PFA - What Should I Expect on the AP Exam? (Lesson)

What Should I Expect on the AP Exam?

In this course, you’ll investigate significant events, people, and developments from 1491 to the present. You’ll learn to use the same methods and strategies utilized by historians:

  • Analyzing primary and secondary sources
  • Making historical connections
  • Utilizing reasoning about comparison, causation, continuity, and change

Info graphic listing the 8 themes of AP U.S. History

Additionally, you’ll learn historical thinking skills like:

  • Development and Processes
    • identify and explain historical concepts and processes
  • Sourcing and Situations
    • identify and explain a source’s point of view, purpose, situation, and/or audience
    • explain the importance of a source’s point of view, purpose, situation and/or audience, including how these might limit the use(s) of a source
  • Claims and Evidence in Sources
    • identify, describe a claim and/or argument in a source
    • identify the evidence used in a source to support an argument
    • compare the arguments, main ideas of sources
  • Contextualization
    • identify/describe a historical concept for a specific historical development or process
    • explain how specific historical developments/processes are placed in a broader context
  • Making Connections
    • identify patterns among/connections between historical developments
    • explain how a historical development relates to another
  • Argumentation
    • make a historically defensible claim
    • support an argument using specific, relevant evidence
    • use historical reasoning to explain relationships among pieces of historical evidence
    • corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument using diverse evidence to develop a complex argument

 

The assignments and activities in this course are all designed to teach you the content of the course and prepare you for the AP Exam in the spring.

The AP Exam assesses your understanding of historical thinking skills and learning objectives.

You’ll have 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete the exam. 

 

Exam Format

55 Multiple Choice Questions 3 Short Answer Questions (DBQ) 2 (LEQ)

There are two (2) sections on the exam:

Section 1: (Part A): 55 Multiple Choice Questions 55 minutes (40% of the exam)

                 (Part B): 3 Short Answer Questions  40 minutes (20% of the exam)

 

Section 2:  2 Free Response Questions:  1 hr. 40 min.  (25% of the exam)

                  *DBQ:  7 documents/various perspectives 60 min.

                  *Questions 2, 3, 4: LEQs:  Students choose 1 of 3 options   (15% of the exam) 40 min.

 

Please note: Essay responses require a deep understanding demonstrated by a historically defensible thesis statement, analysis, and supporting evidence. We will practice these skills in this course throughout the year.

 

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