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.
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2024: Free-Response Questions
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2023: Free-Response Questions
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2022: Free-Response Questions
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2021: Free-Response Questions
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2020: Free-Response Questions
The 2020 free-response questions are available in the AP Classroom question bank .
2019: Free-Response Questions
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2018 :Free-Response Questions
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2017: Free-Response Questions
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2016: Free-Response Questions
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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.
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APUSH Long Essay Question Example 1
Evaluate the extent to which european contact and colonization impacted the indigenous populations and cultures in the americas between 1491 and 1800..
- What were the motivations behind European exploration and colonization in the Americas?
- How did European contact affect the indigenous populations in terms of health, society, and politics?
- What were some key moments or events that exemplify the interaction between Europeans and indigenous populations?
- Were there any areas or tribes that resisted or adapted differently to European influence?
- How did indigenous cultures change or adapt as a result of European contact?
- Thesis/Claim (1 point): The essay presents a clear and defensible thesis in the introduction. The thesis is evident in the statement, “The impact of European contact and colonization on indigenous populations and cultures in the Americas between 1491 and 1800 was profound and multifaceted.” This thesis directly addresses the prompt and sets the stage for the arguments that follow.
- Contextualization (1 point): To earn this point, students must describe a broader historical context relevant to the prompt. The essay provides context by mentioning European motivations for exploration, such as wealth, trade routes, and religious expansion. This provides readers with a clear backdrop against which the main arguments of the essay are set.
- Evidence (2 points): The APUSH standards require students to support their thesis with specific evidence. In the sample essay, there’s a plethora of evidence cited, such as the introduction of diseases, the encomienda system, the Pueblo Revolt, and the cultural blending of traditions. Each piece of evidence is directly related to the thesis and supports the argument that European contact and colonization had a significant impact on indigenous populations and cultures.
- Analysis and Reasoning (2 points): This is where students must demonstrate a deeper understanding of the topic. The essay does this in several ways. First, it analyzes the significance of each piece of evidence, explaining, for example, how the introduction of diseases decimated native populations and disrupted social structures. Second, it shows a complex understanding by discussing both the negative and positive impacts, resistance, and cultural adaptation. This comparison not only reinforces the thesis but also provides a nuanced view of the period.
When you are done reviewing this LEQ example, you can use the buttons below to proceed to our Long Essay example 2 or return to the APUSH Practice Exam main menu.
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Download free-response questions from past AP United States History exams, along with scoring guidelines, sample responses, and scoring distributions.
The 2021 APUSH DBQ topic addressed the social consequences of the prosperity that followed World War II, with a timeframe between 1940 and 1970. Click here to view the 2021 AP US History DBQ. You may find my APUSH DBQ rubric helpful while taking a look at this sample essay, as each of these points is specifically targeted in the sample essay.
This APUSH LEQ example will show you exactly how to answer the long essay question. Learn how to write a high-scoring essay on the AP exam.
Sample essay for the 2021 APUSH DBQ written for Tom Richey
Tom Richey writes a sample 2021 APUSH DBQ, which the College Board has made available today: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pd... To view the sample essay for the 2021 APUSH...
2021 AP® US HISTORY FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS. Question 1 (Document-Based Question) Suggested reading period: 15 minutes Suggested writing time: 40 minutes. Directions: Question 1 is based on the accompanying documents. The documents have been edited for the purpose of this exercise. In your response you should do the following.
Examples that earn this point: Establish a line of reasoning that evaluates the topic of the prompt with analytic categories • “Economic growth during and after World War II changed American society a great deal by encouraging suburban ideals and gender roles.
Click here to view my sample essay for the 2021 APUSH DBQ. You may find my APUSH DBQ rubric helpful while taking a look at this sample essay, as each of these points is specifically targeted in the sample essay.