1. AP World History Exam
The Long Essay

2. AP Exam Section I Section II Part A: 55 Multiple Choice
55 Minutes
40% of Total Exam Score
Part B: 3 Short Answer
40 Minutes
20% of Total Exam Score
Section II
Part A: Document-Based Question
60 Minutes
25% of Total Exam Score
Part B: Long Essay (Choose 1 from 3 Choices)
15% of Total Exam Score

3. Historical Thinking Skills
Every essay question will assess one or more of these skills
Analyzing Sources and Evidence
Content and Sourcing
Explain author’s point of view, purpose, audience, format, historical context
Demonstrate understanding of significance
Evaluate usefulness, reliability, limitations
Interpretation
Analyze author’s argument
Determine historical evidence that supports author’s argument
Evaluate argument’s effectiveness
Analyze diverse historical interpretations

4. Historical Thinking Skills
Making Historical Connections
Comparison
Compare diverse perspectives
Compare historical events, figures, processes
Analyze similarities and differences
Contextualization
Situate historical events within broader regional or global context
Synthesis
Make connections between different historical events, periods, regions, etc.
Make connections between different AP SPICE Themes
Use insights from a different discipline (economics, government, politics, art history, anthropology, etc.)

5. Historical Thinking Skills
Chronological Reasoning
Causation
Explain long and short-term causes and effects
Evaluate the significance of causes and effects
Patterns of Continuity and Change Over Time
Identify patterns of continuity and change over time
Explain significance of CCOT patterns
Explain how patterns relate to larger historical processes or themes
Periodization
Explain ways historical events can be organized into historical periods
Evaluate significant turning points between historical periods
Analyze different models of periodization

6. Historical Thinking Skills
Creating and Supporting a Historical Argument
Argumentation
Formulate a defensible claim about the past in a thesis
Develop and support a historical argument while applying a certain skill (Comparison, CCOT, periodization, etc.)
Evaluate evidence to support a historical argument
Relate diverse evidence to illustrate historical relationships (contradiction, corroboration, etc.)

7. Long Essay Requirements
Thesis
Make a historically defensible claim
Respond to ALL parts of the question
Contextualization
Describe the broader historical context relevant to the prompt
Supporting the Argument with Evidence
Use SPECIFIC examples to support your thesis/argument
Analysis and Reasoning
Application of Historical Thinking Skills
Develop and support argument
Apply Historical Thinking Skill indicated by the question
Demonstrating Complex Understanding
Apply the “rule of 3”:
Connect to a different historical period, situation, era, or geographical area

8. Writing the Long Essay Rule of 3 Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em
Always include at least 3 major points to cover
Comparison- 2 similarities, 1 difference or vice versa
Continuity and Change- 1 continuity, 2 changes or vice versa
Causation- 2 causes, 1 effect, vice versa, or 3 causes depending on what the question asks for
Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em
Tell ‘em
Tell ‘em what you told ‘em

9. Writing the Long Essay Introduction Body Paragraphs (at least three)
Background
Thesis Statement- addresses rule of 3
Body Paragraphs (at least three)
1 paragraph per point
Topic sentence/Argument (Application of Historical Thinking Skill)
Context
Evidence
Demonstrate complex understanding
Conclusion
Not required but helpful for summing up your argument
Restate thesis (echo)

10. Rubric Maximum Possible Points: 6 Thesis (1) Contextualization (1)
Defensible claim
Addresses all parts of the question
Contextualization (1)
Describes the broader historical context relevant to the prompt i.e. historical events, developments, or processes that occurred before, during, or after the time frame of the question
Evidence (2)
Uses specific examples (2-3) to address the topic of the question (1)
Uses specific examples to prove the thesis/argument (1)
Analysis and Reasoning (2)
Application of Historical Thinking Skills (1)
Develop and support argument
Apply Historical Thinking Skill indicated by the question
Demonstrating Complex Understanding (1)
Apply the “rule of 3”:
Connect to a different historical period, situation, era, or geographical area