Writing for the AP World History Exam
Short-Answer QuestionsShort-answer questions will directly address one or more of the thematic learning objectives for the course. At least two of the four questions will have elements of internal choice, providing opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know best. All of the short-answer questions will require students to use historical thinking skills to respond to a primary source, a historian’s argument, nontextual sources such as data or maps, or general propositions about world history. Each question will ask students to identify and analyze examples of historical evidence relevant to the source or question; these examples can be drawn from the concept outline or from other examples explored in depth during classroom instruction.
How to Write A Good Thesis For DBQ & LEQ
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Document-Based Question
The document-based question measures students’ ability to analyze and synthesize historical data and to assess verbal, quantitative, or visual materials as historical evidence. As with the long essay, responses to the document-based question will be judged on students’ ability to formulate a thesis and support it with relevant evidence.
The documents in the document-based question are not confined to a single format, may vary in length, and are chosen to illustrate interactions and complexities within the material. Where suitable, the documents could include maps, charts, graphs, or pictures, as well as written materials. In addition to calling upon a broad spectrum of historical skills, the diversity of materials will allow students to assess the value of different sorts of documents. The document-based question will typically require students to relate the documents to a historical period or theme and, thus, to focus on major periods and issues. For this reason, outside knowledge beyond the specific focus of the question is important and must be incorporated into students’ essays to earn the highest scores. |
Long Essay QuestionTo provide opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know best, they will be given a choice between two comparable long essay options. The long essay questions will measure the use of historical thinking skills to explain and analyze significant issues in world history as defined by the thematic learning objectives. Student essays must include the development of a thesis or argument supported
by an analysis of specific, relevant historical evidence. Questions will be limited to topics or examples specifically mentioned in the concept outline but framed to allow student answers to include in-depth examples of large-scale phenomena, drawn either from the concept outline or from additional topics discussed in the classroom. How to Get the Contextualization Point
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