The AP European History exam is structured to consistently assess your understanding of European history through various question types, each contributing to your final score. Knowing the exam format and, crucially, the expectations of the Ap Euro Leq Rubric, is paramount for success. Let’s break down the exam and highlight how to excel, particularly in the Long Essay Question (LEQ).
The exam is divided into two main sections, each further broken down to test different skills. Section I focuses on short answer and multiple-choice questions, while Section II delves into essay writing, including the Document-Based Question (DBQ) and the Long Essay Question (LEQ).
Section I: Multiple Choice & Short Answer
Section I is split into two parts. Part A consists of 55 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 55 minutes, accounting for 40% of your exam score. These questions often come in sets of 3-4 and require you to analyze historical texts, interpretations, and various forms of evidence like primary and secondary sources, images, graphs, and maps.
Part B of Section I is the Short Answer section. In 40 minutes, you’ll answer 3 questions, contributing 20% to your total score. These questions ask you to analyze historians’ interpretations, historical sources, and historical propositions. Some questions may include sources like texts, images, graphs, or maps. For the final short-answer question, you’ll have a choice between two options, each focusing on different time periods. Questions 1 and 2 are required and cover the period between 1600 and 2001. Question 1 includes secondary sources, while Question 2 uses a primary source. You then choose between Question 3 (1450-1815) and Question 4 (1815-2001), neither of which include sources.
Section II: Document-Based Question (DBQ) and Long Essay (LEQ)
Section II is where you demonstrate your in-depth historical analysis and writing skills. This section takes 1 hour and 40 minutes in total and accounts for the remaining 40% of your exam score.
The first part of Section II is the Document-Based Question (DBQ). You are recommended to spend 1 hour on this, including a 15-minute reading period. The DBQ is worth 25% of your exam score. You’ll be given 7 documents presenting different perspectives on a historical development or process from the period of 1600 to 2001. Your task is to assess these documents as historical evidence and construct an argument supported by your analysis. Understanding how to effectively use these documents to build a strong argument is crucial for a high DBQ score, and this skill set is transferable to the LEQ.
Following the DBQ is the Long Essay Question (LEQ), for which 40 minutes are recommended, and it is worth 15% of the exam score. The LEQ requires you to explain and analyze significant issues in European history. You will need to develop an argument supported by historical evidence. You will be given a choice of 3 questions, each focusing on a different time period: 1450–1700, 1648–1914, or 1815–2001. While the prompt will focus on skills like comparison, causation, or continuity and change, the AP Euro LEQ rubric focuses on several key components to assess your essay. These include:
- Thesis/Claim: A clear, historically defensible thesis or claim that responds to all parts of the question.
- Contextualization: Situating the topic within a broader historical context.
- Evidence: Providing specific and relevant historical evidence to support your argument.
- Analysis and Reasoning: Analyzing the evidence to explain how it supports your thesis and demonstrating historical reasoning skills (causation, comparison, continuity and change).
- Complexity: Demonstrating a nuanced understanding of the topic by considering different perspectives or complexities.
Mastering the AP Euro LEQ rubric is essential for achieving a high score on the exam. By understanding the expectations for argumentation, use of evidence, and historical analysis, you can effectively prepare and demonstrate your knowledge of European history. Focus on practicing essay writing, paying close attention to constructing strong thesis statements, supporting your claims with evidence, and clearly explaining your reasoning. Success on the AP European History exam, and particularly the LEQ section, comes from understanding not just the content, but also the format and the rubric that guides its scoring.
