The AP history courses seek to apprentice students to the practice of history by emphasizing the development of disciplinary practices and skills while learning historical content. Students best develop these practices and skills by investigating the past through the exploration and interpretation of a rich array of primary sources and secondary texts and through the regular development of historical argumentation in writing. This section presents the disciplinary practices and reasoning skills that students should develop in all AP history courses. The following describe what students should be able to do with each practice or skill. Every AP Exam question will assess one or more of these practices and skills.
Contextualization
Describe an accurate historical context for a specific historical development or process.
Explain how a relevant context influenced a specific historical development or process.
Use context to explain the relative historical significance of a specific historical development or process.
Comparison
Describe similarities and/or differences between different historical developments or processes.
Explain relevant similarities and/or differences between specific historical developments and processes.
Explain the relative historical significance of similarities and/or differences between different historical developments or processes
Causation
Describe causes or effects of a specific historical development or process.
Explain the relationship between causes and effects of a specific historical development or process.
Explain the difference between primary and secondary causes, and between short- and longterm effects.
Explain the relative historical significance of different causes and/or effects.
Continuity and Change over Time (CCOT)
Describe patterns of continuity and/or change over time.
Explain patterns of continuity and/or change over time.
Explain the relative historical significance of specific historical developments in relation to a larger pattern of continuity and/or change.
AP World History Exam
Questions on the AP World History Exam assess proficiency in the AP history disciplinary practices and reasoning skills, as well as the thematic learning objectives and key concepts of the AP World History course. The following provides a brief overview of the exam format and types of questions.
Section 1, Part A - Multiple Choice 55 Questions | 55 Minutes | 40% of Exam Score
Questions appear in sets of two to five.
Students analyze primary and secondary texts, images, graphs, and maps.
Questions cover all course periods.
Section I, Part B - Short Answer 3 Questions | 40 Minutes | 20% of Exam Score
Students respond to two required questions and choose between two options for a third question.
Questions 1 and 2 cover periods 3–6 of the course; students choose between answering either question 3 (periods 1–3) or question 4 (periods 4–6).
Students analyze historians’ interpretations, historical sources, and propositions about history.
Questions provide opportunities for students to explain the historical examples that they know best.
Section II, Part A - Document Based 1 Question | 60 Minutes | 25% of Exam Score
Students assess written, visual, and quantitative sources as historical evidence.
Students develop an argument supported by an analysis of historical evidence.
Question covers periods 3–6 of the course.
Section II, Part B - Long Essay 1 Question | 40 Minutes | 15% of Exam Score
Students select one question among three from different time periods (1–2, 3–4, 5–6) of the course.
Students explain and analyze significant issues in world history.
Students develop an argument supported by an analysis of historical evidence.
Questions provide opportunities for students to explain the historical examples that they know best.