apush dbq essay format

AP® US History

How to write a new ap® us history dbq.

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

Hey! We wrote an updated version of this post here . Check it out for helpful videos and FRQ tips.

The dreaded AP® US History Document Based Question. For years it has struck fear in the hearts of many, turned boys into men and rookie students into old, weathered veterans. Rumor has it that little Jimmy Walker once took the AP® US History exam and when he got to the DBQ section, proceeded to spontaneously combust. Okay, so maybe that is a little dramatic. But the DBQ can be a really intimidating process that stands in the way of success for many students. Lucky for you, with this comprehensive guide, it can be relatively painless, and you will be well on your way to academic success and glory.

To start with, it is a good idea to figure out what exactly you are trying to  accomplish on the DBQ .  The quickest way to a high score is to know what the test scorers are looking for, and then do it! The rubric for grading the AP® US History DBQ can be found  here . Also lucky for you, we broke down the rubric to make it easy to understand. Before you continue through the rest of this how-to guide, be sure to go check out the DBQ rubric guide  here .

All right, so now you know what they are looking for and what you are trying to accomplish. Let’s get started.

The DBQ Layout:

Okay, so here’s how it works. Basically, you will be given an essay prompt, a set of primary source documents (never more than 7), and only 60 minutes to come up with a well written, clear and coherent essay response. The general rule of thumb, recommended by the good people at CollegeBoard, is to dedicate about 15 of those precious minutes to planning and the last 45 to writing. That may seem a little overwhelming, but it is totally doable! Especially with these 6 easy steps!

1. Read the Question.

Then figure out what the question is asking you. I can’t stress this enough, figuring out what the prompt is asking you is critical. No matter how good of a writer you are, or how much history you may know, if you don’t answer the question, you are sunk. A neat tip might be to write out in your own words what the question is asking.

As you are reading the question, be on the lookout for which skills they are trying to test you on. Every DBQ is looking to test your skills of historical argumentation, use of historical evidence,  contextualization , and synthesis. These things are outlined in the rubric and are consistent parts of every good DBQ. In addition to these critical skills, a DBQ will be looking to analyze one of a number of certain skills. These include: causation, change/continuity over time, comparison, interpretation, or periodization. Don’t waste too much time trying to figure this out, and don’t get so caught up in it that you forget to answer the actual question, just be sure to keep it in mind as you plan out your answer.

That probably seems like an insanely long first step, but all of that will really only take a couple of minutes and set you up to breeze through the rest of the process. Once you have thoroughly read and interpreted the question, you are ready for step number 2!

2. Dig into the Sources

While you want to make sure that you read each document, don’t waste your time on too focused of a reading. Underline or highlight things that stand out, and make notes out to the side. One suggestion is to write a quick sentence or two that summarizes the main idea of each document. And again, this is all just part of the 15-minute planning period; so don’t get too caught up on any document. You are just looking for main ideas and details that really stand out. To take this one step further, you can organize the documents into groups based on their main point. (For highest score possibilities, make sure to use either all or all but one of the primary source documents).

3. Make an Outline.

First decide on a thesis, and from there think about how you want to use your primary source documents to support that thesis. Think about what kinds of outside information you might want to bring in to further support your argument, and where it will fit into your essay as a whole. Once more, don’t get stuck mapping out every single thing that you are going to say, but be sure that you include documents where they fit in the response. This will make it much easier to incorporate them into your answer. Hopefully it has only been 15 minutes or less at this point and you are now ready to write!

4. Start Writing!

Most of your highly intensive, critical thinking type stuff should already have happened and now it is just all about putting those thoughts into words. If you played your cards right and made good use of the first 15 minutes, this part of the process should be pretty straightforward. Start with a brief introduction that gives a little context to the subject matter and shows that you know some of the details surrounding the subject matter. Introduce your thesis, then a few of your main ideas that support your thesis. This part of your paper is not much different than a regular essay response.

5. Keep Writing!

As you get going on some longer paragraphs and stringing together lots of sophisticated and smart sounding sentences, it can be easy to lose sight of the main points of your paper. I have said it a couple times already, but it is absolutely essential that you answer the question!

A few key things to keep in mind as you write your body:

1. Use specific references from your documents, and always show where you are getting the information. At the same time, don’t just use huge block quotes to take up a bunch of space. Use what you need to answer the question.

2. Make sure you use some outside knowledge to support your argument, along with your documents. Specific examples that aren’t on the documents are super helpful in making your argument stronger, and just showing that you know what you are talking about.

3. Don’t forget to contextualize. Things that happen in history are not isolated events, and the circumstances surrounding things matter. Don’t forget to address that.

6. Wrap it up with a ballin’ conclusion.

Don’t draw it out and don’t introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Make it short and to the point. Summarize what your main thesis and arguments were and leave it at that. Don’t try to be too clever or witty or trite and you actually don’t have to use the term “In conclusion” every time you write a conclusion. (Mind blown, I know).

If you follow these 6 easy steps and  ANSWER THE QUESTION , you will demolish the DBQ section of the  AP® US History  exam. (That’s a good thing). And at the very least, you will make it out better than poor Jimmy Walker.

Looking for AP® US History practice?

Kickstart your AP® US History prep with Albert. Start your AP® exam prep today .

Interested in a school license?​

4 thoughts on “how to write a new ap® us history dbq”.

This says it was updated in May of 2020, bull crap! YOu are telling students they have 15 min to read the documents and 45 to write. Thats wrong! They have a total of 45 min. on the new 2020 online DBQ. So Im telling students to spend no more than 19 min with reading the docs. Come on guys! get this updated

I meant 10 min on reading Docs.

Paul, this was written several years ago as noted by the disclaimer. For the 2020 exam, please review our new guide here: https://www.albert.io/blog/ap-us-history-review/

Thanks for the comment!

Paul, this is an article from a few years ago (note the disclaimer). The updates made to this were just images, not core content. Our 2020 AP® US History guide can be found here: https://www.albert.io/blog/ap-us-history-review/

Comments are closed.

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What is a DBQ? The Document-Based Question Explained

Advanced Placement (AP)

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

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

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

The DBQ Essay Explained

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

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

Why the DBQ?

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

The DBQ is testing your ability to:

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

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

Here's an example:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Does the DBQ Format Look Like?

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

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

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

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

What's the Deal With These Documents?

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

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

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

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

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

How Is the DBQ Scored?

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

How Much Is the Document-Based Question Worth?

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

What Does the Rubric Mean?

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

• Click here for the AP DBQ grading rubric .

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

DBQ Rubric Breakdown

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

Thesis and Argument—2 points

The breakdown:

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

Document Analysis—2 points

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

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

Using Outside Evidence—2 points

• One point is just for context—if you can locate the issue within its broader historical situation. You do need to write several sentences about it but the contextual information can be very general.
• One point is for being able to name an additional specific example relevant to your argument that is not mentioned in the documents. Don't stress if you freeze up and can't remember one on test day. This is only one point and it will not prevent you from getting a 5 on the exam.

Synthesis—1 point

• All you need to do for synthesis is relate your argument about this specific time period to a different time period, geographical area, historical movement, etc.
• It is probably easiest to do this in the conclusion of the essay.

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

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

Parting Thoughts on Scoring

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

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

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

How Can I Rock the DBQ?

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

Rock the DBQ like Jimi rocked the 1960s.

Preparing for the DBQ

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

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

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

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

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

During the Test

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

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

Abraham Lincoln believes in you!

Final Thoughts

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

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

What's Next?

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

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

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

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Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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How to Write the Document Based Question (DBQ)

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What’s Covered:

What is the document based question, steps to writing an effective dbq, how do ap scores affect my college chances.

If you’re taking a history AP exam, you’ll likely encounter the Document Based Question (DBQ). This essay question constitutes a significant portion of your exam, so it’s important that you have a good grasp on how best to approach the DBQ. In this post, we’ll cover what exactly a document based question is, and how to answer it successfully.

A Document Based Question (DBQ) is a measure of the skills you learned in your AP classes in regard to recalling history and analyzing related documents. These documents can be primary or secondary sources, and your responses are expected to be in the form of an essay. Your ability to relate the context of documents to concepts beyond the given text and creating meaningful connections between all your sources will help demonstrate your skills as a knowledgeable writer.

The number of documents for a DBQ varies from exam to exam, but typically will fall between five to seven documents. The following AP exams will require you to write a DBQ:

AP U.S. History

AP European History

AP World History

We’ve listed the formats for each exam below, and keep in mind that the number of documents is prone to changing from year to year:

• Up to seven Documents
• One hour recommended time (includes 15-minute reading period)
• Up to seven Documents 
• 25% of total exam score

With that in mind, let’s jump right into how to craft a strong DBQ response!

We’ve summarized how to write an effective DBQ into the following five steps:

1. Read the prompt first

Though you may be tempted to jump into the documents right away, it’s very important that you first look at what exactly the prompt is asking for. This way, when you eventually look at the documents, your focus will be narrower. A DBQ tests your reading comprehension and analysis skills more than the content itself, making it very important to understand your prompt thoroughly.

2. Skim the document titles

Each document will contain vital information regarding the context, and it’s important to scout key words regarding dates, authors, and anything pertaining to the general sense of what the documents are about. Skimming through your documents like this could save time and allow you to form a more structurally sound thesis.

Let’s take a look at the following graph and figure out how to skim the figure:

This document was in a real exam from the AP World History free response questions in 2019. It’s important to pay attention to data provided and what context can be drawn from it. In this case, we’re provided with a graph that displays the life expectancy of a country in relation to the GDP per capita of said country. Being able to skim this graph and notice the common trends in the data points could provide convenient information into the context of the document, without any further intensive reading. 

For example, seeing how countries with a GDP below 4,000 to 5,000 have lower life expectancies already gives us a potential correlation between the two factors. We can use this information to start formulating a thesis, depending on what the prompt is specifically asking for.

Remember, just skim! Don’t worry about reading the entire document yet; this strategy can keep you calm and level-headed before tackling the rest of the document. Methods like this can make acing the AP World History DBQ less intimidating! 

3. Formulate a tentative thesis

A thesis is a statement that should be proved and discussed upon. It’s important to have a strong thesis as the foundation of your DBQ, as it guides the rest of your response in relation to the context. Understanding the difference between weak and strong theses will be imperative to your success, so here is an example of a weak thesis:

“The Cold War originated from some scenarios of conflict between Soviets and some groups of oppressors.” 

Such a thesis can be considered weak for its lack of specificity, focal point, and usability as a constructive tool to write further detail on the subject. This thesis does not take a clear stance or communicate to the reader what the essay will specifically focus on. Here’s how the same thesis can be restructured to be stronger and more useful:

“The Cold War originated from tense diplomatic conflicts relating to propaganda and conspiratorial warfare between the United States and the Soviet Union.”

The information that’s been included into the second thesis about the two groups involved with the Cold War gives you more room to build a structured essay response. In relation to the rubric/grading schema for this DBQ, forming a structurally sound thesis or claim is one of the seven attainable points. Being able to contextualize, analyze, and reason off of this thesis alone could provide for two to four points – this means that five out of seven of your points revolve around your thesis, so make sure that it’s strong! Doing all of this in your fifteen minute reading period is crucial as once this is set, writing your actual response will be much easier!

4. Actively read the documents

Simply reading a document doesn’t normally suffice for creating a well-written and comprehensive response. You should focus on implementing your active reading skills, as this will make a huge difference as to how efficient you are during your work process. 

Active reading refers to reading with an intention to grab key words and fragments of important information, usually gone about by highlighting and separating important phrases. Annotations, underlining, and circling are all great ways to filter out important information from irrelevant text in the documents. 

An example of where you might find important information via active reading is the description. Circle important names or dates to contextualize the document. If you still can’t find contextual value from the title, that’s totally fine! Just scope out the rest of the document in relevance to your thesis – that is, pinpoint the specific information or text that best supports your argument. Finding one or two solid points of interest from one document is usually enough to write about and expand upon within your essay. 

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5. Make an Outline 

If you like outlines, making one before writing your essay might prove helpful, just be aware of the time limit and act accordingly. 

Start with your introduction, then work on the rest of your essay. This way, you can make sure your thesis is clear and strong, and it will help the graders form a clear view on what the general consensus of your paper is. Make sure to include evidence with your thesis within each paragraph and cite only relevant information, otherwise your citations could come across as filler as opposed to useful content. Every commentary or point you make should be tied in some way to the documents.

Format each body paragraph and organize your essay in a way that makes sense to you! The graders aren’t really looking at the structure of your essay; rather, they want to see that you analyzed the documents in a way that is supportive of your essay. As long as you have content from the documents which prove your thesis, the order or manner in which you present them doesn’t matter too much. What’s more important is that your essay is clear and comprehensive. As you write practice DBQs, try having someone else read your essays to make sure that the format is easy to follow.

Keep all these key details in mind as you construct your own DBQ response, and you’re well on your way to writing an effective essay!

Your chances of admission are actually not really impacted by your AP scores; however, the AP classes you take are more important than the exam scores themselves, meaning the impact of your AP scores isn’t as big as you think . 

Instead, focusing on the AP classes on your transcript and the relevance of those classes to your future major is more impactful. For a further detailed understanding of the role AP classes play in regards to your college admissions, use CollegeVine’s free Admissions Calculator , which takes into account your GPA, standardized test scores, and more. 

Additional Information

To dive deeper into DBQs, AP classes, and learning how to tackle each exam check out other resources at CollegeVine:

• Acing the Document Based Question on the AP US History Exam
• Acing the AP World History Document Based Question
• Ultimate Guide to the AP U.S. History Exam
• Ultimate Guide to the AP European History Exam
• Ultimate Guide to the AP World History Exam

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

5+ Example APUSH DBQ Questions

One of the best ways to practice for the AP US History exam is by trying out sample questions. Sample APUSH DBQ questions help you get prepared to write a killer essay on test day.

APUSH DBQ Questions: An Overview

The APUSH DBQ consists of one essay question. You will have 55 minutes to complete the essay. The essay is graded on a 7-point rubric and will count for 25% of your overall exam score.

You will be presented with an essay question, followed by a series of documents (typically 7) related to the theme of the question. These documents can be any combination of primary and secondary source texts, maps, photographs, political cartoons, or other artwork.

You will need to use information from the documents as well as your outside knowledge to construct an essay response to the question. Your response should be a persuasive essay and must include a thesis statement backed by evidence.

Official APUSH DBQ Questions

The College Board has released several sample DBQs. These come from the official practice test and previous real exams. These official APUSH DBQ questions are the best, most reliable source to help you prepare for what to expect on test day. Read through these and try your hand at writing (or at least outlining) the essays. Some of them even come with scoring guides and sample student responses to help you see how you would have done if you’d written this essay for the real exam.

Here are links to the official APUSH DBQ questions:

Topic: Imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Source: Official AP US History Practice Test (p.32-35)

Topic: American Revolution Source: 2017 AP US History Exam (p. 7-11)

Topic: Women’s Rights Movement Source: 2016 AP US History Exam (p. 6-11) Related resources: Scoring guide and sample student responses

Topic: New Conservatism Source: 2015 AP US History Exam (p. 6-10) Related resources: Scoring guide and sample student responses

Unofficial APUSH DBQ Questions

There are several sources of unofficial DBQ questions. While these are less reliable than the official questions from College Board, they can provide good practice in interpreting and building an argument around documents.

Barron’s has a single free full-length practice test available on their website, which includes the DBQ. You can take the whole exam, or if you’re only interested in the DBQ, you can click on “Jump to Question” once inside the exam and select the DBQ. The topic is the Progressive Movement.

You can also find loads of good quality teacher-created practice APUSH DBQ questions online. For example, Mr. Bryant’s AP US History has a folder of TONS of DBQS you can download as Word documents. They are organized by time period/topic.

High quality test prep books from major publishers also include practice tests, including DBQs. Make sure you choose a book from 2015 or later to ensure the material is updated for the latest version of the APUSH exam.

More APUSH DBQ Resources

Check out these other great resources from Magoosh to help you prepare to shine on your APUSH DBQ questions:

• The AP US History DBQ: What You Should Know
• How to Prepare for the APUSH DBQ Section
• 3 Steps to an APUSH DBQ Essay that Works

Sarah is an educator and writer with a Master’s degree in education from Syracuse University who has helped students succeed on standardized tests since 2008. She loves reading, theater, and chasing around her two kids.

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AP United States History Exam Questions

Free-response questions and scoring information.

Download free-response questions from this year's exam and past exams along with scoring guidelines, sample responses from exam takers, and scoring distributions.

If you are using assistive technology and need help accessing these PDFs in another format, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 212-713-8333 or by email at [email protected] .

2024: Free-Response Questions

2023: Free-Response Questions

2022: Free-Response Questions

2021: Free-Response Questions

2020: Free-Response Questions

The 2020 free-response questions are available in the  AP Classroom question bank .

2019: Free-Response Questions

2018 :Free-Response Questions

2017: Free-Response Questions

2016: Free-Response Questions

2015: Free-Response Questions

The 2015 sample response PDFs (.pdf/32.8MB) were updated to reflect changes to the rubrics that took effect with the 2016 AP U.S. History Exam.