THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT US HISTORY EXAM

Basic Exam Format

Date: May 7, 2010
Total Time: 185 Minutes (3 Hours, 5 Minutes)
Part I: Multiple Choice: 80 Questions, 55 Minutes [50%]
A. Questions gradually become harder from start to finish
B. Questions are NOT in chronological order.
C. There is a guessing penalty for incorrectly answered questions.
Part II: Free Response Essays: Three Questions, 130 Minutes (2 Hours, 10 Minutes) [50%]
A. Document Based Essay Question
1. 15 minute reading/planning period
2. 45 minutes to write
3. Value: 45% of 50% allotted for essays.
B. Free Response (Thematic) Essays
1. Write one essay of two choices provided. Topic will be pre-1865.
2. Write one essay of two choices provided. Topic will be post-1865
3. 5 minutes to plan and 30 minutes to write each essay.
4. Value: Each essays is 27.5% of 50% allotted for essays.
AP Scores
5 “Well Qualified for Placement or Credit” What does the AP score mean?
4 “Possibly Well Qualified…” At most colleges, the AP score (not your course grade) will
3 “Qualified…” determine whether or not you will receive credit. Most colleges
2 “Possibly Qualified…” and universities award credit for AP scores of “3” or higher.
1 “No recommendation” Some universities award as many as 8 credits (the equivalent
of two introductory courses),
however all credit decisions are the prerogative of each
individual institution.
Exam Breakdown by Area Multiple Choice Breakdown by Period
35% Political History 20% 1492-1789
35% Social History 45% 1790-1914
15% Diplomatic History 35% 1915-present
10% Economic History *No essay will deal exclusively with the period after
5% Cultural and Intellectual History 1980.