1. AP U.S. History Exam Details
Mr. Webster’s Class

2. THE EXAM
Date: Friday, May 10, 2018
Time: 8am
Duration: 3 hrs. 15 min.

3. How Exams Are Scored
The exam scoring process, like the course and exam development process, relies on the expertise of both AP teachers and college faculty.
While multiple-choice questions are scored by machine, the free-response questions are scored by thousands of college faculty and expert AP teachers at the annual AP Reading.
Scores on the free-response questions are weighted and combined with the results of the computer-scored multiple-choice questions, and this raw score is converted into a composite AP score of 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1.
Students who earn a score of 3 or higher have the potential to earn college credit for the course.

4. About the Course
AP U.S. History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university U.S. history course.
In AP U.S. History, students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in nine historical periods from approximately to the present.
Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical comparisons; and utilizing reasoning about contextualization, causation, and continuity and change over time.

5. SECTION 1 – PART A
Multiple Choice | 55 Questions | 55 Minutes | 40% of Exam Score
Questions appear in sets of 2-5.
Students analyze historical texts, interpretations, and evidence.
Primary and secondary sources, images, graphs, and maps are included.

6. SECTION 1 – PART B
Short Answer | 3 Questions | 40 Minutes | 20% of Exam Score
Analyze historians' interpretations, historical sources, and propositions about history.
Some questions include texts, images, graphs, or maps.
Students will be choose between two options for the final required short-answer question, each one focusing on a different time period.
Question 1 (required): periods 3-8
Question 2 (required): periods 3-8
Students choose between Question 3, periods 1-5, and Question 4, periods 6-9

7. SECTION II – PART A
Document Based | 1 Question | 60 Minutes (includes 15-minute reading period)| 25% of Exam Score
Assess written, quantitative, or visual materials as historical evidence.
Develop an argument supported by an analysis of historical evidence.

8. SECTION II – PART B
Long Essay | 1 Question | 40 Minutes | 15% of Exam Score
Explain and analyze significant issues in U.S. history.
Develop an argument supported by an analysis of historical evidence.
The question choices focuses on the same theme and skill, but students choose from three options, each focusing on a different range of time periods:
Option 1: periods 1-3
Option 2: periods 4-6
Option 3: periods 7-9

9. Approximate Percentages of Each Period on Exam
Approximate % of Exam
1 –
2 –
3 –
4 –
5 –
6 –
7 –
8 –
9 – 1980-Present 5%
10%
12%
13%
17%
15%

10. The DBQ Rubric
The DBQ essay is worth a total of 7 points, made up of the following criteria:
Thesis / Claim – 1 point
Contextualization – 1 point
Evidence from Documents – 2 points
Evidence Beyond the Documents – 1 point
Document Analysis - 1 point
Complex Analysis and Reasoning – 1 point

11. Thesis / Claim – 1 point
Thesis (1 Point) - Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim that establishes a line of reasoning.
To earn this point, the thesis must make a claim that responds to the prompt rather than restating or rephrasing the prompt. The thesis must consist of one or more sentences located in one place, either in the introduction or the conclusion.

12. Contextualization – 1 point
Contextualization (1 point) - Describes a broader historical context relevant to the prompt.
To earn this point, the response must relate the topic of the prompt to broader historical events, developments, or processes that occur before, during, or continue after the time frame of the question. This point is not awarded for merely a phrase or reference.

13. Evidence from the Documents – 2 points
1 point - Uses the content of at least three documents to address the topic of the prompt.
To earn one point, the response must accurately describe — rather than simply quote — the content from at least three of the documents. OR
2 points - Supports an argument in response to the prompt using at least six documents.
To earn two points, the response must accurately describe — rather than simply quote — the content from at least six documents. In addition, the response must use the content of the documents to support an argument in response to the prompt.

14. Evidence Beyond the Documents - 1 point
Evidence Beyond the Documents (1 point) – Uses at least one additional piece of the specific historical evidence (beyond that found in the documents) relevant to an argument about the prompt.
To earn this point, the response must describe the evidence and must use more than a phrase or reference. This additional piece of evidence must be different from the evidence used to earn the point for contextualization.

15. Document Analysis – 1 point
Document Analysis (1 point) - For at least three documents, explains how or why the document’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience is relevant to an argument.
To earn this point, the response must explain how or why (rather than simply identifying) the document’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, or audience is relevant to an argument about the prompt for each of the three documents sourced.

16. Complex Analysis and Reasoning (1 point)
Complex Analysis and Reasoning (1 point) - Demonstrates a complex understanding of the historical development that is the focus of the prompt, using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the question.
A response may demonstrate a complex understanding in a variety of ways, such as:
Explaining nuance of an issue by analyzing multiple variables
Explaining both similarity and difference, or explaining both continuity and change, or explaining multiple causes, or explaining both cause and effect
Explaining relevant and insightful connections within and across periods
Confirming the validity of an argument by corroborating multiple perspectives across themes
Qualifying or modifying an argument by considering diverse or alternative views or evidence
This understanding must be part of the argument, not merely a phrase or reference.

17. The Long Essay Rubric
The Long Essay is worth 6 points, made up of the following criteria:
Thesis / Claim – 1 point
Contextualization – 1 point
Evidence – 2 points
Analysis and Reasoning – 2 points

18. Thesis – 1 point
Thesis (1 point) – Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim that establishes a line of reasoning.
To earn this point, the thesis must make a claim that responds to the prompt, rather than merely restating or rephrasing the prompt. The thesis must consist of one or more sentences located in one place, either in the introduction or the conclusion.

19. Contextualization – 1 point
Contextualization (1 point) - Describes a broader historical context relevant to the prompt.
To earn this point, the response must relate the topic of the prompt to broader historical events, developments, or processes that occur before, during, or continue after the time frame of the question. This point is not awarded for merely a phrase or a reference.

20. Evidence – 2 points
1 point - Provides specific examples of evidence relevant to the topic of the prompt.
To earn one point, the response must identify specific historical examples of evidence relevant to the topic of the prompt. OR
2 points - Supports an argument in response to the prompt using specific and relevant examples of evidence.
To earn two points the response must use specific historical evidence to support an argument in response to the prompt.

21. Analysis and Reasoning – 2 points
1 point - Uses historical reasoning (e.g. comparison, causation, CCOT) to frame or structure an argument that addresses the prompt.
To earn the first point, the response must demonstrate the use of historical reasoning to frame or structure an argument, although the reasoning might be uneven or imbalanced. OR
2 points – Demonstrates a complex understanding of the historical development that is the focus of the prompt, using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the question.
To earn the second point, the response must demonstrate a complex understanding. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as:
Explaining nuance of an issue by analyzing multiple variables
Explaining both similarity and difference, or explaining both continuity and change, or explaining multiple causes, or explaining both causes and effects
Explaining relevant and insightful connections within and across periods
Confirming the validity of an argument by corroborating multiple perspectives across themes
Qualifying or modifying an argument by considering diverse or alternative views or evidence
This understanding must be part of the argument, not merely a phrase or reference.