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DBQ, LEQ, & SAQ Rubrics Points Explained

6 min read • may 15, 2022

Danna Esther Gelfand

AP World History Rubrics

📓 AP World History LEQ and DBQ Rubrics

To ensure that you receive all the points possible in the Free-Response section of the exam you should be aware of and follow the criteria expected of you. It is important to note that AP World History graders are searching for specific things in your Short Answers, Long Essay, and Document-Based Essay.

You might be thinking, "I have to write the best essay possible to get all the points I need!" I assure you, that's not the case. The essays and brief responses you will be writing on your exam are not exactly similar to the ones you write in your English class. You're not expected to write the most thoughtful and well-structured piece that'll leave everyone in awe. AP graders take into consideration the time constraints on the exam and are only searching for rubric criteria to be fulfilled in your work. As a result, don't waste time perfecting every minute detail of your writing to impress and earn extra points.

Use your time wisely and efficiently. If you can't use the knowledge you have in the format expected of you, you will most likely and unfortunately lose points. Furthermore, the written portion of your exam is worth 60% of your grade, while the multiple choice is 40%. Therefore, understanding the rubric is your key to passing the AP Exam.

Document-Based Question (DBQ)

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🎥 Mastering The DBQ with Melissa Longnecker ⚡ Doing the DBQ with Charly Castillo

THESIS/CLAIM (1 point)

⚡ Live Stream Replay - 🎥 Doing the DBQ: Thesis with Patrick Lasseter

Write a valid response to the prompt - don't just restate it.
Clearly and coherently create a logically reasonable claim that is argumentative that is about 1 to 2 sentences long.
Included either at the end of your introduction or within your conclusion.

I suggest including your thesis in both area if you have enough time. This is because sometimes towards the end, you have a better understanding of your work as a whole once you're done with establishing and proving your reasoning and will therefore write a more fitting, proper thesis in the conclusion. Make sure you include it in your intro paragraph, though! You don't know if you'll have enough time for the conclusion and you want to earn as many points as possible!

CONTEXTUALIZATION (1 point)

⚡ Live Stream Replay - 🎥 Doing the DBQ, Part 3: Contextualization with Evan Liddle

Give historical background information or context relevant to the prompt, such as significant events or developments. Try to write about 3 sentences. I suggest that give context taking place either during or within 100 years before the time period of the prompt or 100 years after what's given.

EVIDENCE (maximum of 3 points)

⚡ Live Stream Replay - 🎥 Doing the DBQ, Part 2: Evidence with Caroline Castellanos

FIRST evidence point: R efer to, describe ,and relate at least 3 of the documents included to the prompt (question).
SECOND evidence point: Refer to, describe, and relate at least 6 of the documents included to the prompt AND your argument/claim.
THIRD evidence point: H istorical evidence that goes beyond the text documents included. Include any specific information you can remember that relates to the prompt and is not mentioned in the documents.

ANALYSIS AND REASONING (maximum of 2 points)

⚡ Live Stream Replay - 🎥 Doing the DBQ, Part 4: Reasoning with Melissa Longnecker

FIRST analysis and reasoning point: Remember to use HIPPO (Historical Context, Intended Audience, Point of view, Purpose, or Outside Evidence ) for at least 3 documents and explain how that relates to your overall argument. Establish your analysis of those documents using at least one of the options in the acronym for each.
SECOND analysis and reasoning point: Known to be quite tricky for AP History students for it is the dreaded complexity point. Not to fret! It's not as impossible as it seems to most. You can definitely get it! All you have to do is showcase a complex understanding of the historical development in the prompt.
Some ways include:
Explaining nuances (subtle differences) in an issue
Providing both comparisons and contrasts if the essay is compare and contrast, or both continuities and changes if its a CCOT essay, or both causes and effects, making connections, etc.
To earn the complexity point it should be laid out and develop in multiple parts of your essay, not just in one sentence or paragraph.

Long Essay Question (LEQ)

⚡ Watch - 🎥 Answering the Long Essay Question (LEQ) with Melissa Longnecker

⚡ Watch - Sharpening Your LEQ Skills with Melissa Longnecker

⚡ Watch - Writing the Long Essay Question with Safiya Menk

THESIS/CLAIM (1 point)

Same as DBQ.

EVIDENCE (maximum of 2 points)

FIRST evidence point: Identify specific historical details or examples that relate to the prompt.
SECOND evidence point: Use the specific historical evidence you identified in earning your first evidence point and connect it to an argument presented in response to your prompt and explain its relevance.
FIRST analysis and reasoning point: Use historical reasoning to build a framework for your overall argument through (comparison, causation, continuity or change).
SECOND analysis and reasoning point: T he dreaded complexity point previously mentioned in the DBQ has the same criteria for the LEQ.

Short Answer Question (SAQ)

⚡ Watch - 🎥 Answering Short Answer Questions with Melissa Longnecker

⚡ Watch - Answering Short Answer Questions with Caroline Castellanos

⚡ Watch - Answering Short Answer Questions with Eric Beckman

The FIRST and SECOND SAQs are required. Both address content within units 3-8.
The THIRD and FOURTH SAQs are optional in a sense that you can choose to answer only one of the two. The third addresses content within units 1-6, while the fourth addresses content within periods 6-9.
They also assess a skill of either causation or comparison.
This is where you would have to use your prior historical knowledge to earn points in these questions.

ACEing the SAQ

First, ANSWER the question with a clear claim.
Then, CITE the relevant evidence you know based on your knowledge of the content referred to in the prompts.
Finally, EXPLAIN the relevance of your evidence and how it relates to your response.

This may seem like a lot to remember but I assure y'all that practice makes perfect. The more SAQs, DBQs, and LEQs you write following a specific format that will earn you the most points possible, the easier it will become. Soon enough you'll be following the structure without even realizing it. There's no doubt that you can get a 4 or 5 on this exam. This test is not based on solely your ability memorize random facts. That won't earn you more points. Your critical thinking and analysis skills coupled with background knowledge are key.The fact that you're challenging yourselves by taking an Advanced Placement College credit course is incredible and I applaud y'all for it! You got this! 💪

Review Time

After studying on your own, invite some friends to a study with me online session to go over each essay rubric and review anything that you may be confused on. It is a great way to for everyone to feel supported while studying!

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AP® World History

How to answer ap® world history saqs, dbqs, and leqs.

The Albert Team
Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

how to answer AP® World History free response questions

If you’re taking AP® World History, you probably already know just how important the free response section can be for making or breaking your AP® score. This post will help give you the best tips and tricks for answering AP® World History free response questions including but not limited to short-answer questions, document-based questions, and long essays.

We’ll go over things like must-know tips for how to write perfect score SAQs, DBQs, and LEQs, mistakes students often make on the AP® World exam, and how to use past AP® free response questions to start practicing for your upcoming exam.

Read on to get the scoop on everything you need to make the most of your AP® World History: Modern exam review.

What We Review

5 Steps on How to Write Effective AP® World History: Modern Free Responses

Regardless of whether you’re answering a SAQ, DBQ, or LEQ, there are a few key steps when it comes to putting your best foot forward in your AP® World free response section.

1. Knowing what you’re being asked and answering that specific question.

All too often, students enter the AP® World History: Modern exam suffering from two key weaknesses in their exam prep: not understanding the rubric or not answering the question asked.

You need to know exactly how you earn your points. This way, you can write your response to directly address what you’re being asked.

Here is a link for AP® World History past released exams

These past exams include scoring guidelines PDFs which outline how points were distributed for each respective question.

Here’s a screenshot from the second question of the 2019 released exam:

Source: College Board

You can gather a lot from these scoring guidelines. In the example above, you can see that points are distributed based on the student’s ability to answer the prompt. One point was given for identification from data in a chart, another from identifying a similarity, and a final point for explaining how longer life expectations impacted society on a political, economic, or social level.

There are commonly used directive words to be wary of when reviewing past AP® World History free response questions. We’ll cover what some of those are later.

When it comes to the AP® World History DBQ, know where each of your points will come from. Most importantly, keep in mind how to use the documents to advance your argument and don’t just rehash what is already known from the documents provided. This means knowing for example that you’ll receive one point for successfully connecting documents to the prompt, knowing you have to argue with the documents to earn more points, or using at least six (if not seven) documents to support your thesis.

For now, just make sure you go over at least two years worth of released exam scoring guidelines so you understand how everything is weighted and distributed.

2. Flag every directive word or key phrase in the question prompt.

Now that you know how points are earned, you need to start to develop a habit for mentally confirming you’re getting all of the points possible in each question.

Let’s take a look at the first SAQ from the 2019 AP® World History exam:

What you can tell here is that oftentimes for SAQs, you will be asked to identify in part A (and sometimes B, as is the case here), followed by explain in part B and/or C.

To properly identify , you must provide 1-2 sentences where you directly answer the question, within the proper time period.

When asked to explain , these responses often will be three sentences. One sentence to answer the question, and then two sentences to provide specific facts that support your answer. Teachers often refer to these questions as ones where you want to “show the why”.

Take note of what we highlighted above. We not only flag for ourselves what the key directive word is, but we also mark how many things we need to identify or explain and the time period being asked of us.

Students often make the mistake of bringing in historical examples that are outside the scope of the time period asked. If you do this, you will miss out on valuable AP® World History SAQ points.

Here’s how we might flag the DBQ from that same 2019 AP® World History free response section:

When you’re flagging the key directives or phrases, the things to keep in mind are:

Typically when it comes to the DBQs or LEQs, you’ll be asked to compare, explore causes, discuss change or continuity over time.
What’s the time period?

To answer the first question, you must understand that AP® World History: Modern develops students to have these six historical thinking skills:

The four core historical reasoning skills from the College Board are:

3. Plan out your response BEFORE you start writing.

Taking just a few minutes to map out your response to each AP® World History free response question can make a big difference in the cohesion of your responses.

Too often, students jump right into answering questions and as a result either simply regurgitate what was already given to them, or fail to answer the question they’re being asked directly.

To serve as a “compass”, always remember:

What’s the historical reasoning skill being asked of me?
What’s the time period? What do I know about this time period?

Then, when it comes to specifics to the DBQ, ask yourself questions such as:

What type of DBQ is this? Is it asking me a social, political, or economic question?
How can the documents I’ve been provided be grouped together?
What is the sourcing of the document?
What’s my thesis? Can it be agreed with or disagreed with and have I put everything into historical context?
Have I planned to use at least six documents?
Is my intended outside evidence specific and relevant to the question and time period?
Have I planned how I’ll introduce complexity? (We’ll give you tips on this final point later)

For the AP® World LEQ, be sure to ask:

Do I have a defensible thesis? Is there a clear line of reasoning?
Is it clear how I’ll place things into historical context?
Do I have specific evidence that is relevant to the question and time period?
Have I planned how I’ll introduce complexity?

The College Board uses the free response section to test your ability to connect the dots between historical time periods and to be able to fluidly navigate historical time periods with accuracy.

This means planning is essential. Really think hard on what the question is asking you and if you’re giving a direct answer to that question.

AP® Readers often express frustration with not being able to give students points because students simply got distracted by a catch phrase from the text, or wrote about something not relevant to the question of the prompt.

4. Double check you’ve made explicit references to connections in your writing.

One of the common pitfalls of student responses for AP® World History: Modern FRQs is not using documents or evidence to advance an argument.

It isn’t enough in your response to simply demonstrate you understand what the document is. You have to also show how that document serves as evidence to support your thesis.

In the past, Chief Readers of the exam have expressed that students often understand historical content, but aren’t able to present the evidence in a way that will earn points for the response.

The easiest way to check yourself here is to remember the word “therefore”. Make your argument, describe your evidence from what’s provided (or what you know), and then say “therefore” followed by the argument you are trying to make.

In other AP® subjects, teachers tell their students that this is the equivalent of “showing the why” or “closing the loop”.

Closing the loop in AP® World History can be made into more of a habit using words like “because” or “therefore” to help bridge two concepts together and solve for the “why” this matters.

5. Practice, practice, and then practice some more

When you really think about what are the keys to AP® free response success, it boils down to mastering the rubrics and crafting responses to fit those rubrics.

It’s not uncommon for students to walk into the exam and to have never seen an AP® World History: Modern SAQ, DBQ, or LEQ rubric. Don’t be that student.

The College Board provides a plethora of past released exams to help you navigate the preparation process, so use them!

Try one of the past released exams and then have a friend grade your responses with the scoring guidelines. See how you might have done without any deliberate practice. Then, review your mistakes, log them in a study journal, and keep working through the other prior years.

After a while, you’ll develop your own internal checklist of questions for yourself such as:

Do I have a thesis? Does it include evidence and a clear line of reasoning?
Have I explained what happened before this time period to earn the contextualization point?
Is the evidence I’ve used supporting my thesis? Have I included bridge words like “therefore” or “because” to demonstrate this alignment? Have I used at least six of the documents?
Have I discussed sourcing? Is it clear who the documents were written for and how that might impact the author’s point of view?
Is there an attempt at earning the complexity point and evidence to support my complexity?

Return to the Table of Contents

37 AP® World History and Politics FRQ Tips to Scoring a 4 or 5

Alright! Now that we’ve reviewed a 5-step process for writing grade ‘A’ worthy AP® World History: Modern free responses, we can review some test taking tips and strategies to keep in mind.

We recommend you read through a few of these every time you start and end your AP® World FRQ practice. Then, in the days leading up to your exam, read the entire list so they stay fresh in your mind.

11 AP® World History SAQ Tips and Test Taking Strategies

Be smart about how you review your textbook for your FRQs. There is so much content that it can often be more practical to look over your outlines and notes from when you were in class, or to find online teacher notes that are free to build notes on top of.
Prioritize chronology and periodization over dates. You should have a strong sense of the overall timelines but not have to rely on specific dates to position your responses. Students often force specific dates to memory without more broadly understanding what happened during that time period.
Focus on understanding how the AP® World History themes intersect with one another. This directly relates to the ability to discuss and explain continuity and change over time.
Answer the question.
Cite your supporting evidence.
Explain how your evidence proves your point.
Familiarize yourself with the common categories of analysis: economic, demographic, political, cultural, and social developments are commonly assessed not just in the SAQ, but in all the AP® World FRQs.
Readers have often mentioned that students struggle with periodization. As a result, they make mistakes mentioning things that are outside the scope of the time period given.
Student struggles with periodization are often exacerbated when the test asks you about two different time periods. Be prepared for this scenario — it happened as recently as 2019 and led to many students writing outside the specified time period.
Be wary of what the College Board calls “catch phrases” in the text. These are popular terms like “checks and balances” or “serial murderers”. These phrases have led students to write about topics not relevant to the question in the past such as the death penalty, school shootings, or the criminal justice system.
Practice your ability to link secondary sources to course content. This is a skill that students often struggle with and the premise of doing well on a number of the SAQs.
Focus much of your prep time on the E in ACE . Students often are not effective at earning the point for explaining because they simply restate a fact and fail to show how that fact supports comparison, causation, or continuity and change over time.
To help you score points in demonstrating your historical reasoning skills, use words like whereas, in contrast to, or likewise when drawing comparisons.

22 AP® World History DBQ Tips and Test Taking Strategies

Before you start planning out your DBQ, double check the time period. 20th century means anything that happened between 1901 and 2000, 18th century means anything between 1701 and 1800, etc. You’d be surprised that students sometimes write about the wrong time period just due to test day stress.
For the AP® World History DBQ, understand that you’ll only earn a point for your thesis if there is a historically defensible thesis that establishes a line of reasoning. In other words, you cannot just restate or reword the prompt.
X is your counterargument or counterpoint
ABC are your strongest supporting points for your argument.
And Y is your argument.
If you don’t like the above formula, another common way to form a thesis is to remember to include the word “because” — the claims you make after you state “because” will be your argument.
Gut check your thesis by asking yourself, “Is this something someone can or cannot agree to? If so, then it’s a good enough thesis because it needs to be defended.
Some AP® World History teachers recommend placing context in your opening paragraph. This way you don’t forget about it later.
Historical Context
Point of View
Remember that you only get one point to describe how at least three documents from the documents provided relate to the prompt. Don’t spend your entire DBQ simply describing documents.
The other points when it comes to the evidence section of the DBQ come from arguing with the documents. In other words, remember to use the documents as evidence to support your thesis.
If you use six documents to support the argument of your thesis, you can earn the second point for the evidence section. If you’re unsure about how you interpreted one document, try to use all seven to give yourself a backup. Past Chief Readers of the exams have even given this tip as a good tip for responding to DBQs.
XYZ, therefore ABC
XYZ is the description of the document
ABC is the implication and support of how what you described relates to your thesis.
To earn the final point for evidence, the contextualization point, you need to bring in at least one piece of specific historical evidence from what you know that is relevant to the prompt and your thesis . The last part is very important.
An easy way to earn your contextualization point is to explain what happened immediately before the time period being tested.
In document 1, XYZ
In document 2, XYZ
Refer to the authors of the documents and not just the document numbers — this can serve as a helpful reminder to remember the HAPP acronym.
Make sure your DBQ supporting paragraphs have topic sentences. Doing so helps build a cohesive argument instead of just jumping your reader from one document or one group of documents to the next.
To earn the sourcing point in analysis and reasoning, ask yourself, “Who was this document written for? What’s their intent or what might this document have accomplished? Why did the writer say what he said in the way he said it?” Then, link what you’ve considered to your thesis.
You must demonstrate sourcing for at least three documents to earn the point. Try to do more than the minimum of three.
Do not ask for additional documents. This is an outdated tip that AP® World History teachers have continued sharing with students over the years that no longer is applicable. As recently as 2018, 15-20% of essays requested more documents when this hasn’t been part of the rubric.
The College Board rubric describes this as “explaining relevant and insightful connections within and across periods”
The College Board describes this as “explaining both similarity and difference”
If you’re writing about causation, discuss the effects.
If you want another way to earn this point, you can earn it by applying your argument to another time period and drawing a connection. If you do this, keep in mind you must apply your entire argument to another time period.
When aiming to score your complexity point, remember it needs to be integrated into your argument and not just a brief phrase or reference. Always explain why you’re including something in your response.
A series of possible stems to signal to your grader you are attempting complexity is to say use one of the following phrases: another time, another view, or another way.

4 AP® World History LEQ Tips and Test Taking Strategies

Understand and be comfortable with all forms of the LEQ: causation, comparison, or change and continuity over time questions.
One point comes from having a historically defensible thesis or claim that establishes a line of reasoning (see above tips for how to make sure this is covered).
One point is awarded for contextualization. The easiest way to do this is to start with specificity on what was happening two to five decades before the time period you’re writing about. Be specific as you do not earn points for just citing a phrase or reference.
Two points are given for evidence. One is earned for just naming two pieces of evidence that are relevant to the prompt. The second is given when you use those pieces of evidence to support your argument in response to the prompt.
Finally, two points are given for analysis and reasoning. One point is given for doing what is asked in the prompt (i.e. comparing, evaluating causation, exploring change and continuity over time). The second point is earned by having complexity in your response. See the above tip #31 from the DBQ section for the easiest ways to earn this point.
When practicing your LEQs, try writing your response. Then, give yourself a dedicated time to reference your class notes and resources and add in specific facts that could have helped support your LEQ. This will help you gain confidence in being specific in your supporting evidence.
If you’re often forgetting to bring in contextualization, try going through the last five years of LEQs and just answering how you would have tried to earn the contextualization point.

Wrapping Things Up: How to Write AP® World History and Politics FRQs

We’ve reviewed so much in this AP® World History study guide. At this point, you should feel pretty confident when it comes to answering either your short answer questions, document-based questions, or long-essay questions.

As we wrap up, here are a few things to remember:

Good AP® World History free response scores are only achieved when you know how you’re being assessed. Understand the point breakdowns for the SAQ, DBQ, and LEQs.
Form a mental checklist for yourself for each type of AP® World FRQ — for example, for SAQs, remember ACE: answer the question, cite your evidence, and explain how your evidence proves your point.
Always take note of what time period is being asked of you. Students miss so many points by simply writing about something outside of the time period asked.
Be specific in your responses. It is not enough to simply describe what’s going on in documents for example. You need to use the documents to support your thesis. Close the loop or “show the why” to your reader.
Focus the bulk of your time on commonly tested AP® World History time periods. See the curriculum and exam description for the period breakdowns. Units 3-6 are typically weighted more than other time periods (12-15% respectively).
Make sure your thesis includes a clear line of reasoning. Remember the model: Although X, ABC, therefore Y.
Put an attempt at contextualization in your introduction and then another when wrapping up your evidence to support your thesis. Explain what happened immediately before the time period being tested.
Make sure to source at least three documents in your DBQ. Address HAPP (historical context, audience, purpose and point of view).
The easiest way to earn complexity is to do the opposite historical reasoning skill of what’s being asked of you. See tip #31 for how to do this.

We hope you’ve taken away a lot from this AP® World review guide.

If you’re looking for more free response questions or multiple choice questions, check out our website! Albert has tons of original standards-aligned practice questions for you with detailed explanations to help you learn by doing and score that 4 or 5.

If you found this post helpful, you may also like our AP® World History tips here or our AP® World History score calculator here .

We also have an AP® World History review guide here .

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, practicing leqs for ap world history.

AP World History's LEQ seems like a challenge to me. Do you guys have any tips or tricks on how to practice and improve my LEQ skills? Maybe some resources or techniques? Thanks a bunch!

Improving your LEQ skills for AP World History is definitely achievable with the right approach and resources. Here are some tips and resources to help you practice and boost your skills:

1. Understand the LEQ format: Become familiar with the format of the LEQ and understand what you are expected to do in each section. The College Board website provides clear guidelines about the format and requirements of the LEQ. Familiarize yourself with the skills and points distribution so you know where to focus your efforts.

2. Review past LEQ prompts and student samples: The College Board website offers past prompts and student samples. Analyze those examples to understand the type of questions asked, and use them as templates for your own practice. Look for patterns in how the best responses are structured and the type of evidence used.

3. Practice frequently and consistently: Like any skill, improving your LEQ requires regular practice. Schedule time in your study routine to work on LEQs. You can even set a goal, like completing one LEQ per week. This will not only improve your skills but also help build your confidence.

4. Seek feedback from teachers or peers: Share your practice LEQs with a teacher or a knowledgeable peer who can provide constructive feedback. Use their suggestions to revise and improve your work.

5. Break down your response: When practicing, break your response down into smaller parts, like the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Focus on honing each segment to be clear, concise, and effective in supporting your central argument.

6. Practice using a variety of prompts: Vary your practice by trying different prompts that cover multiple themes, historical periods, and topics. Not only will this help improve your overall understanding of AP World History, but it will also prepare you to analyze a variety of sources and situations.

7. Focus on developing a strong thesis: Your thesis statement is the foundation of your LEQ. Spend time crafting a clear, concise, and arguable thesis statement that addresses the prompt and provides a roadmap for your response.

Resources to consider include:

- College Board website (for guidelines, past prompts, and examples): [ https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-world-history-modern]

- Textbooks and study guides (such as AMSCO's World History: Modern or Barron's AP World History Study Guide) to provide context and additional writing prompts.

- CollegeVine's blog (for helpful advice and resources specific to AP World History): [ https://blog.collegevine.com/category/ap-guides/ap-exams/ap-world-history/]

Best of luck with your LEQ practice and AP World History preparation!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

How to Write an LEQ Essay? (Step-byStep)

Preparing to take AP History exams is always daunting — your score will play a major role in determining your future, after all. Many students find the LEQ portion of US, European, and World History exams to be the most challenging, as it requires quick thinking and relies on confident writing skills. Do you need a little extra help in preparing for your long essay question? We're here to help.

Understanding an LEQ

APUSH, AP World History, and AP European History exams feature the same question types every year. Each of the sections in your exam has an established format, and will be scored to make up a predetermined percentage of your overall exam result. Together, the types of questions you will find on your AP History exam serve to test your knowledge and analytical skills.

The APUSH exam, for instance, consists of:

A total of 55 multiple-choice questions, which students are given 55 minutes to complete and which amount to 40 percent of the total score.
Three SAQs, or short answer questions, in which students are called on to demonstrate their analytical skills. The SAQs represent 20 percent of the total score.
DBQs, or document based questions, which make up 25 percent of the exam score.
LEQs, long essay questions, which make up 15 percent of the total score.

Students will be offered two different prompts to choose from in this section of an AP History exam, and are given 40 minutes to complete a short essay with the purpose of demonstrating rhetorical and reasoning skills, as well as proving they have the required background knowledge to pass the exam.

While the LEQ portion of an AP History exam is bound to be daunting to many students, who find multiple-choice questions easier to tackle than a free response task, acing your long essay questions will be easier once you understand what the purpose of this portion of the exam is. The LEQ:

Primarily serves to demonstrate that the student has a complex and nuanced understanding of historical events.
Tests whether students are able to draw parallels and see contrasts in different historical events, as well as to compare and contrast distinct events or time periods.
Puts the student's analytical and reasoning skills to the test.

Is the LEQ Hard?

Students who prepare for their AP History exams — and who have had plenty of practice in writing essays — should not find the long essay question too challenging. Students will be offered two prompts, and are given the opportunity to choose from among them.

Because the long essay question they select will prompt students to engage in a free response, and there is no clearly defined "right" or "wrong" answer, many students experience the long essay question as the most difficult part of the AP history exam. There's no need to be scared of this portion of the exam, though!

You will not primarily be judged on the beauty of the words you choose, and a formulaic response that "ticks all the right boxes", by answering the prompt in the expected format, will help you maximize your score. This ultimately means that the LEQ portion of your APUSH, World History, or European History exam does not have to be difficult, as long as you practice in advance and are familiar with the expectations being placed on you.

How Is the LEQ Scored?

The prompts students are able to choose from change every year — but the scoring guidelines for the LEQ remain consistent. Grading personnel will be on the lookout for evidence that students:

Address the prompt directly. You will be given a clear task, and you will need to show that you have understood the prompt.
Offer clear reasoning for the position they choose to take in the essay, citing evidence from the material encountered in the AP History coursework that precedes the exam.
Draw on the wider historical context relevant to the chosen prompt, by addressing developments that occurred before the events in the prompt, by pointing to the effects of the event referenced in the prompt, or by comparing it to another event.
Offer specific examples relevant to the prompt.
Can compare and contrast the referenced event, or point to cause and effect. Alternatively, students may demonstrate complex understanding by discussing multiple consequences, causes, or variables related to the prompt.

You may notice that the beauty of your writing is not addressed in any of these points — especially artful wording or syntax cannot lead to additional points, because the examiners are looking for evidence that you have meaningfully interacted with your AP History classes, instead. It is therefore sensible to focus all your efforts on answering the LEQ prompt, without agonizing over your stylistic choices.

How to Format the APUSH LEQ?

While students are free to format their long essay questions in any way they would like, a five-paragraph essay format is extremely effective. This format offers students the chance to write an introduction in which they state their thesis — the historically-defensible claim they are making in the essay. They can then write three supporting paragraphs in which they elaborate on the thesis and explain why it is valid. Finally, such an essay should have a concluding paragraph in which the thesis is restated and defended in brief.

Students who believe they need additional paragraphs to defend their thesis can certainly write more, but each supporting paragraph in the body of the essay must speak to the prompt, by providing evidence to back the thesis up, in order for the student to gain as many points as possible.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing an LEQ Essay

Are you preparing for your AP History exams? Practice makes perfect — and practicing for your LEQ will help you knock an effective essay, one that ticks all the right boxes, out in no time. Practice using these techniques by looking up LEQ prompts from previous years!

1. Read the LEQ Prompts Carefully

Before you write a response to the long essay question of your choice, take the time to read both prompts carefully. You have 40 minutes to complete the entire LEQ portion of your AP History exam, and you would be advised to take at least 30 seconds to a minute to decide which prompt you are most likely to be able to answer well. Consider which topic you know more about, and what specific evidence you could offer to support your claim.

2. Formulate Your Response In Your Mind

Keeping in mind that students are expected to address the prompt directly, to formulate a thesis, to back it up with specific evidence, and to place their answers into a broader historical context, think about the points you would like to include in the response to your long essay question.

Take the time to formulate a specific and defensible thesis, and think about the evidence and context you can offer to support your claim. If you can, include a hook that will interest the person grading your LEQ, such as a quote, statistic, or interesting fact. Consider strong ways to end your LEQ essay, paying special attention to your concluding sentence.

Overall, this preparatory work should take you up to five minutes.

3. Write Your LEQ Response

Now that you have outlined the formula of your response in your mind, you can go ahead and write down your answer. Your LEQ should begin with an introductory paragraph, which will include your thesis statement. The next paragraphs in your LEQ essay should be devoted to showing why your thesis is defensible, using material you mastered during your AP History classes. Finish off with a concluding paragraph that clearly lays out why the points made in your essay are valid. You can take around 30 minutes crafting your LEQ essay.

4. Edit and Proofread Your LEQ Response

Finally, you will want to look over your LEQ essay and to check for grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. Correct those, as needed.

How to Pass the APUSH LEQ Exam

Do you suffer from essay-related "stage fright"? Are you a history buff, but was writing never your strongest point? Don't worry — it is entirely possible to earn a good score on the LEQ portion of any AP History exam without being a great writer. You can increase your chances of earning a great score on the LEQ portion of an AP US, European, or World History exam by:

Using prompts used during previous years to practice for this portion of your exam — the more you practice, the easier it will be to simply write.
Analyzing the prompt carefully, being sure to pay attention to the core message.
Offering specific examples to show why the claim you are making is valid.
Offering a broader context to show that you understand how the topic addressed in the LEQ relates to other historical events.

The long essay question requires writing, but the quality of your writing is not being examined — to pass your APUSH LEQ exam, you simply need to understand what expectations are being placed on you. If you arrive fully prepared, you will not have any trouble!