AP U.S. History Exam information
What it is, what's tested, and how it's scored.
AP U.S. History exam details
The Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History exam measures students' understanding of the key events, influential figures, and major themes that have shaped the United States and its development. It serves as the final assessment for the AP U.S. History (APUSH) course and is administered by the College Board at participating high schools.
Students who take APUSH engage in challenging, college-level coursework and may qualify for college credit based on their exam scores.
The AP U.S. History exam is hosted by College Board and costs $99 to register. Participants have 3 hours and 15 minutes to answer 55 multiple-choice questions, 3 short-answer questions, 2 free-response questions. The passing score is 3.
Time
3 hours and 15 minutes
Format
55 multiple-choice questions
3 short-answer questions
2 free-response questions
Exam fee
$99
Passing score
3
Details
The AP U.S. History exam is administered at schools or approved testing centers in an entirely digital format through the Bluebook testing app. The test consists of two main sections, lasting 1 hour and 35 minutes and 1 hour and 40 minutes respectively. The first section is divided into two parts: multiple-choice and short-answer. The second section presents a document-based question (DBQ) and a longer essay-writing task on a specific topic. A ten-minute break is scheduled between the first and second sections of the exam.
Each APUSH course unit focuses on a different historical period, all of which are covered in the AP exam:
Unit 1: Period 1: 1491-1607 — Introduction to Native American societies, why Europeans first explored the Americas, and the beginnings of colonization.
Unit 2: Period 2: 1607-1754 — Covers the different colonies established in the New World by the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British.
Unit 3: Period 3: 1754-1800 — Examines the events that led to the American Revolution, the formation of the U.S., and the early years of the republic.
Unit 4: Period 4: 1800-1848 — Explores how the young nation developed politically, culturally, and economically in this early period.
Unit 5: Period 5: 1844-1877 — Delves into the nation's expansion and the events that led to the secession of Southern states and the Civil War.
Unit 6: Period 6: 1865-1898 — Explores the nation's economic and demographic shifts and their links to cultural and political changes.
Unit 7: Period 7: 1890-1945 — Analyzes America's changing society and culture at the turn of the century, as well as the causes and effects of the World Wars and economic consequences.
Unit 8: Period 8: 1945-1980 — Covers the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the U.S., civil rights movements, and the economic, cultural, and political transformations of this time period.
Unit 9: Period 9: 1980-Present — Focuses on the rise of political conservatism, developments in science and technology, and demographic shifts that continue to have major cultural and political impacts to this day.
As part of the AP U.S. History framework, students will develop and apply six distinct skills throughout the course:
Developments and processes: Be able to identify and explain important historical advancements and evolutions throughout U.S. history.
Sourcing and situation: Know how to analyze, source, and situate primary and secondary sources.
Claims and evidence in sources: Gain mastery in extracting arguments from primary and secondary sources.
Contextualization: Understand how to properly contextualize historical events, developments, or processes.
Making connections: Demonstrate proficiency in using historical reasoning processes (comparison, causation, continuity, and change) and in analyzing patterns and connections between/among historical developments and processes.
Argumentation: Show skills in developing a clear, well-structured, and well-evidenced argument.
The College Board provides a standardized curriculum framework for all AP exams. APUSH, in particular, is designed to follow a logical, chronological structure. However, the sequence in which units and subtopics are taught, as well as the depth and emphasis of each topic, may vary from teacher to teacher.
College Board's AP U.S. History exam summary
Multiple Choice
40% of exam
55 questions
Questions require students to apply their knowledge of important historical processes and events. Throughout this section, students analyze historical texts, interpret primary and secondary/analytical sources, and extract evidence from images, graphs, maps, and other visualizations.
Short Answer
20% of exam
3 questions
Students are asked to assess and interpret written excerpts from historians, drawing upon both primary and secondary sources to formulate their response. Questions are structured to cover different time periods and source materials.
Document-Based Question
25% of exam
1 question
Students are provided with 7 historical documents to analyze and use in their written responses to a given topic. The format must be a short, well-structured essay.
Long Essay
15% of exam
1 question
Longer essays require students to explain and analyze a significant historical issue, develop an argument supported by historical analysis, and draw upon content learned from the course.
Students are given the option of focusing on one of three time periods in this section (1491 to 1800, 1800 to 1898, or 1890 to 2001).
Achievable AP U.S. History content outline
1
Introduction to AP U.S
Introduces the course structure, the textbook and exam format, and provides a timeline overview to frame how historical periods are organized and assessed across U.S. history.
2
1491-1607
Examines Native American societies before European contact, early European exploration, the Columbian Exchange, Spanish colonial systems, and the cultural and economic transformations of the contact period.
3
1607-1754
Covers the development of British colonies, regional differences, transatlantic trade, Native American relations, the growth of slavery, and colonial society and culture.
4
1754-1800
Explores the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the formation of the early republic, and foundational documents such as the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.
5
1800-1848
Analyzes the development of American political parties, the Jeffersonian and Jacksonian eras, the Market Revolution, reform movements, cultural change, and growing regional tensions.
6
1844-1877
Focuses on Manifest Destiny, sectional conflict, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the political and social consequences of the war.
7
1865-1898
Examines westward expansion, industrialization, labor movements, immigration, Gilded Age politics, and debates over the government's role in policy and everyday life.
8
1890-1945
Covers imperialism, Progressive reforms, World War I, the 1920s, the Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II.
9
1945-1980
Explores the Cold War, civil rights movements, postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, environmental policy reforms, and major social transformations.
10
1980-2010
Analyzes conservatism, the end of the Cold War, globalization, economic change, migration trends, technology, and early 21st-century challenges.