ap world history long essay rubric

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How to Approach AP World History: Modern Long Essay Questions

The second part of Section II of the AP World 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 LEQ.

• 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 World History: Modern Long Essay Question Strategy

During step 1: analyze the prompt.

• Each long essay question begins with a general statement that provides context about the tested time period, and then the second sentence identifies your task, which will always entail developing an evaluative argument. 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 takes a stand, answers the entire question, and shows the reader the path you will take in your essay answer. It is not enough to merely restate the task as your thesis. One of the most important things to do is to take a position. Don’t be afraid of taking a strong stand for or against a prompt as long as you can provide proper and relevant evidence to support your assertions. Each prompt will lend itself to building a thesis that employs a historical skill , such as causation, continuity and change, or comparison.
• Part of developing your thesis should be considering how your essay’s argument will demonstrate a complex understanding . As for the DBQ, your argument should address the complexity of the historical development or process—perhaps by including multiple variables, by considering both causes and effects, or by making an insightful connection to another time period. See the DBQ section of this chapter for a complete list of ways to demonstrate complex understanding.

During Step 2: Plan Your Response

• Make short notes that outline each paragraph of your essay, including the points you will make and the evidence you will use to support your points.
• The first paragraph of your essay will likely contain your thesis statement; the thesis may also appear in the conclusion, but placing it in the introduction will make it easier for your readers to follow your essay.
• Consider how you will provide context for the essay topic. The context you provide must be more detailed than a brief reference and should situate the topic of the prompt in relation to developments before, during, or after the time period from the prompt. The introduction paragraph or first body paragraph may be good places to include contextualization.
• In general, each body paragraph should address one part of your claim or one category of evidence you are providing in support of your thesis. Organizing your essay according to the historical skill being tested is an easy and effective way to structure your essay; each paragraph of an essay responding to a prompt about causation could address one cause, for instance. Jot down the evidence you will include in each body paragraph. To earn the maximum points for use of evidence, you must use examples that support your overall argument—merely listing relevant examples but not explaining how they support your claim will only earn 1 instead of 2 possible points for evidence.
• Confirm that your plan addresses all the essay requirements before moving into the writing step.

During Step 3: Action! Write Your Response

• There is no “standard” number of paragraphs you must have. AP readers look for quality, not quantity.
• The first paragraph of your essay should include your thesis and any other organizational cues you can give your reader. There is no need to spend time creating a “hook” or flashy statement for your first sentence or using rhetorical questions. AP graders are reading for the items that are listed in the rubric. You will notice that creativity in language is not a listed item. However, a well-written and developed argument is a desired item.
• Your body paragraphs should follow the “road map” you set in your introduction and thesis. Don’t stray from your plan, or you will find yourself straying from the prompt. You have taken the time to make a plan, so follow it! Do not merely list facts and events in a “laundry list” fashion. You must have some element of analysis between each set of evidence you provide. Using transition words, such as however, therefore, and thus, to show shifts in thought can make creating analytical sentences quick and easy. You should practice stringing facts and thoughts together using these “qualifying transitions” in your sentences.
• Beware of telling a story rather than answering the question. Readers are looking for analysis, not a revised version of your textbook. Do not attempt to shower the reader with extra factoids and showy language; focus on developing a well-crafted argument.
• Because this is a formal essay, you should avoid using personal pronouns, such as you, I, or we, and slang words. Because your essay is about history, write your essay in the past tense.
• You should end each body paragraph with a mini-conclusion that ties the paragraph back to the thesis. It can serve as a transition sentence into the next paragraph or stand alone. In either case, the reader should be able to tell easily that you are shifting gears into another part of the essay.
• Lastly, write your conclusion. Restate your thesis, but in a new way. Instead of rewriting your thesis word for word, explain why your thesis is significant to the question. Do not introduce new evidence in your conclusion. The conclusion should tie all of the mini-conclusion sentences together and leave the reader with a sense of completion. If you are running out of time when you reach the conclusion, you may leave it off without incurring a specific penalty. However, the conclusion can help solidify your entire argument in the minds of your readers, so practice writing timed essays so you can learn the proper timing it takes to write a complete essay (conclusion included).

During Step 4: Proofread

• Neatly correct any obvious errors.

For more help prepping for the AP World History: Modern exam, check out our AP World History: Modern Prep Plus Book.

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2024 AP World History: Modern Exam Guide

12 min read • august 18, 2023

Your Guide to the 2024 AP World History: Modern Exam

We know that studying for your AP exams can be stressful, but Fiveable has your back! We created a study plan to help you crush your AP World History exam. This guide will continue to update with information about the 2024 exams, as well as helpful resources to help you do your best on test day.  Unlock Cram Mode  for access to our cram events—students who have successfully passed their AP exams will answer your questions and guide your last-minute studying LIVE! And don't miss out on unlimited access to our database of thousands of practice questions.

Format of the 2024 AP World History: Modern Exam

Going into test day, this is the exam format to expect:

Section IA: Multiple Choice

55 Questions | 55 Minutes | 40% of Exam Score

Questions usually appear in sets of 3–4 questions with primary and secondary sources, images, graphs, and maps.

Students analyze historical texts, interpretations, and evidence.

Section IB: Short Answer

3 Questions | 40 Minutes | 20% of Exam Score 

Question 1 is required, includes 1 secondary source, and focuses on the years 1200-2001.

Question 2 is required, includes 1 primary source, and focuses on the years 1200-2001.

Students choose between Question 3 (which focuses on the years 1200-1750) and Question 4 (which focuses on the years 1750-2001). No sources are included for either Question 3 or Question 4.

Section IIA: Document-Based Question

1 Question | 1 Hour (includes 15-minute reading period) | 25% of Exam Score

Standard DBQ question with 7 documents that offer various perspectives on a historical development or process.

The document-based question focuses on topics from 1450 to 2001.

Section IIB: Long Essay

1 Question | 40 Minutes | 15% of Exam Score 

Students develop an argument supported by an analysis of historical evidence.

3 prompts will be presented focusing primarily on historical developments and processes in different time periods—students will choose to write.

Scoring Rubric for the 2024 Exam

👉 DBQ and LEQ Rubrics

📖 DBQ, LEQ, & SAQ Rubrics Points Explained

Check out our study plan below to find resources and tools to prepare for your AP World History: Modern exam.

When is the 2024 AP World Exam and How Do I Take It?

You will have 3 hours and 15 minutes to take the exam. Unlock Cram Mode to get updates on the latest 2024 exam news. 

How Should I Prepare for the Exam?

First, download the AP World History Cheatsheet PDF - a single sheet that covers everything you need to know at a high level. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses! 

We've put together the study plan found below to help you study between now and May. This will cover all of the units and essay types to prepare you for your exam. Pay special attention to the units that you need the most improvement in.

Study, practice, and review for test day with other students during our live cram sessions via  Cram Mode . Cram live streams will teach, review, and practice important topics from AP courses, college admission tests, and college admission topics. These streams are hosted by experienced students who know what you need to succeed.

Pre-Work: Set Up Your Study Environment

Before you begin studying, take some time to get organized.

🖥 Create a study space.

Make sure you have a designated place at home to study. Somewhere you can keep all of your materials, where you can focus on learning, and where you are comfortable. Spend some time prepping the space with everything you need and you can even let others in the family know that this is your study space. 

📚 Organize your study materials.

Get your notebook, textbook, prep books, or whatever other physical materials you have. Also, create a space for you to keep track of review. Start a new section in your notebook to take notes or start a Google Doc to keep track of your notes. Get yourself set up!

📅 Plan designated times for studying.

The hardest part about studying from home is sticking to a routine. Decide on one hour every day that you can dedicate to studying. This can be any time of the day, whatever works best for you. Set a timer on your phone for that time and really try to stick to it. The routine will help you stay on track.

🏆 Decide on an accountability plan.

How will you hold yourself accountable to this study plan? You may or may not have a teacher or rules set up to help you stay on track, so you need to set some for yourself. First, set your goal. This could be studying for x number of hours or getting through a unit. Then, create a reward for yourself. If you reach your goal, then x. This will help stay focused.

AP World History: Modern 2024 study plan

🐎unit 1: the global tapestry, c. 1200 - c. 145, big takeaways.

Before 500 CE, many classical powers like Rome, Han China, and Gupta India dominated. However, between 500-1200, these powers fell and their regions became decentralized. By 1200, these regions are once again unifying. Europe, China, South Asia, and regional powers in Africa and the Americas are both buildings on their paths by infusing traditional religions and philosophies into their societies while also advancing economically and technologically. 

Definitely do this:

📚 Read these study guides:

Overview of Unit 1: The Global Tapestry

East Asia from 1200-1450

Dar al-Islam from 1200-1450

South and Southeast Asia from 1200-1450

The Americas from 1200 to 1450

Africa from 1200 to 1450

Europe from 1200 to 1450

Comparisons in the Period from 1200-1450

If you have more time or want to dig deeper:

🎥 Watch these videos:

Southeast Asia in the Global Middle Ages : SE Asian History is World History

Connections and Development in the Americas : Don’t forget the Western Hemisphere!

💎 Check out this interactive website, Virtual Plasencia , and explore a city in Spain.

🐫 Unit 2: Networks of Exchange

Before 1200, trade networks were largely local, usually between civilizations bordering each other. However, with more technological inventions allowing merchants to travel farther more efficiently, and the growing demand for goods in growing empires, trade routes began to rapidly expand.

As the routes (such as the Silk Roads) began to spread, they carried new goods and ideas with them, such as Buddhism and the development of diasporic communities where merchants settled down in different states other than their own. Knowledge began to travel faster than ever before.

2.0 Overview of Unit 2: Networks of Exchange

2.1 Silk Roads

2.2 The Mongols

2.3 Indian Ocean Trade Routes

2.4 Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

2.5 Cultural Effects of Trade

2.6 Environmental Effects of Trade

2.7 Comparison in Trade from 1200-1450

💎 Check out this interactive website on the history of humans in the Indian Ocean

🗺 Can you identify the countries of the world? Play this game!

You won’t be asked to label maps on the exam, but it’s useful to know where countries are located so you can draw conclusions from their region.

🕌 Unit 3: Land-Based Empires, c. 1450 - c. 1750 CE

While the Columbian Exchange and Columbus’s Voyages captured most of the attention between 1450-1750, at the same time, around the world a number of land empires centralized. These Land Empires are meant to be a topic to compare and contrast with each other and with the Maritime Empires of Unit 4. 

Gunpowder technology was getting better, making it easier to use guns en masse. Intensification of trade routes also occurred on land, meaning that the new empires would have access to a larger pool of resources than their predecessors. 

These empires were different, but a few continuities remained. Religion and cultural ideas continued to play a role, and even spread within empires. Empires continued to be absolute, with most maintaining strict political and economic control over their domains.

Overview of Unit 3: Land-Based Empires

Expansion of Land-Based Empires

Governments of Land-Based Empires

Belief Systems of Land-Based Empires

Comparison in Land-Based Empires

Imperial Art and Architecture includes lots of great images of art and buildings that can be used as evidence when writing about these empires

Changing Religions in the Early Modern World discusses the religious dimensions of this time period

📰 A Much-Maligned Mughal looks at the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb differently, and more thoughtfully than your textbook probably does.

💎 Check out this podcast episode on Popular Sufism, Ottomans, and Safavids

🍕 Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections, c. 1450 - c. 1750 CE

Before 1450, regional trade was all the rage as the Silk Roads, Indian Ocean network, and Trans-Saharan routes exploded with more merchants and goods flowing. By 1450, Europeans were set on finding a faster route to Asia. Relying on overland trade was too slow and you couldn’t bring all that many goods with you on a camel’s back. Maritime trade would prove to be far more economically efficient.

Overview of Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections

New Technologies from 1450-1750

Exploration from 1450-1750

Columbian Exchange

Maritime Empires Established

Expansion of Maritime Empires

Resistance to European Expansion

Continuity and Change from 1450 to 1750

Maritime Empires : Explains the growth of European overseas empires

Technological Innovations in the Early Modern World provides lots examples that can be used as evidence

📰 Graphic History of Queen Nzinga Mbanda who resisted Portuguese expansion 

💎 Read or listen to “ Cruel Ships of Prosperity ” on the hardships aboard the Manila Galleons

✊🏽Unit 5: Revolutions, c. 1750 - c. 1900 CE

Some historians and textbooks consider this as one transformation: a dual revolution in industry and in politics. The political revolutions of this time period included many common people taking action against elites, along with competition among elites. Students should be familiar with three political revolutions--American, French, and Haitian--and the Latin American Wars of Independence. These revolutions produced new states. At the same time as these political revolutions in the Atlantic World, the Industrial Revolution began in Britain and spread to Western Europe, the United States, Japan. This change in a production led to enormous social and cultural changes.

📚 Read these Fiveable study guides:

Overview of Unit 5: Revolutions

The Enlightenment

Revolutions from 1750-1900

Industrialization Begins

Spread of Industrialization

Technology in the Industrial Age

State-Led Industrialization

Economic Effects of Industrialization

Responses to Industrialization

Social Effects of Industrialization

Continuity and Change in the Industrial Age

Industrialization in World History : Explains this important development that provided context for much of the history at the time and after

Egalite for All: Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution tells part of the amazing story of the Haitian Revolution

Throwing Off Asia is a collection of woodblock prints from Japan that show its transformation in the late Nineteenth Century who resisted Portuguese expansion 

“ Letter from Jamaica ,” Simón Bolívar (1815) is an important document that expresses some of the reasons that prominent creoles in colonial Latin America desired independence from Spain

🚂 Unit 6: Consequence of Industrialization, c. 1750 - c. 1900 CE

Students will begin to learn about how Britain, France, the British and Dutch East India Companies, Portugal, and Spain all began this period with colonial possessions in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Industrial developments allowed states to expand their power through imperialism. Native peoples in these colonies resisted imperialist expansion into their countries in a variety of ways. Unit 6 also includes global migrations.

Overview of Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization

Rationales for Imperialism

Expansion of Imperialism

Indigenous Responses to Imperialism

Global Economic Development from 1750 to 1900

Economic Imperialism

Causes of Migration from 1750 to 1900

Effects of Migration from 1750 to 1900

Causation in the Imperial Age

Causes and Effects of Migration in the 19th Century : Explains the second most important topic in this unit

The Magnificent African Cake is a classic documentary on European imperialism in Africa

📰 Read these articles:

“ Rani of Jhansi, India’s Warrior Queen Who Fought the British ” from The New York Times’s “Overlooked No More” series of obituaries for people whose deaths were not reported in the paper when they occurred. Queen Laxmibai, aka the Rani of Jhansi, led some of her subjects in battle against British imperialism. 

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and the Women’s Union of Abeokuta : a graphic history of Nigerian woman who resisted British imperialism

💣 Unit 7: Global Conflict

The Global Conflict Unit is the first time that we see alliances forming and when we see new interconnections of the globalized world! Make sure to look for causes and effects from all of the major conflicts and see if you can find other similar causations in contemporary world history!

Overview of Unit 7

Shifting Power After 1900

Causes of World War I

Conducting World War I

The Economy in the Interwar Period

Unresolved Tensions After World War I

Causes of World War II

Conducting World War II

Mass Atrocities After 1900

Causation in Global Conflict

🎥Watch: WHAP - World Wars in World History

🏆Trivia - World Wars in World History

🎥Watch: WHAP - Unit 7 Review: Causation in Global Conflict

🏆Trivia - Causation in Global Conflict

🥶 Unit 8 (1900-Present) - Cold War & Decolonization  

As you probably already know, WWI was caused by a bunch of nationalism in the warring countries, increased military power due to the Industrial revolution, imperialism, and alliances. It was largely unsuccessful in solving disputes and 21 years later there was WWII. 

Both of these wars resulted in a ton of death and destruction, and most importantly, a bunch of colonies started to think for themselves. They fought in the war, after all-- why shouldn’t they be independent? 

After the war, the Soviet Union and the United States were left largely undamaged by the war, whereas Western Europe was totally destroyed. This left both of them primed to become world powers.

Overview of Unit 8

Setting the Stage for the Cold War and Decolonization

The Cold War

Effects of the Cold War

Spread of Communism After 1900

Decolonization After 1900

Newly Independent States

Global Resistance to Established Order After 1900

End of Cold War

Causation in the Age of the Cold War and Decolonization

🎥Watch: Crash Course - Cold War

🎥Watch: Crash Course - Decolonization

📝Read: Freemanpedia - Notes

📝Read: Freemanpedia - Cold War

📝Read: Freemanpedia - Decolonization

✈️ Unit 9 (1900-Present) - Globalization 

According to the College Board, in the last unit of the course, you'll continue your study of period c. 1900–present by investigating the causes and effects of the unprecedented connectivity of the modern world.

Unit 9 Overview: Globalization

9.1 Advances in Technology and Exchange after 1900

9.2 Technological Advances and Limitations after 1900: Disease

9.3 Technological Advances: Debates about the Environment after 1900

9.4 Economics in the Global Age

9.5 Calls for Reform and Responses after 1900

9.6 Globalized Culture after 1900

9.7 Resistance to Globalization after 1900

9.8 Institutions Developing in a Globalized World

9.9 Continuity and Change in a Globalized World

📚 Review the following resources:

Global Movements - Slides

AP World History Unit 9 Playlist

Global Movements

AP World History Unit 9: Globalization Flashcards

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Advanced Placement (AP)

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

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

Here’s what we’ll cover:

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

Let’s get going!

What Is an AP World History DBQ? 

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

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

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

How DBQs Work on the AP World History Exam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Understand the AP World DBQ Rubric

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

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

Here’s how the rubric breaks down:

Thesis (1 Point) 

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

Contextualization (1 Point) 

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

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

Evidence (3 Points) 

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

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

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

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

Analysis and Reasoning (2 Points) 

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

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

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

5 Steps for Tackling an AP World History DBQ

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

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

Step 1: Use Past AP World DBQ Prompts to Practice

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

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

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

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

Step 2: Practice Creating a Thesis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Step 3: Practice Creating an Outline

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Step 4: Practice Incorporating Quotes and References

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

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

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

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

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

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

Step 5: Understand Time Management

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

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

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

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

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

Tip 1: Know Your Rubric

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

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

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

Tip 2: Your Essay Can Contain Errors

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

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

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

Tip 3: Write for Clarity 

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

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

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

Tip 4: Write for Relevance

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

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

What’s Next? 

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

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

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

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

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AP World History Long Essay Question Example 1

Have you written out your own response to the first of our AP World History Long Essay Questions ? Below you can review a sample answer and evaluate what earns this AP World History LEQ example a perfect score.

Evaluate the impact of the trans-Saharan trade routes on the exchange of goods, cultures, and ideas in Africa and the Islamic world during the period c. 1200–1750.  Analyze the role of trade networks in shaping societies and economies during this era.

Sample Answer:

Thesis/Claim (1 point):  The trans-Saharan trade routes played a pivotal role in facilitating the exchange of goods, cultures, and ideas between regions in Africa and the Islamic world during the period c. 1200–1750, leading to significant economic, cultural, and technological advancements. Contextualization (1 point):  Before the emergence of the trans-Saharan trade routes, both Africa and the Islamic world experienced dynamic historical developments. In Africa, the Kingdom of Ghana flourished as a major trading empire, while in the Islamic world, the spread of Islam led to increased cultural diffusion and intellectual growth. These developments set the stage for the establishment of the trans-Saharan trade networks. Evidence (2 points):  The trans-Saharan trade routes facilitated extensive exchanges between regions. One specific example of this exchange is the trade of gold from West Africa for salt and textiles from North Africa. The availability of gold in West Africa, particularly in the Mali Empire, spurred demand for North African goods. This trade not only enriched both regions economically but also led to cultural exchanges. Furthermore, the introduction of new crops such as sorghum and millet to West Africa from the Islamic world improved agricultural practices, leading to increased food production and population growth. Another significant development is the spread of Islam along these trade routes. As merchants and traders traveled across the Sahara, they also brought Islamic culture and religion with them. This resulted in the conversion of some African societies to Islam, creating a cultural and religious connection between regions. Additionally, the construction of notable centers of learning such as Timbuktu in Mali became hubs for intellectual exchange, where scholars from Africa and the Islamic world gathered to share knowledge. Analysis and Reasoning (2 points):  The trans-Saharan trade routes not only connected regions economically but also fostered cultural and intellectual exchanges. This is evident in the adoption of Islamic practices and the establishment of centers of learning in West Africa. Furthermore, the trade in goods such as gold and salt played a vital role in the economic development of both regions. To achieve a more complex understanding, it’s essential to consider that while the trans-Saharan trade routes brought about positive exchanges, they also had challenges, such as the harsh desert environment and the impact on local communities. Nevertheless, the overall impact was largely beneficial, contributing to the growth and interconnectedness of African and Islamic societies. In conclusion, the trans-Saharan trade routes during the period c. 1200–1750 were instrumental in promoting economic, cultural, and intellectual exchanges between regions in Africa and the Islamic world. This interconnectedness resulted in mutual enrichment and the spread of Islamic culture and knowledge.

Total Points: 6

This essay provides a historically defensible thesis, relevant contextualization, specific evidence, and a well-structured analysis, earning a perfect score according to the AP World LEQ Rubric.

When you are finished with LEQ question 1, proceed to the next sample answers to review other strong essays or return to the main menu with the buttons below.

AP World History Essay Topics & Rubric

Table of contents, ap world history essay section, ap world history sample prompts.

The AP World History exam has a two-part writing section, totaling in a 100-minute section of the exam.

Part A is a document-based essay question; you will be given 60 minutes to complete this section of the exam, including 15 minutes to read over the document(s) included. Part B is a long essay question; you will be given 40 minutes to complete this section of the exam.

The document-based essay has seven historical documents that can be anything from charts and graphs to written documents. You will be asked to develop an argument about a question relating to the documents, using support from the documents in your essay.

Brief description of written portion of the test. In your essay, be sure to explain aspects of the historical significance of the document, including the author(s), point of view, purpose, and/or audience. You should also relate the documents to the greater historical period surrounding the situation the documents focus on.

The long essay question provides three essay questions, from which you will choose one to respond to. You will be asked to develop an argument and support your stance with an analysis of your choice of relevant and specific evidence.

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Sample Prompt #1 - Document-Based Essay

Evaluate the following documents and the extent to which their concepts relate to the fall of the Roman Empire. Then, relate the documents to your knowledge of other fallen empires.

Source: The Devastation of the Goths in the Reign of Gallienus. 260-268 CE, Stearns Davis, ed., Readings in Ancient History: Illustrative Extracts from the Sources, 2 Vols. (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1912-13), Vol. II: Rome and the West.

Under Gallienus (260 to 268 CE.) the Empire was in desperate straits and seemed on the eve of dissolution. Since 250 CE the Goths had been flinging their hordes over the Danube, and committing devastations which required decades of peace to repair. It is a tribute to the strength of the Empire that it did not perish in the third century CE. After continuing their havoc for a long time unchecked, they were at last expelled for more than a century, by the arms of Claudius II Gothicus, Aurelian, and Probus.

Source: The Luxury of the Rich in Rome, c. 400 CE. William Stearns Davis, ed., Readings in Ancient History: Illustrative Extracts from the Sources, 2 Vols. (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1912-13), Vol. II: Rome and the West, pp. 224-225, 239-244, 247-258, 260-265, 305-309.

Those few mansions which were once celebrated for the serious cultivation of liberal studies, now are filled with ridiculous amusements of torpid indolence, reechoing with the sound of singing, and the tinkle of flutes and lyres. You find a singer instead of a philosopher; a teacher of silly arts is summoned in place of an orator, the libraries are shut up like tombs, organs played by waterpower are built, and lyres so big that they look like wagons! and flutes, and huge machines suitable for the theater. The Romans have even sunk so far, that not long ago, when a dearth was apprehended, and the foreigners were driven from the city, those who practiced liberal accomplishments were expelled instantly, yet the followers of actresses and all their ilk were suffered to stay; and three thousand dancing girls were not even questioned, but remained unmolested along with the members of their choruses, and a corresponding number of dancing masters.

On account of the frequency of epidemics in Rome, rich men take absurd precautions to avoid contagion, but even when these rules are observed thus stringently, some persons, if they be invited to a wedding, though the vigor of their limbs be vastly diminished, yet when gold is pressed in their palm they will go with all activity as far as Spoletum! So much for the nobles. As for the lower and poorer classes some spend the whole night in the wine shops, some lie concealed in the shady arcades of the theaters. They play at dice so eagerly as to quarrel over them, snuffing up their nostrils, and making unseemly noises by drawing back their breath into their noses:---or (and this is their favorite amusement by far) from sunrise till evening, through sunshine or rain, they stay gaping and examining the charioteers and their horses; and their good and bad qualities. Wonderful indeed it is to see an innumerable multitude of people, with prodigious eagerness, intent upon the events of the chariot race!

Source: Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Chapter 38.

The rise of a city, which swelled into an Empire, may deserve, as a singular prodigy, the reflection of a philosophic mind. But the decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness. Prosperity ripened the principle of decay; the causes of destruction multiplied with the extent of conquest; and, as soon as time or accident had removed the artificial supports, the stupendous fabric yielded to the pressure of its own weight. The story of its ruin is simple and obvious; and, instead of inquiring why the Roman empire was destroyed, we should rather be surprised that it had subsisted so long. The victorious legions, who, in distant wars, acquired the vices of strangers and mercenaries, first oppressed the freedom of the republic, and afterwards violated the majesty of the purple. The emperors, anxious for their personal safety and the public peace, were reduced to the base expedient of corrupting the discipline which rendered them alike formidable to their sovereign and to the enemy; the vigour of the military government was relaxed, and finally dissolved, by the partial institutions of Constantine; and the Roman world was overwhelmed by a deluge of Barbarians.

The Romans were ignorant of the extent of their danger, and the number of their enemies. Beyond the Rhine and Danube, the northern countries of Europe and Asia were filled with innumerable tribes of hunters and shepherds, poor, voracious, and turbulent; bold in arms, and impatient to ravish the fruits of industry. The Barbarian world was agitated by the rapid impulse of war; and the peace of Gaul or Italy was shaken by the distant revolutions of China. The Huns, who fled before a victorious enemy, directed their march towards the West; and the torrent was swelled by the gradual accession of captives and allies. The flying tribes who yielded to the Huns assumed in their turn the spirit of conquest; the endless column of Barbarians pressed on the Roman empire with accumulated weight; and, if the foremost were destroyed, the vacant space was instantly replenished by new assailants. Such formidable emigrations can no longer issue from the North; and the long repose, which has been imputed to the decrease of population, is the happy consequence of the progress of arts and agriculture. Instead of some rude villages, thinly scattered among its woods and morasses, Germany now produces a list of two thousand three hundred walled towns; the Christian kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, and Poland, have been successively established; and the Hanse merchants, with the Teutonic knights, have extended their colonies along the coast of the Baltic, as far as the Gulf of Finland. From the Gulf of Finland to the Eastern Ocean, Russia now assumes the form of a powerful and civilized empire. The plough, the loom, and the forge, are introduced on the banks of the Volga, the Oby, and the Lena; and the fiercest of the Tartar hordes have been taught to tremble and obey. The reign of independent Barbarism is now contracted to a narrow span; and the remnant of Calmucks or Uzbecks, whose forces may be almost numbered, cannot seriously excite the apprehensions of the great republic of Europe. [6] Yet this apparent security should not tempt us to forget that new enemies, and unknown dangers, may possibly arise from some obscure people, scarcely visible in the map of the world. The Arabs or Saracens, who spread their conquests from India to Spain, had languished in poverty and contempt, till Mahomet breathed into those savage bodies the soul of enthusiasm.

Source: Arnold Toynbee, Civilization on Trial, Oxford University Press, 1948.

The breakdowns and disintegrations of civilizations might be stepping-stones to higher things on the religious plane. After all, one of the deepest spiritual laws that we know is the law that is proclaimed by Aeschylus in the two words ?Ueae iUeio --'it is through suffering that learning comes-- and in the New Testament in the verse 'whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth; and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.' If you apply that to the rise of the higher religions which has culminated in the flowering of Christianity, you might say that in the mythical passions of Tammuz and Adonis and Attis and Osiris the Passion of Christ was foreshadowed, and that the Passion of Christ was the culminating and crowning experience of the sufferings of human souls in successive failures in the enterprise of secular civilization. The Christian Church itself arose out of the spiritual travail which was a consequence of the breakdown of the Graeco-Roman civilization. Again, the Christian Church has Jewish and Zoroastrian roots, and those roots sprang from an earlier breakdown, the breakdown of a Syrian civilization which was a sister to the Graeco-Roman. The kingdoms of Israel and Judah were two of the many states of this ancient Syrian world; and it was the premature and permanent overthrow of these worldly commonwealths and the extinction of all the political hopes which had been bound up with their existence as independent polities that brought the religion of Judaism to birth and evoked the highest expression of its spirit in the elegy of the suffering Servant, which is appended in the Bible to the book of the prophet Isaiah. Judaism, likewise, has a Mosaic root which in its turn sprang from the withering of the second crop of the ancient Egyptian civilization. I do not know whether Moses and Abraham are historical characters, but I think it can be taken as certain that they represent historical stages of religious experience, and Mose's forefather and forerunner Abraham received his enlightenment and his promise at the dissolution, in the nineteenth or eighteenth century before Christ, of the ancient civilization of Sumer and Akkad --the earliest case, known to us, of a civilization going to ruin. These men of sorrows were precursors of Christ; and the sufferings through which they won their enlightenment were Stations of the Cross in anticipation of the Crucifixion. That is, no doubt, a very old idea, but it is also an ever new one.

If religion is a chariot, it looks as if the wheels on which it mounts towards Heaven may be the periodic downfalls of civilizations on Earth. It looks as if the movement of civilizations may be cyclic and reccurent, while the movement of religion may be on a single continuous upward line. The continuous upward movement of religion may be served and promoted by the cyclic movement of civilizations round the cycle of birth, death. birth.

Source: Procopius, History of the Wars, 7 Vols., trans. H. B. Dewing, Loeb Library of the Greek and Roman Classics, (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1914), Vol. I, pp. 451-473.

DURING these times there was a pestilence, by which the whole human race came near to being annihilated. Now in the case of all other scourges sent from heaven some explanation of a cause might be given by daring men, such as the many theories propounded by those who are clever in these matters; for they love to conjure up causes which are absolutely incomprehensible to man, and to fabricate outlandish theories of natural philosophy knowing well that they are saying nothing sound but considering it sufficient for them, if they completely deceive by their argument some of those whom they meet and persuade them to their view. But for this calamity it is quite impossible either to express in words or to conceive in thought any explanation, except indeed to refer it to God. For it did not come in a part of the world nor upon certain men, nor did it confine itself to any season of the year, so that from such circumstances it might be possible to find subtle explanations of a cause, but it embraced the entire world, and blighted the lives of all men, though differing from one another in the most marked degree, respecting neither sex nor age.

Sample Prompt #2 - Long Essay

Choose one of the following questions to craft an essay about, using your knowledge from your coursework.

• Question 1 : Evaluate the extent to which religion played a part on the organization and reorganization of states and empires between 600 B.C.E. and 600 C.E.
• Question 2 : Evaluate the extent to which the growth of interactions between different regions from 1450 to 1750 shaped social and gender structures, and relate these structures to their modern forms.
• Question 3 : Evaluate the extent to which the Industrial Revolution (18th c. to 19th c.) led to revolution and rebellion against new and existing government structures.

AP World History Written Section Rubrics

Document-based rubric (0-7 points).

Long Essay Rubric (0-6 points)

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