AP U.S. History requires students to examine the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the United States from approximately 1491 to the present. Students will analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence, and write essays that express historical arguments.
Score Distributions
5: 10.1%
4: 15.9%
3: 21.2%
2: 21.6%
1: 31.2%
Access a record for past score distributions here
The AP U.S. History exam, divided into two sections, is three hours and fifteen minutes long. Section I is 1 hour and 45 minutes long and consists of 55 multiple-choice questions and four short-answer questions. Section II is 1 hour and 30 minutes long and consists of one document-based question (DBQ) and one long essay question (LEQ).
Section 1:
Part A: Multiple Choice
55 questions - 55 minutes
Set of 3-4 questions
Analysis of historical texts, interpretations, and evidence
Part B: Short Answer
3 questions - 40 Minutes
Some questions include texts, images, graphs, or maps
Students analyze historians' interpretations, historical sources, and propositions about history
Students choose between 2 options for the final short-answer question, each one focusing on a different time period
Students choose between Question 3 and question 4 for the last question. No sources are included for either Question 3 or Question 4
Section 2: Document-Based Question and Long Essay
Document-Based Question
Topics from 1754 to 1980
Students are presented with 7 documents offering various perspectives on a historical development or process
Long Essay
Explain and analyze significant issues in the U.S. History
Develop an argument supported by an analysis of historical evidence
Students choose from 3 options; each focusing on historical developments and processes from a different range of time periods
SECTION 1: 60%
Multiple-choice questions: 40%
Short-answer questions: 20%
SECTION 2: 40%
Document-based question: 25%
Long essay question: 15%