just so happens that your AP reader happens to be grading their last set of LEQs for the day, which includes yours! Your AP reader is going to be pretty excited/ready to leave after a long day of grading, so make it easier for them by being simple and straight to the point, while still nailing everything on the scoring guide. AP readers get a little under 5 minutes to read your LEQ. In other words, remember that it’s not so much about how you write (even though you should try to be at least a little sophisticated), but the content and what you write!
• In regards to structure, let your thesis be your outline. If you’re able to create a whole outline-do it. However, if you’re short on time or just need some more time to finalize what details to use to support your argument, make sure your thesis isn’t too specific and restrictive. Give yourself some leeway to further develop your reasoning in your essay.
• Trust yourself! You spent all year learning so many different events in history. Come prepared with some examples from various time periods, so if the need calls for it, you have something to fall back on.
• Remember that the AP graders reward you for what you do- they don’t penalize you for what you don’t do. Think about writing these essays as you earn points for everything you do. Be positive about it.
• Before the exam, make sure you have a plan on how to approach the essay! Being prepared is being smart, and being prepared means you can be confident!
• The more confident and relaxed you are during this part, the better you will write. Take a deep breath and let your words flow. You are not given a lot of time, so make sure to stay focused during the entirety of this part of the exam. This is not AP Lit; you need to write well but flowery language is not required and will waste your time.
• Give yourself at least a month to fully study for the AP US History exam because it allows you to study for a couple minutes every day to feel fully prepared for the test. The month-long study technique helps your brain digest every concept and historical events to use for the LEQ and doesn’t overwhelm you when studying for this long test.
• Take many practice tests! They are so helpful and they help you practice the writing style and format before the test. You can time yourself taking the tests and it’ll better prepare you for exam day. LEQs are hard to write, but just know to use helpful pieces of evidence to help write your LEQ.
• To write an LEQ, ask your teacher for help and any pieces of advice they have. They have possibly experience grading LEQs and can help you.
• Your opening paragraph should embody compositional balance by succinctly presenting the context, evidence, and qualifier in a seamless manner. Start with a brief introduction that sets the stage for your argument. Then provide contextual information that highlights the conditions relevant to your argument. Next provide a qualifier that reflects the strength of the change as your claim. Finally, provide evidence that highlights the changes or correlations relevant to your argument. This establishes a clear trajectory for your essay, guiding the reader through the logical progression of your analysis.

🕐 Before you Write

What should a student do in the first few minutes, before they start writing?

Analyze the prompt. Determine the “Ws” of the prompt. What is the period, who is involved, What is the issue, why is it important? Use that information to develop a thesis statement.

• Lead-in/hook/intro information
• Whatever explanation is necessary to connect the thesis to your intro
• Short note about the important information and context
• Short note about what it means
• Short note about linking it back to thesis
• Reiterating the thesis and what is so important about it
• Connecting it to other world events/time periods (contextualization and complexity!)
• Final call to action/statement
• You can play with this format as needed, but this is a great general structure for outlining an LEQ!
• Forever and always you should identify exactly what the question is asking you to do. It helps to bullet point your main thoughts, and then turn your bullet points into a broad thesis. Your thesis will guide your entire essay, and all your topic sentences should go directly back to the line of reasoning in your thesis. Use this to keep yourself organized.
• When more content is expected it can be easier to accidentally go on a tangent/pull away from the original prompt to try and maximize knowledge demonstration. Creating an in depth outline can help ensure that your response has direction.
• You need to make sure before you invest time writing that you know enough evidence to analyze the thesis you want. If you don’t know enough, modify your thesis or choose an LEQ about a period you remember better.
• The common introduction-body paragraphs-conclusion outline may lead you to write all three sections in chronological order. While that would be the best choice for paper and pen testing, it is encouraged that you begin outlining your thesis along with pieces of evidence (+ commentary and reasoning) and saving your introduction and conclusion for the last parts to write for your essay. This strategy would definitely be more comfortable for those taking the digital version of the test; however, it’s not impossible for pen and paper students to implement this strategy as well.

🤔 Choosing which Question to Answer

• You can often knock this step out during your outlining process. You can make a very short outline of what evidence you can use for each prompt, what you would want to say, and then analyze which prompt has given you the most material/has the most information you feel confident about. Once you’ve done that, you can much more comfortably choose your question and write out the corresponding outline.
• Read through each question- don’t spend too much time on any of them. Honestly go with your gut. Answer the question that is “easiest” to you. Don’t pick a “harder” one because you think it will be more impressive. You’re in a time crunch- write about the question you can most effectively answer. Choosing the “easier” one also gives you room to go in depth and be sophisticated- which in general can help your score.
• If you are stuck and none of them seem easy, go through each question and bullet point 3 main ideas you could use to answer it. Thinking about it that way may help you if you’re overwhelmed. Pick whichever one you can most completely answer. If all else fails, write a mediocre thesis point for each one- something is better than nothing!
• To choose which question to answer can be hard, but what you can do is understand what period each question is asking. The knowledge of the known period helps you determine what you feel most confident in. Whatever period of US History you feel most comfortable with and the LEQ asks the question of that period, choose that question.

💡 Tips for Earning Each Point

Claim/thesis.

• Before the exam, understand the key kinds of questions they can ask you, and have a plan on how you approach them.
• There are three types of prompts: causation, continuity and change over time (CCOT), and comparison. In your thesis for the second two, use the words! For CCOT, you must say continuity and change. For comparison, you must say similarity and difference. Do not get fancy, your grader wants clarity, not fluff!
• Think about your evidence before you write your thesis statement so you can tailor the supporting commentary with the evidence that you already have in mind.
• Evaluate the extent (small, moderate, or large)
• Evaluate the relative importance (rank the causes)
• To the side or on a scratch piece of paper, create a T-Chart or a bulleted list of key pieces of evidence that you will use (since it’s a LEQ, you must pull evidence from memory for the entire essay!). Depending on how much evidence you have for each side, it will help you determine which position you’ll take.
• Always use the language of the prompt! In other words, rephrase the question and frame it in a way that suits the position you’re taking. Your position should be stated very clearly.
• While X ( counter argument), ultimately Y and Z (argument).
• Your thesis statement should be your answer to the question. It really is as simple as that- make sure everything you write in the essay supports whatever you write here. If you end up drifting, or thinking of a better statement to support, go back and adjust the thesis statement as necessary.
• Pick strong pieces of evidence that you know you feel confident writing about!

Contextualization

• Your contextualization should be a backstory of events related to your claim & tells the reader you know where you are in history! Do not just list “things that happened”, but make sure that it connects and flows with the content of your LEQ.
• Contextualization should not go farther than 50-60 years prior to events listed in question.
• WRITE A BRIDGE SENTENCE!! This is something that connects your “contextualization” directly to the claim. (Not necessary, but strengthens your LEQ)
• Be more direct and obvious than you think you have to be. The readers want to know what you know, and won’t make assumptions even though they could.
• Try to cite specific events with an emphasis on context relevant to the prompt or the claims you’re going to make in your essay.
• Use a ladder approach. Start with the first rung, furthest past/earliest event, then the middle event, and lastly the event immediately before the prompt. Use specific evidence or you won’t get the point! But don’t forget, any evidence mentioned in the context cannot be repeated as outside evidence later.
• First, look at all the context clues given in the prompt (time, place, era, location, who, etc…). Take these context clues and then talk about what happened before this era or during this era for contextualization. For example, if the thesis had the date 1940’s and talked about social, political, and economic factors, you’d write the contextualization on what happened during the 20’s or during WW1. Make sure to address the who, what, when, and where in your contextualization.

Using Specific Evidence

• When writing “be specific as possible and as general as necessary”. This means if you remember the specific act or amendment cite it! If not, write as many details as you can.
• Whenever possible, throw in dates, names, events to meet the specific evidence component. Instead of stating that “much change occurred during the Progressive Era,” for example, state that “political change occurred when the 17th amendment allowed for the direct election of senators.” The difference goes from generic to specific!
• Try picking only 1-2 specific examples of events per paragraph and milking those to support my greater claim. Before the exam, spend some time making sure you have a tool belt of different events that you can use in different ways. You’ll want to clearly state what you’re referring to at least once, and then describe and apply from there.
• Finding evidence for your question can be difficult, but as long as you study every time period and know a couple general events from each, it will help you answer the prompt fully. Study the subject by knowing general events and with your general knowledge, you can answer the prompt and get your points for evidence.
• Like in other AP exams, you can score a 4 or a 5 without this point honestly. If you feel confident and want to go for it, it helps to build the complexity into your overall thesis statement. Begin it with words such as “although,” or “while,” to create the possibility for a different perspective into your main statement. Then, spend a paragraph exploring this exception you have identified using “while” or “although.” It helps the AP readers see that you see different lenses and layers to a bigger idea, which is a big idea of sophistication.
• Additionally remember you can earn the complexity point by highlighting similarities and differences or continuity and change. This could mean relating your thesis to other time periods or historical situations.
• Another way to earn the complexity point is to explain how a different historical group was impacted or reacted to the events you used as evidence.
• You could also earn the complexity point is explaining the reasoning (e.g. explaining why the change happened or why was x similar/different to y).
• If you try to integrate actually everything you remember about the topic you’re writing about, it usually falls into place that you’re writing about more than one perspective or development. Incorporating the modern day also looks really good, and so does a counter-argument paragraph with rebuttal, but if you’re running low on time for extra paragraphs, just try to incorporate as much well-phrased info as you can – pack in your essay with information, like the meat of a burger.

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APUSH Long Essay Question Example 1

Evaluate the extent to which european contact and colonization impacted the indigenous populations and cultures in the americas between 1491 and 1800..

• What were the motivations behind European exploration and colonization in the Americas?
• How did European contact affect the indigenous populations in terms of health, society, and politics?
• What were some key moments or events that exemplify the interaction between Europeans and indigenous populations?
• Were there any areas or tribes that resisted or adapted differently to European influence?
• How did indigenous cultures change or adapt as a result of European contact?
• Thesis/Claim (1 point): The essay presents a clear and defensible thesis in the introduction. The thesis is evident in the statement, “The impact of European contact and colonization on indigenous populations and cultures in the Americas between 1491 and 1800 was profound and multifaceted.” This thesis directly addresses the prompt and sets the stage for the arguments that follow.
• Contextualization (1 point): To earn this point, students must describe a broader historical context relevant to the prompt. The essay provides context by mentioning European motivations for exploration, such as wealth, trade routes, and religious expansion. This provides readers with a clear backdrop against which the main arguments of the essay are set.
• Evidence (2 points): The APUSH standards require students to support their thesis with specific evidence. In the sample essay, there’s a plethora of evidence cited, such as the introduction of diseases, the encomienda system, the Pueblo Revolt, and the cultural blending of traditions. Each piece of evidence is directly related to the thesis and supports the argument that European contact and colonization had a significant impact on indigenous populations and cultures.
• Analysis and Reasoning (2 points): This is where students must demonstrate a deeper understanding of the topic. The essay does this in several ways. First, it analyzes the significance of each piece of evidence, explaining, for example, how the introduction of diseases decimated native populations and disrupted social structures. Second, it shows a complex understanding by discussing both the negative and positive impacts, resistance, and cultural adaptation. This comparison not only reinforces the thesis but also provides a nuanced view of the period.

When you are done reviewing this LEQ example, you can use the buttons below to proceed to our Long Essay example 2 or return to the APUSH Practice Exam main menu.

The 6 Best Ways to Prepare for the LEQ APUSH Section

What Is the LEQ APUSH Section?

The LEQ APUSH section (a.k.a. the long essay question section) is worth 15% of your overall score. It asks you to choose one of two prompts. Then, you need to write a solid essay within the 35 allotted minutes. The essay should demonstrate one of the historical thinking skills . Here are the 6 best ways that you can prepare in order to ace the LEQ APUSH section.

1. Dissect the Question

Start by analyzing the question. Find out what the question is asking you to do. You need to make sure that you answer every part of it.

Go through the question and circle all the directive words, such as analyze , compare/contrast , or assess .

There may be a few trick directives in the question. These are there to distract you from the topics you really need to address. Pay attention, and read closely to determine what the question is really asking you to answer.

2. Craft a Solid Thesis

One of the most important parts of any essay is the thesis. Why? Because it is the outline to your paper. Your thesis tells the reader what your stance is on the issue, what you’re going to compare and contrast, etc. Then, it tells the reader which supporting details you will discuss further.

Practice crafting a thesis that won’t just reiterate the question. Be prepared to answer every part of the question, with relevant evidence to support your ideas.

3. Create an Outline

Once you have your thesis, you have a pretty good idea of what you’re going to discuss throughout your essay. Take a minute to brainstorm ideas. It could be a cluster, bulleted list, or other way to get your ideas on paper.

Then, jot down an outline with a few notes to remind you what you want to include in each paragraph. Refer to your outline while writing the essay. This will allow you to attack the question methodically to help you earn more points.

4. Use Historical Lingo

Since your essay should prove to graders that you know what you’re talking about, try to use as much historical lingo as possible. Of course, you need to use it correctly. Study the vocabulary so you can speak as an expert on American history.

5. Make Connections

The paragraph before your conclusion should be used to make connections to a different historical period , geographical area, or theme. Don’t just make the comparison. Take some time to develop the idea, so you can describe the period (or theme, geographical area, etc.) and discuss why you chose it.

6. Practice Good Writing Techniques

Don’t simply spill all your good ideas on the paper. You need to use good writing techniques, and pay attention to your spelling, grammar, capitalization, and so on. Some of the common things to watch for include:

• Active voice (not passive voice)
• Third person
• Strong verbs
• Descriptive adjectives and adverbs

Refrain from using abbreviations, casual language, or a lot of fluff. Keep your essay concise as you answer the question.

As you work on these 6 things, practice writing solid essays for the LEQ APUSH section. Have a friend or teacher check your writing to help you determine what you can do to improve. You can also refer to the College Board’s LEQ scoring guidelines and commentary for examples that can guide your writing, and help you ace the LEQ APUSH section. Remember, practice makes perfect!

Jamie graduated from Brigham Young University- Idaho with a degree in English Education. She spent several years teaching and tutoring students at the elementary, high school, and college level. She currently works as a contract writer and curriculum developer for online education courses. In her free time, she enjoys running and spending time with her boys!

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AP U.S. History Notes

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Sample Essays

Use these sample AP U.S. History essays to get ideas for your own AP essays. These essays are examples of good AP-level writing.

1. The ‘50s and ‘60s: Decades of Prosperity and Protest (DBQ)

The 1950s were characterized as a prosperous and conformist decade for many reasons. The first and most widespread of these reasons was the development of the suburbs. As masses of Southern blacks migrated northward to the big cities, more rich and middle-class families left to live in the suburbs t...

2. American Foreign Policy: Isolationism to Interventionism (DBQ)

World War I had left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Americans; many believed that the U.S. had been tricked into joining the war for the wrong reasons, and they were determined to avoid making the same mistake twice. After the Great War, Americans were disappointed to realize that the war was ...

3. American Identity and Unity

Throughout the 17 and 18 centuries Americans developed a unique system of government with revolutionary ideals – never seen anywhere else before. Americans adopted representative governments with democratic principles that allowed each person to have a voice in the decisions about their countr...

4. Urbanization in the 19th Century U.S.A.

Cities attracted a diverse population composed of hundreds of ethnicities from around the globe. German and Scandinavian immigrants poured into America during the late 19 century, attracted by extravagant stories of the wonderful American lifestyle: three meals a day, freedom, and social equality. S...

5. Flip-Flopper Thomas Jefferson: From State’s Rights to Federalism

Throughout his early political career, Thomas Jefferson had always been a strong supporter of states’ rights and a major critic of Federalist policies. However, after being elected as President in 1801, Jefferson altered his earlier philosophy of government. Documents A and B show Jefferson&r...

6. Abraham Lincoln and the Struggle for Union and Emancipation (DBQ)

President Abraham Lincoln was faced with a monumental challenge during his two terms as Commander-in-chief of the United States: reuniting the shattered halves of the Union. This was his sole purpose in fighting the Civil War—nothing more, nothing less. However, Lincoln was flexible enough to ...

7. Roosevelt and the Revolutionary New Deal

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” was the ultimate reform movement, providing bold reform without bloodshed or revolution. Although many Americans criticized President Roosevelt for his “try anything” approach and wasteful spending, Roosevelt saved the Americ...

8. Agrarian Discontent in the Late 19th Century

Midwest farmers expressed further discontent with the U.S. government on the issue of taxes. During the Civil War, the U.S. government had increased taxes to raise revenue for the relentless war machine, but had neglected to lower them back down after the conflict had concluded. The high taxes and t...

9. Post-Civil War Reconstruction in the South

Even before the Civil War had concluded, Northern politicians were busy making Reconstruction plans for the Confederate States. Reconstruction—the process by which seceded states were to re-enter back into the Union—was a difficult process for the United States for two reasons. Firstly, ...

10. Winners and Losers in the American Revolution

The American Revolution was an important event for the North American continent because it affected so many differing parties. As in all conflicts, the American Revolution resulted in “winners” and “losers”. The Patriots were the obvious winners in the Revolution; they gained...

11. The Transformation of Colonial Virginia (DBQ)

During the time period between 1606 and 1700 hundreds of settlers flocked to the Virginia colony seeking riches – only to find hardship, and no gold. However, after many years, and much effort, the Virginians managed to secure a solid social and economic system that would eventually make Virgi...

12. The United States: A Date with Manifest Destiny

Since the first Puritan settlement of America by the Massachusetts Bay Colony (“City on a Hill”) to the United States’ current involvement in the affairs of foreign countries, it is clear that Americans find a need to spread their democratic ideals abroad. The idea of Manifest Dest...

13. Challenges to American Democracy: Trends and Similarities

American democracy has faced numerous challenges from the 1700s to modern day. However, the American dream has never faltered for a moment; even in the face of sure failure, and sure destruction, the United States has triumphed. The years 1805, 1905, and 2005 were no exception to this tradition; tho...

14. "Duck Soup" and American Beliefs in the 1930s

The Marx Brothers’ film was first released in 1933. At first, many critics deemed the film to be a commercial failure because its popularity paled in comparison to other Marx Brothers’ productions like , , and . Furthermore, many sensitive American audiences were offended at the rampant...

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AP U.S. History LEQ rubric

Rubric for the long essay free-response question of the AP U.S. History exam.

Rubric aligned to the 2023-2024 scoring guidelines for the Long Essay Question of the AP United States History exam.

This rubric is available and ready to use in your Feedback Studio account. However, if you would like to customize its criteria, you can "Duplicate this rubric: in your Feedback Studio account and then edit the rubric as needed. Or you can download this .rbc file and then import to your account to begin editing the content.

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AP United States History

Learn all about the course and exam. Already enrolled? Join your class in My AP.

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Go to AP Central for resources for teachers, administrators, and coordinators.

About the Course

Study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the United States from c. 1491 to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments.

Skills You'll Learn

Evaluating primary and secondary sources

Analyzing the claims, evidence, and reasoning you find in sources

Putting historical developments in context and making connections between them

Coming up with a claim or thesis and explaining and supporting it in writing

Equivalency and Prerequisites

College course equivalent.

A two-semester introductory college course in U.S. history

Recommended Prerequisites

Fri, May 10, 2024

AP U.S. History Exam

This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP United States History Exam.

About the Units

The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.

Course Content

Unit 1: period 1: 1491–1607.

You’ll learn about Native American societies as well as how and why Europeans first explored, and then began to colonize, the Americas.

Topics may include:

• Native American societies before European contact
• European exploration in the New World
• The Columbian Exchange
• Labor, slavery, and caste in the Spanish colonial system
• Cultural interactions between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans

On The Exam

4%–6% of score

Unit 2: Period 2: 1607–1754

You'll study the colonies established in the New World by the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British.

• How different European colonies developed and expanded
• Transatlantic trade
• Interactions between American Indians and Europeans
• Slavery in the British colonies
• Colonial society and culture

6%–8% of score

Unit 3: Period 3: 1754–1800

You'll explore the events that led to the American Revolution and the formation of the United States and examine the early years of the republic.

• The Seven Years’ War
• The American Revolution
• The Articles of Confederation
• The creation and ratification of the Constitution
• Developing an American identity
• Immigration to and migration within America

10%–17% of score

Unit 4: Period 4: 1800–1848

You’ll examine how the young nation developed politically, culturally, and economically in this period.

• The rise of political parties
• American foreign policy
• Innovations in technology, agriculture, and business
• Debates about federal power
• The Second Great Awakening
• Reform movements
• The experience of African Americans

Unit 5: Period 5: 1844–1877

You’ll learn how the nation expanded and you’ll explore the events that led to the secession of Southern states and the Civil War.

• Manifest Destiny
• The Mexican–American War
• Attempts to resolve conflicts over the spread of slavery
• The election of 1860 and Southern secession
• The Civil War
• Reconstruction

Unit 6: Period 6: 1865–1898

You’ll examine the nation’s economic and demographic shifts in this period and their links to cultural and political changes.

• The settlement of the West
• The "New South"
• The rise of industrial capitalism
• Immigration and migration
• Debates about the role of government

Unit 7: Period 7: 1890–1945

You’ll examine America’s changing society and culture and the causes and effects of the global wars and economic meltdown of this period.

• Debates over imperialism
• The Progressive movement
• World War I
• Innovations in communications and technology in the 1920s
• The Great Depression and the New Deal
• World War II
• Postwar diplomacy

Unit 8: Period 8: 1945–1980

You’ll learn about the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States, the growth of various civil rights movements, and the economic, cultural, and political transformations of this period.

• The Cold War and the Red Scare
• America as a world power
• The Vietnam War
• The Great Society
• The African American civil rights movement
• Youth culture of the 1960s

Unit 9: Period 9: 1980–Present

You’ll learn about the advance of political conservatism, developments in science and technology, and demographic shifts that had major cultural and political consequences in this period.

• Reagan and conservatism
• The end of the Cold War
• Shifts in the economy
• Migration and immigration
• Challenges of the 21st century

Credit and Placement

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Course Resources

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United States History Reading Study Skills

Review these tips to help you better understand and analyze the material you’ll read in this course.

United States History Writing Study Skills

Read these suggestions for writing a good essay, such as one you’d write as a response to a document-based question or other free-response question on the exam.

AP U.S. History Course and Exam Description

This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and the AP Program in general.

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Additional Information

AP® US History

How to answer ap® us history free response questions.

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

Knowing how to answer AP® US History Free Response Questions is an art. If you’re looking for the best tips and tricks for writing APUSH FRQs, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll review a five-step strategy to writing top-mark AP® US History free response answers, mistakes students often make on the APUSH FRQs, as well as go over a compiled set of tips and test taking tricks for you to incorporate into your responses. 

Keep reading to get the scoop on what you need to know when it comes to maximizing your limited AP® US History exam review time.

What We Review

5 Steps on How to Write Effective AP® US History Free Responses

Here, we’ll review a five-step strategy for you to start writing AP® US History free response answers that will score you maximum possible points. 

1. Master the three different rubrics for the AP® US History SAQ, DBQ, and LEQ. 

The biggest mistake a student can make when it comes to preparing for AP® US History is never truly understanding how they’re going to be graded. This leads to scattered responses that do not provide the specificity that translates to points on the exam. 

To solve this, you’ll want to go to the College Board’s AP® Central website and navigate to the previously released exams for APUSH:

Here is the link for AP® US History past released exams

Open up the scoring guidelines PDF. These guidelines outline how points were distributed on that particular year’s exams. 

Here’s a screenshot from the first question of the 2019 released exam:

Source: College Board

From the above, you’d see that the first SAQ was worth three points, and each point was awarded for successfully completing the task asked within the question. After reviewing a few of these questions, you’d start to notice the level of specificity the graders require in order to earn points.  For example here you can see that in order to adequately describe the differences between the two sources’ historical interpretations, students had to explicitly state the positions of both authors.

As you familiarize yourself with each type of question, you’ll start to notice the College Board always uses a predictable set of directive words in their questions. We’ll cover that later in this post.

For now, be sure to review the last two years worth of released exam scoring guidelines so you can begin to understand how SAQs, DBQs, and LEQs are scored.

2. Underline or circle every bolded and capitalized word in the question prompt.

Now that we know how points are broadly distributed, we need to have a test taking system when reading and preparing for our responses.

As you can see in the above, the first SAQ of the 2019 AP® US History exam was assessing students’ abilities to describe and explain. In the majority of SAQs, you’ll be asked to describe or explain a response to stimuli. 

For DBQs and LEQs, you’ll be asked one of three essay types: compare, change and continuity over time, or causation. This is commonly phrased using the directive words, “evaluate the extent of…”.

It’s easy to circle or underline the key phrases that you’re being asked to respond to. 

There are two “key phrases” to commit to memory when it comes to AP® US History short answer questions:

That’s it. If you review the last several years worth of released exams, these are the most commonly used directive words for the short answer question section of APUSH. 

If you aren’t sure what these words are asking you for, keep reading.

When the exam asks you to describe something, you need to tell them about what they’re asking. This doesn’t mean you need to explain the “why” — it just means you need to talk about what the topic is and the characteristics of the topic being asked.

When you’re asked to explain something, this is where you need to show the “why”. You need to be able to give 3-5 sentences with an example in most cases to earn credit for these questions.

After you’ve identified the key directive words, make sure you take note on how many examples you need to provide in your response. Sometimes students go above and beyond in their response, but what they don’t realize is that if they give more than what was asked, the reader will move on after the student reaches what the question has asked (i.e. the question asks you to describe one thing and you state three; in this case, only the first is considered for your score). 

One of our favorite test taking tips is to make a tick mark or star next to the words you’ve circled or underlined after you’ve answered it in your free response. This gives you a visual way to ensure you’ve answered all parts of the question.

It can be so easy to not answer the question that’s being asked of you. 

Aside from describe and explain, here are other potential directive words the College Board may give you for AP® US History:

• Compare : Talk about similarities and/or differences.
• Evaluate : Determine how important information or the quality/accuracy of a claim is.
• Identify : Give information about a specific topic, without elaboration or explanation.
• Support an argument : Give specific examples and explain how they support a thesis. 

3. Plan your response BEFORE beginning to write your response.

When the College Board shared their favorite AP® US History exam tips , they put this at the very top of their considerations. They describe that it’s common for students begin writing responses immediately and as a result, students create poorly planned responses that are disconnected. 

Remember, the FRQ is intended to test your ability to connect the dots of what you’ve learned in class to historical thinking skills. The crucial skill is being able to identify evidence, and connect it to a historically defensible thesis as part of your historical analysis. 

To do so elegantly, you must plan out your response before you begin writing. 

Here’s what we suggest: read the question once to circle the directive words. Then read it a second time to ensure your understanding of what’s being asked. If needed, read the question a third time and think about how you’d word the question in your own words. 

Craft a clear thesis statement. An easy way to do so is with the “although A, XYZ, therefore” model. We go over this in our tips section below. Ask yourself, is my thesis defensible? Can I agree or disagree with it? 

Then, think about what evidence you can bring in to respond to the question — how does this evidence connect back to your thesis? Do not leave it to your reader to infer what you mean when you include certain supporting evidence. 

This process will help you start to think through what you’re actually answering and how you’ll answer the “why” based questions. It’ll also help you avoid simply restating the question without adding any direct response to the question (what is known as a historically defensible thesis or a thesis with a clear line of reasoning). 

4. Remember that AP® US History DBQs and LEQs require you to demonstrate four key skills: formation of a thesis, contextualization, sourcing, and complexity. SAQs should directly respond to what’s being asked. 

For short answer questions in AP® US History, you do not need to write an essay to score all the possible points. There is no need for an introduction, thesis, or conclusion on these questions.

For the DBQ and LEQs, scoring is clearly outlined on a respective seven and six point scale. 

For the DBQ, you need to be able to: 

• State a defensible claim or thesis that responds to the prompt and establishes a clear line of reasoning. 
• Contextualize your response in the broader historical context (for APUSH, it’s typically demonstrating knowledge of the last 50-100 years prior to the time period asked in the prompt). 
• You earn one point for using content from at least three documents to address the prompt and two points for using six documents as well as supporting an argument in response to the prompt. 
• You earn an additional point for bringing in at least one piece of outside specific historical evidence beyond what has been provided. 
• For analysis, students must source at least three documents discussing the author’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience in relation to the thesis as well as illustrate a complex understanding of historical development to incorporate nuance into their response.

What this means is that as long as you cover all the points outlined above clearly, you can score a perfect score on the AP® US History DBQ. 

For the LEQ, much is the same in the core rubric in terms of needing a thesis, providing contextualization, and analysis. For evidence, there is not a requirement for additional evidence beyond what is provided since that’s the entire point of the evidence section in crafting a long answer question response. 

When you’re going through your mental checklist of whether you’ve demonstrated these skills, ask yourself if you’ve “closed the loop”. This is a test taking strategy the College Board promotes across multiple disciplines and with good reason — it challenges a student to demonstrate they can form a coherent argument. Closing the loop in AP® US History can mean using words like “because” or “therefore” to help bridge two concepts together and solve for the “why” this matters.

5. Practice, practice, and then practice some more. 

The nice thing about AP® free response sections is that they’re generally pretty predictable to prepare for. Ultimately they come down to knowing how you’re going to be assessed, and learning how to craft responses that match those criteria. 

When you start preparing, try a set of released questions and then have your friend grade your responses with the scoring guidelines. See how you might have done without any intentional practice. 

Then, review your mistakes, log them in your study journal and begin to tackle the areas where you’re weakest. Typically students struggle most with the evidence and analysis sections of the APUSH exam. 

After a few times of doing this, you’ll have a stronger intuition towards the test and feel more confident heading into test day.

Return to the Table of Contents

37 AP® US History FRQ Tips to Scoring a 4 or 5

Now that we’ve gone over the 5-step process to writing good APUSH free responses, we can shift gears to tackle some test taking tips and tricks to maximizing your FRQ scores. 

We recommend you review these several weeks, and then days before your exam to keep them top of mind. 

15 AP® US History Short Answer Question Tips

• Answer the question.
• Cite your supporting evidence.
• Explain how your evidence proves your point. 
• Focus much of your prep time on the E in ACE . Students often are not effective at earning the point for explaining because they simply restate a fact and fail to show how that fact supports comparison, causation, or continuity and change over time. 
• Practice demonstrating comprehension of historical excerpts by working on sharing ideas from different sources in your own words. Review both primary and secondary sources.
• Practice supporting your main points of your thesis, and then practice supporting your minor points and details. 
• Be specific in your responses to questions. It is not enough to say for example that “something changed”. What changed, how did it change and what might have prompted that change?
• One of the easiest ways to bridge two concepts is to use words like “because” or “therefore” and then proceed to answer the “why this matters”. Always double check that your answer addresses the how and the why — this is a good gut check for whether or not you’ve been specific enough. 
• To help you score points in demonstrating your historical reasoning skills, use words like whereas, in contrast to, or likewise when drawing comparisons.
• Think of short answer questions as pop quiz drills, rather than full essays. There is no need for having a thesis in each SAQ response. 
• Stick to the right time period and review your chronology. Sometimes students bring in irrelevant information from outside the time period being asked in the SAQ. More recently this happened in 2019 where students brought in information about women’s history that was not relevant to the time period asked. 
• When presented with a stimulus such as an image to interpret, be sure that your reference to key concepts from class ties back to that stimulus. For example, “this image demonstrates the historical concept of CONCEPT, which was DEFINITION. This can be seen by the DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE IMAGE RELATES to the CONCEPT.”.
• Pennsylvania and Maryland are not part of the New England colonies!
• Know your key definitions with specificity. For example, it’s not enough to only state that the New Deal and Great Society programs helped the economy. To earn points, you must distinguish how the New Deal focused on America’s economy after the Great Depression to combat unemployment while the Great Society focused on social supports via Medicare and Medicaid to support Americans. 
• Review your wars and presidents before, during and after key wars. Students have often confused things between WWI and WWII or between the Korean and Vietnam wars. 
• Do not use the outcomes of a government program to describe a difference. Just because one program for example was successful while another was not does not demonstrate that you’ve mastered the content knowledge. 
• For example, just because a primary source demonstrates something about a particular group of people doesn’t mean it necessarily applies to that entire geographic region. There is often nuance, which is why we study history!

17 AP® US History Document Based Questions (DBQ) Tips

• X is your counterargument or counterpoint
• ABC are your strongest supporting points for your argument.
• And Y is your argument.
• If you don’t like the above formula, another common way to form a thesis is to use the word “because” — the claims you make after you state “because” will be your argument. 
• Cover your contextualization point in the introduction of your essay. The easiest way to do this is to discuss what was happening 50-100 years before your prompt and its relation to your thesis. 
• In document 1, XYZ
• In document 2, XYZ
• Be sure to have clear topic sentences that relate back to your thesis. This helps you avoid document listing without direction in your essay. 
• It’s not enough to just describe the content of the documents.You need to relate what’s going on in the documents to your thesis. Students lose points here for failing to include clear arguments or claims in relation back to their thesis. 
• XYZ, therefore ABC
• XYZ is the description of the document
• ABC is the implication and support of how what you described relates to your thesis. 
• Many students struggle with author purpose and point of view. Practice articulating what you believe to be the intention of the authors of documents and connecting it back to your argument. Don’t just say “the author has this point of view”.
• Continuity and Change Over Time : You should include at least one “however” statement at the end of every body paragraph. Example: XYZ changed…; however, one continuity was ABC…”
• Compare/Contrast : You should include a similarity and difference at the end of every body paragraph: “XYZ similarities…however, one difference was ABC…”
• Cause/Effect: Have at least one therefore statement at the end of each body paragraph. “XYZ happened….therefore, ABC consequence of XYZ happening”
• Sourcing is earned when specificity and significance is included in discussing historical context, audience, purpose, or point of view. You don’t earn it by making general statements. 
• When sourcing, you only need to use one of the skills for each document you source. Don’t feel the need to go over historical context, audience, purpose, and point of view for every single document you are trying to earn sourcing for. 
• Source at least four or five documents to be safe, in case you’re wrong in one of your interpretations. 
• Be sure to incorporate a few examples of historical evidence from each decade from beyond the documents you’re given — this is worth a full point on your DBQ. 
• When you incorporate outside evidence, make sure it’s from the same period  you’re writing about. Chronology and time periods are important! 
• It’s more than just including the word “however” to qualify an argument. It’s considering the broader picture and implications.
• It can also be demonstrated in the form of illustrating contradictions between documents or historical events in relation to the thesis.
• The College Board rubric describes this as “explaining relevant and insightful connections within and across periods”
• The College Board describes this as “explaining both similarity and difference”
• If you’re writing about causation, discuss the effects.
• If you want another way to earn this point, you can earn it by applying your argument to another time period and drawing a connection. If you do this, keep in mind you must apply your entire argument to another time period.
• A few possible stems to signal to your grader you are attempting complexity is to say use one of the following phrases: another time, another view, or another way.

5 AP® US History Long Essay Questions (LEQ) Tips

• Your thesis does not need to just be limited to the model of addressing economic, social and political issues. Students have often overused this format when they could be better off understanding core AP® US History themes and how they relate to the question being asked. 
• Make sure you know your time periods. Students often lose points when it comes to evidence because they bring in concepts that are outside the scope of the time period or region. Chronology is important across the entire AP® US History exam. 
• Review the causes of key events and how the occurrence of key events impacted society over time. For example, what was fought for in women’s rights before Roe v. Wade, what led to it happening, and what were the outcomes from the case happening going forward in relation to women’s rights?
• Show the “why” of the evidence you’re providing. It’s not enough just to mention a concept. Explain to the reader why you are including that concept or evidence and relate it back to your thesis. Evidence should further your argument. 
• If you’re answering a continuity and change over time question, make sure you also discuss continuity. Students often only talk about change over time.

Wrapping Things Up: How to Write AP® US History FRQs

Whoa! We’ve reviewed a ton of information in this AP® US History FRQ review guide. At this time, you should have an actionable 5-step plan for your FRQ prep as well a 37 test taking tips to prepare with.

Putting everything together, here are a few key things to remember: 

• Students who excel on the AP® US History free response section do so because they understand how they’re being graded. Master the rubrics. Understand how and when points are awarded and not rewarded. There are tons of previously released exams to help you here.
• Follow a regular system for responding to each question. Whether it’s our approach of identifying the directive word, planning and then writing while checking off after you’ve answered each part of the prompt, have a methodology in the way you craft responses. 
• Remember the ACE acronym for SAQs: answer the question, cite your evidence, and explain how your evidence proves your point. 
• Focus your time on chronology, time periods and course themes. This will help you write within the scope of the time period given in each question and not lose points by mistakenly incorporating something outside of the time period being asked. 
• Review commonly tested AP® US History topics. Review the curriculum and exam description to see the percentage breakdown of different units. Units 3 through 8 are always more important for the exam than Units 1-2, and 9. 
• Make sure your thesis includes a clear line of reasoning. Remember the model: Although X, ABC, therefore Y.
• Always “close the loop”. Use words such as “because” or “therefore” to bridge two concepts together and solve for the “why” this matters. 

We hope you’ve found this FRQ guide helpful for your AP® US History exam review. 

If you’re looking for more free response questions or multiple choice questions, check out our website for more valuable exam prep! Albert has hundreds of original standards-aligned practice questions for you with detailed explanations to help you learn by doing.

If you found this post helpful, you may also like our AP® US History tips here or our AP® US History score calculator here .

We also have an AP® US History review guide here .

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