AP WORLD HISTORY

The AP World History Exam is a standardized test offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement (AP) program. It assesses students' knowledge and understanding of world history from a global perspective. The exam covers a wide range of historical periods, including prehistory up to the present day.

Format:

  1. Multiple-Choice Questions (55% of the Exam):
    • The multiple-choice section consists of 55 questions.
    • Students are provided with stimulus material such as primary and secondary sources, maps, charts, and images.
    • Each question presents a prompt followed by four possible answer choices. Students must select the best answer from the options provided.
  2. Short Answer Questions (15% of the Exam):
    • The short answer section includes three sets of questions.
    • Each set includes two to three questions that assess historical thinking skills and content knowledge.
    • Students are required to provide brief written responses, usually in the form of a few sentences or a short paragraph.
  3. Document-Based Question (DBQ) (25% of the Exam):
    • The DBQ section assesses students' ability to analyze and interpret historical documents.
    • Students are provided with a question or prompt related to a specific historical period or theme.
    • They must analyze and synthesize the provided documents, incorporating outside knowledge to construct a coherent essay response.
  4. Long Essay Question (LEQ) (5% of the Exam):
    • The LEQ section requires students to write a well-organized essay response to a prompt.
    • Students must demonstrate their ability to develop an argument supported by historical evidence and contextualization.
    • They are expected to incorporate relevant historical examples and analyze the given topic in a clear and coherent manner.

The AP World History Exam is typically administered in a timed setting, with a total testing time of three hours and 15 minutes. The exam is scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score. A score of 3 or higher is generally considered a passing score and may earn students college credit or advanced placement in world history courses, depending on the policies of individual colleges and universities.