how to write a dbq essay ap euro

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How to Ace the AP European History DBQ

What’s covered:, ap european history: a brief introduction.

• What Is The AP Euro Document Based Question?
• How Is The AP Euro DBQ Evaluated?
• Preparing for The AP Euro DBQ

Your Test Day Plan for the AP Euro DBQ

How will ap scores affect my college chances, learn more about the ap european history dbq.

The AP European History course is considered fairly difficult by most students, especially for the notorious DBQ that you’ll encounter during the exam. But, don’t let this scare you! CollegeVine’s resources and tips below can help you understand what’s expected of you and construct a successful response to the Document Based Question (DBQ) on the exam. 

The AP European History exam is one of the harder AP exams, with only 11.7% of students receiving a score of five. Therefore, it’s super important to understand the structure of the exam, what previous knowledge you’ll need before taking it, and how you should write your responses on the exam. Although it might seem daunting at first, the following tips and ideas can help ease the writing process. 

The exam is structures as follows:

• Multiple choice: 55 minutes | 55 questions | 40% of score
• Short answer questions: 40 minutes | 3 questions | 20% of score
• Free response: 1 hour 40 minutes | 2 questions | 40% of score (Includes DBQ)

What is the AP Euro Document Based Question?

The Document Based Question (DBQ) is an hour long, free-response question worth 25% of your total score. Presented with seven documents of various perspectives, you’re expected to construct an argument with provided evidence and information as well as accumulated knowledge to create a holistic and persuasive response. 

Tackling the AP Euro DBQ is best done by understanding the rubric and what is required of you to achieve a higher score. Actively reading, as opposed to passively skimming, through your documents is important to save time and create an outline or plan for your response. For this test, forming a solid thesis is a great start, as it will create a strong foundation to build the rest of your essay on. Linking back to your thesis throughout your AP Euro DBQ response is vital to streamline your writing process and ensure you best present your argument! 

How is the AP Euro DBQ Evaluated?

As mentioned before, having a solid understanding of the rubric is essential to earning a good score. Let’s take a look at the scoring guidelines from the most recent test so that you can better understand what the AP graders are looking for in particular. Note that the DBQ is scored out of seven points.

Row A: Thesis/Claim (0–1 points)

• 0 points: Does not meet the criteria for one point.
• 1 point: Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim that establishes a line of reasoning.

Row B: Contextualization (0–1 points)

• 1 point: Describes a broader historical context relevant to the prompt.

Row C: Evidence (0–3 points)

• 1 point: Uses the content of at least three documents to address the topic of the prompt.
• 2 points: Supports an argument in response to the prompt using at least six documents.
• 0 points: Does not meet the criteria for one point
• 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.

Row D: Analysis and Reasoning (0–2 points)

• 1 point: For at least three documents, explain how or why the document’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience is relevant to an argument.
• 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.

The graders reference these scoring guidelines as they read your essays, so it’s really important that you cater your response to very clearly meet each criterion.

Preparing for the AP Euro DBQ

Take practice exams.

Taking practice exams and perfecting your DBQ responses is key to scoring high. Make sure that you grade each exam you take, so you’ll learn the structure and requirements that are expected for a good score; you can refer to the criteria summarized above for further details. As you practice, take note of any trends or common mistakes you find yourself making so that you can make sure to adjust those habits before you take the actual test. Essentially, practice does make perfect and your chances of success increase greatly as you build more experience with responding to DBQs.

Pay attention to timing

Practicing the DBQs beforehand could also help you get used to the timing of the exam and help alleviate some of the stress during test day. Outlining may help you plan out your writing process, but keep in mind that this is best done during your 15 minute reading period, as it could possibly eat away from your precious writing time. Staying mindful of your time limits is important to keep you calm and collected during the writing process, so try to time yourself as you take practice exams!

1. Glance at the documents

Your first step (after reading the prompt) should be to skim through the documents during your reading period. As you do so, look for keywords or find context that will clue you into the document’s overall message. This will give you an idea as to how best to incorporate the document into your response. 

Jotting down a brief summary next to the passage will also save you time from not having to reread the same document again and again, leaving you free time to potentially plan or outline your essay response. Take notes, highlight or circle keywords as you read so you don’t forget/miss them later when writing, and you’ll find the process of writing your response easier!

2. Construct a strong, provable thesis

Forming a thesis that’s strong and probable as a claim is vital to creating a convincing argument in your response. Making sure the information you use to backup your thesis is from the documents is important as well, and this is usually found via skimming, as mentioned earlier. Finding the information you salvage via skimming and linking it to your thesis is going to set your DBQ up for success. 

3. Find evidence within the documents

Now, you should go back to the documents and find specific pieces of information that will support your thesis.

It’s important to cite all 6 documents into your response, and relate everything you cite to your thesis whenever possible. This not only constantly relates your response to the topic at hand, but it ensures you’re making use of all readily available evidence to score as high as possible.

Also, for at least three of the documents, you need to show how the point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience is relevant. This is said specifically in the scoring criteria, so it’s something that needs to be included in the essay. This may seem daunting, but can actually be easily done if most of your evidence ties into one of these areas!

For example, if you’re citing evidence from a particular document, check if it falls into one of the following categories:

• Point of view
• Historical situation

If it does, then you can easily describe its relevance by using that piece of evidence in your essay to support your thesis!

4. Find your additional piece of specific historical evidence

Another important aspect of the grading criteria is including an additional piece of historical evidence. The AP exam emphasizes that this evidence should be highly specific—while still directly supporting your thesis. This information won’t be in the documents, so you’ll have to rely on your existing AP European History knowledge!

If you’re struggling to come up with something, try rereading the documents to see if it sparks your memory. Also, remember that you’ll be writing the free response portion after the multiple choice sections. This means that some of the questions or figures on the multiple choice section may help you remember relevant information which you can later use on the DBQ.

5. Write your DBQ!

Once you’re clear on your thesis and evidence, you’re ready to write your essay! 

The structure of the essay is very important, and starting with the intro is your first step. Creating a very clear thesis, as we mentioned earlier, will help you structure the rest of your essay. In fact, if you’re struggling with writing an introduction, create a thesis first to at least get started on the rest of your essay. 

Also, linking each paragraph to a document source in some way is important to make sure that your claims are supported by evidence. Keep in mind that you should include the point of view, purpose, or context relative to the documents whenever applicable. Finally, writing a conclusion that links to the holistic view of the essay is important, and you might even find it easier to write your intro after the conclusion, as it closes the essay in a loop. 

Though doing well on your AP exams is important, your actual score doesn’t really impact your chances of admission . What’s more important are the AP classes that you take are even more important than the exam scores achieved, meaning the impact of your AP scores isn’t as big as you think . 

Focusing on the AP classes taken and the relevance of those classes to your future college major could be more impactful to you and your admissions. For a further detailed understanding of the role AP classes play in regards to your college admissions, use CollegeVine’s free Admissions Calculator , which takes into account your GPA, standardized test scores and more. 

As you prepare for the AP European History DBQ, check out some of CollegeVine’s other articles:

• Ultimate Guide to the AP European History Exam
• Ultimate Guide to the AP U.S. History Exam
• Acing the Document Based Question on the AP US History Exam
• Ultimate Guide to the AP World History Exam
• Acing the AP World History Document Based Question

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

AP European History

Learn all about the course and exam. Already enrolled? Join your class in My AP.

Not a Student?

Go to AP Central for resources for teachers, administrators, and coordinators.

About the Exam

The AP European History Exam will test your understanding of the historical concepts covered in the course units, as well as your ability to analyze primary and secondary sources and identify patterns and connections that can support a historical interpretation.

Mon, May 5, 2025

12 PM Local

AP European History Exam

This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP European History Exam.

Exam Components

Section 1a: multiple choice.

55 questions 40% of Score

The questions in the multiple-choice section come in sets of typically 3–4 questions based on the same stimulus. The questions will include one or more sources to respond to such as primary and secondary texts, images (for example, artwork, photos, posters, cartoons), charts, and maps.

 You’ll be asked to:

• Analyze the provided sources
• Analyze the historical developments and processes described in the sources

Section 1B: Short Answer

3 questions 20% of Score

In the short-answer section, you’ll write answers to questions in your test booklet. Some questions include texts, images, graphs, or maps.

• Question 1 is required, includes 1 or 2 secondary sources, and focuses on historical developments or processes between the years 1600 and 2001.
• Question 2 is required, includes 1 primary source, and focuses on historical developments or processes between the years 1600 and 2001.
• You can choose between Question 3 (which focuses on historical developments or processes from the period from 1450 to 1648 and/or the period from 1648 to 1815) and Question 4 (which focuses on historical developments or processes from the period from 1815 to 1914 and/or the period from 1914 to the  present) for the last question. No sources are included for either Question 3 or Question 4 .

You’ll be asked to:

• Analyze historical developments and processes described in the sources
• Put those historical developments and processes in the context
• Make connections between those historical developments and processes

Section 2: Free Response

2 questions 40% of Score

In the free-response section, you’ll write answers to questions in your test booklet. There are two questions: one document-based question and one long essay.

Document-Based Question (DBQ) Recommended time: 60 minutes | 25% of Score The 60-minute recommended time for this section includes a 15-minute reading period.

• You’ll be presented with seven documents that give various perspectives on a historical development or process.
• You’ll be asked to develop and support an argument based on these documents and other evidence from your own knowledge.
• The topic of the document-based question will include historical developments or processes between the years 1600 and 2001.

Long Essay 1 question | 40 minutes | 15% of score

• You’ll have a choice of three questions; you’ll pick one to answer.
• Each test the same skills but the questions focus primarily on different historical time periods (1450–1700, 1648–1914, or 1815–2001).
• You’ll be asked to develop and support an argument based on evidence.

Exam Essentials

Exam preparation, ap classroom resources.

Once you join your AP class section online, you’ll be able to access AP Daily videos, any assignments from your teacher, and your assignment results in AP Classroom. Sign in to access them.

• Go to AP Classroom

Free-Response Questions and Scoring Information

Go to the Exam Questions and Scoring Information section of the AP European History exam page on AP Central to review the latest released free-response questions and scoring information.

Past Exam Free-Response Questions and Scoring Information  

Go to AP Central to review free-response questions and scoring information for the AP European History exam from past years. 

AP European History Course and Exam Description

This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and AP Program in general.

Services for Students with Disabilities

Students with documented disabilities may be eligible for accommodations for the through-course assessment and the end-of-course exam. If you’re using assistive technology and need help accessing the PDFs in this section in another format, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 212-713-8333 or by email at [email protected] . For information about taking AP Exams, or other College Board assessments, with accommodations, visit the Services for Students with Disabilities website.

Credit and Placement

Search AP Credit Policies

Find colleges that grant credit and/or placement for AP Exam scores in this and other AP courses.

Additional Information

AP European History DBQ & FRQ

The AP European History DBQ and free response questions are always pretty challenging. Check out our links to the prior year questions along with strategy guides for the document based question. These amazing resources can help you succeed on this part of the test!

Prior Year Questions

2017 practice exam, essay writing, dbq video tips, free response video tips, essential questions.

AP European History | Practice Exams | DBQ & FRQ | Notes | Videos |   Study Guides

Document-Based Question (DBQ)

What is a dbq, how to read the documents:, written documents, how to answer the prompt:, compare & contrast, cause & effect, change & continuity over time, how to earn all 7 points:.

Contextualization

Analysis & Sourcing

How to start writing the dbq, how to write a dbq:.

Attached below is a worksheet with an outline organizer for your DBQ. When practicing for your DBQ, feel free to download & print this to use:

7 documents

You are given 7 documents, and you are given a prompt, similar to an LEQ prompt. You need to write an essay, responding to the prompt, using evidence from the documents. ​You have 60 minutes in total, but of those 15 minutes are recommended for reading. The sections below describe the types of documents, types of prompts, and the rubric and how to earn each point. 

You are given 7 documents. The different types are described below:

Excerpt / Written Document

Graphic, Diagram, Map, Cartoon

General Tips

Look at the sourcing before you read each doc to get an idea of what the doc might say

Write a quick summary (~3 bullet points) to summarize the content of each doc

Write a note of how each doc fits in with the prompt

Does it support or refute your thesis?

Which side of the prompt does it cover?

Which aspect (which body paragraph) of your prompt / thesis does it cover?

Any document with written paragraphs

Newspaper, letter, speech, historian's interpretation, constitution, religious text, etc.​

Special tips:

Before you read, read the sourcing & title and try to get an idea of what the doc might say

Take your time to understand the content of the doc; no need to rush​​

Write a few notes summarizing the doc

Figure out how the doc relates to the prompt

Does it argue one side or another?

Does it provide evidence for a specific geographical region?

Does it refute your thesis?

Which sub-category of the prompt does it answer?

Any document that is a photo

Any photo that a photographer might take, or an artist's depiction of a historical event

NOT a diagram, map, or something manmade or designed by historians

Read the sourcing & title to try to figure out what the photo might depict

Look at all aspects of the photo, get an idea of what it depicts

Does it represent a historical development?​

Does it represent an artistic movement?

Look for all signs of bias in the photo

Is it depicting a specific point of view?

Does it portray a certain culture as superior?

Does it portray a certain culture as inferior?​

Does it represent a military victory?​​​

This would mean one side is better than the other​

Does it portray something as bigger or exaggerated?

Means that the exaggerated thing is depicted as superior

Does it portray something as smaller?

Means that the thing that's depicted smaller is portrayed as inferior

Based on the point of view (bias) and the content, figure out how it relates to the prompt

Does it support / refute your thesis?

What aspect of the prompt does it answer?​

Any document that is a man-made photo

Graphic, diagram, political cartoon, map, etc.

Before you read, read the sourcing & title and try to get an idea of what the doc might depict

Look at the doc and try to figure out what it represents, or what topic it depicts

Think about the bias or point of view of the doc:

Does it represent the views of one side or another?

Is it depicting one side as exaggerated or superior to another?

Cartoons are generally biased

If it's a map, what is it representing?

Is it representing the map of industrial factories, trade routes, westward expansion, deciphered wind patterns, etc.?​

Once you figure this out, understand the historical context of the map

If it's a graphic or a diagram, what information does it detail?

If it's a population growth map, what allowed for population growth?​

Think of what the diagram depicts, and what allowed for that, and what's the historical context of that historical development?

Involves comparing & contrasting 2 different things

Most important thing is the argument: Not what the differences/similarities were, but HOW THEY WERE SIGNIFICANT

How to use the documents:

Some docs might explain the features of one of the comparand (the thing you compare), other docs may explain the other comparand

Some docs might cover both comparands

Figure out what the docs are saying for each comparand, and write your thesis based on that

What are they saying are similar & different about the 2?​

Involves examining what a certain historical development, and what were its causes & effects

What's more important is examining the significance of the causes, or how one cause/effect was more important than other causes/effects

Generally, 2 causes and 1 or 2 effects

Some docs might explain the event

Some docs might explain the causes, others might explain the effects

Draft a thesis based on the info about the causes & effects mentioned in the docs

Try to mention which causes were more significant than other causes

Involves examining what changed & what remained the same as a result of one event​

Some docs might explain the catalyst (the event that caused the changes/continuities) you write about

Some docs might describe the changes

Some docs might describe the continuities

Draft a thesis based on what the docs say about the changes & continuities

How to Earn all 7  Points:

Contextualization (1 point).

Examine the historical context of the story

Kind of like a "recap" or a "flashback"

Like at the beginning of a TV show, it shows a recap of the previous episode

How to write one

Always include the time period & possibly the location​

"In Europe in the period 1450 - 1750, ..."

Provide a brief 3-5 sentence recap of how the world arrived at the situation you are writing about in your essay

The contextualization should finish with how the world arrived at the historical development you write about in your thesis, so that there is a smooth transition from contextualization to the thesis

Sample Contextualizations

Topic: Related to the industrial revolution​

Before the 1750s, people were performing manual labor, making items by hand, which was very inefficient. From 1750-1900, Europe and the rest of the world underwent an economic transformation called the Industrial Revolution. Starting in Britain due to its abundance of raw materials & strong financial support, industrial capitalists built factories powered by waterwheels or coal that artificially produced goods such as textiles, eliminating the need to make them by hand. This brought a lot more people from the countryside to the cities, where they worked in factories for low wages. From Britain, the industrial revolution spread throughout Europe as well as to US, Egypt, Russia, and Japan. [Insert Thesis Here]

Topic: Related to imperialism​

In the period 1750-1900, Europe underwent an economic transformation known as the industrial revolution, where people would use artificial power to cheaply & efficiently manufacture goods in commercial factories in the cities, rather than making goods by hand at home. In order for these factories to produce goods, they needed raw materials, which is why they had to look to other nations like those in Africa and Asia to supply raw materials to them. Thi​s led to European imperialism, a development where Europeans started colonizing other nations throughout the world, especially in Africa and Asia, to establish export-oriented economies to get raw materials to supply to their factories. [Insert Thesis Here]

Thesis (1 point)

This is your argument

Must be something that can be opposed​

Someone else has to be able to write an essay whose thesis is the opposite of yours

Must contain an argument, and generally 2-3 examples (topics for body paragraphs)

Better to have a concession

Useful for complexity point

Format of Thesis & Examples

Color Key: 

Concession / Counterargument*

Similarities / Continuities / Causes

Difference for Comparand 1 / Changes / Effects

Differences for Comparand 2

*Concession is always optional. Described in the analysis section, it can be used to get the extra complexity point

Prompt: Compare & Contrast

Although some may believe [counterargument]* , w hile [comparand 1] and [comparand 2] both [insert similarities] , [comparand 1] was [insert difference for comparand 1], and [comparand 2] was [insert difference for comparand 2], which [is why / allowed for] [insert argument]. 

Although the Delhi Sultanate had very strict religious authority, while the Delhi Sultanate and the Chola Kingdom both used religion to maintain stability , the Delhi Sultanate was attempting to impose Islam on a Hindu-majority population , and the Chola Kingdom imposed Hindu on a Hindu population , which allowed for the Chola Kingdom to be more successful than the Delhi Sultanate. 

Prompt: Change & Continuity over Time

Although some may believe [counterargument]* , as a result of [catalyst],  while [continuity] stayed the same , [change] changed,   which [is why / allowed for] [insert argument]. 

Although some may believe the Catholic church actually became more powerful, as a result of the Protestant Reformation, while women still maintained strictly subordinate roles , there were more religious wars, and more monarchs were able to consolidate more power for themselves , which caused the Catholic church to decline in power.  

Prompt: Cause & Effect

Although some may believe [counterargument]* are the most important causes of [event] ,  [causes] were the main causes** , which caused [effects].  

Although some may believe that the desire to spread Christianity was the main cause of European imperialism , the desire to get raw materials and the need for more markets were the main causes , which led to a more integrated global economy and the development of technological infrastructure in the colonies. 

**Here, the argument is that the causes you described in the blue section are more important than the causes in the yellow section. There is no need for an extra argument at the end

Evidence (3 points)

This is where you put examples / pieces of evidence to support your thesis​

To get 1 point : Use evidence from 3 of the docs

To get 2 points : Use evidence from 6 of the docs, and put an extra analysis to connect it to the thesis

It's always better to use all 7 docs in case you use one incorrectly

To get 3 points : Use an extra piece of evidence (from your own knowledge, not from the docs), and put an extra analysis to connect it to the thesis

Examples of How to Write your Evidence

How to earn the first point:

To earn the 1st point, you need to describe / state evidence from 3 docs without connecting it to the thesis

According to document 3, the Chola Empire used Hinduism as the state religion. 

According to document 7, there were more factories in Britain than in France. 

How to earn the second point:

To earn the 2nd point, you need evidence from 6* docs, and you also need to connect it to the thesis

According to document 3, the Chola Empire used Hinduism as the state religion. Because the population was also mostly Hindu, the Chola Empire was able to maintain stability by using a common belief in Hinduism to stabilize its rule. 

According to document 7, there were more factories in Britain than in France. Thus, Britain had a larger industrial output than France, which is why it was able to manufacture more weapons during World War 1 and why France relied on Britain for support. 

*Always use all 7 docs to in case you use one doc incorrectly

How to earn the third point:

To earn the third point, you need to include one piece of evidence that is not in the documents and is from your own knowledge. 

Think of what evidence or what viewpoint is missing

If it's a compare & contrast: is there any other similarity or difference? Do you have any other evidence to support the topics of your thesis?

If it's a change & continuity over time: Is there any other evidence to support one of your changes or continuities?

If it's a cause & effect: Is there any other evidence or historical content that can support your causes or effects?

Analysis (2 points)

This is the hardest part

For 1 point, you need to explain how the source of 3 documents affects either your argument or what the document has to say

There are 4 parts of sourcing, and you ONLY NEED TO CHOOSE ONE

Explained in more detail below​

For the 2nd point, you need to use complex analysis in your argument

This is the most confusing

The easiest way is to weave a counterargument through your essay, which the concession already sets you up for

The best way is to not think about it too much and just put a bit more complex arguments into your essay rather than sticking to a strict format

Historical Context

Point of View

You need to choose ONE of the above and follow the instructions below. Each of the sections below has information about each aspect of sourcing. 

You need to do this for THREE different sources to earn full points (we recommend you do 4 in case one is wrong)

Historical Context:

Explain how the historical context of any document affects what the document argues

This document was written after WW1 when everyone was feeling depressed and economically poor, which explains why the priest is talking about a revival of religion and cheerful spirits. 

This document was written in a time after the Protestant Reformation when there were a lot of religious wars, which is why the document argues that Lutheranism is better than Calvinism. 

Explain how the intended audience of any document affects what the document argues

This document was written for the Armenians of the Ottoman empire, a Christian minority that was believed to conspire with the Allies, which is why the document is very aggressive toward them in asserting Ottoman dominance. 

This speech was written to the American people to gain support for the Treaty of Versailles, which is why it intends to boost nationalist sentiment and promote American power. 

Explain how the purpose of any document affects what the document argues

This speech was written by the Republic party with the purpose of convincing its audience to vote for them, which is why it argues that Free Silver, a democratic idea, is bad. 

This speech was written by John of Montecorvino, the Archbishop of Khanbaliq who sought to convert the Mongol boys to Christianity, which is why he emphasizes how Christianity allows one to achieve salvation. 

Point of View:

Explain how the point of view of any document affects what the document argues

This speech was written from the point of view of an Indian cotton farmer, which is why he writes that the British completely destroyed the Indian handmade textile industry. 

This document was written from the point of view of Grover Cleveland, an anti-imperialist president, which is why he writes about the harms of annexing Hawaii. 

The Complexity Point

The final point is the complexity point. This is given if you have a complex argument, and it is hard to achieve. The best way to think about this is do more than the prompt asks, and add a bit of extra analysis into the essay. 

The easiest way to do this is weave a counterargument through the essay. In our thesis samples above, we already set you up for this with our concession clause. 

How to Start Writing the DBQ:

First step is to outline your essay. Follow the steps below:

Read through each document, write a brief summary, and figure out how it relates to the prompt (which side/aspect does it argue?)​

Write your thesis. Write each aspect of the thesis (concession/counterargument, evidence 1, evidence 2, argument), and combine them

Write the outline for your body paragraphs. Write the topic for each body paragraph, and which docs you'll use in each. Also, denote where you'll use your outside evidence

Write an outline for your sourcing. Choose 4 different documents, and write the sourcing sentence following the guidelines in the sourcing section above

Start writing. Good luck!

AP® European History

The ultimate list of ap® european history tips.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

Looking for the best list of AP® European History tips? Look no further.

Excelling on the AP® European History exam can be a challenge, but knowing how to study for AP® Euro can help. With only 11.7% of test takers scoring a 5 and another 20.6% scoring a 4 in 2019, AP® European History represents one of the most difficult Advanced Placement exams to score high on. In AP® European History, you will evaluate primary and secondary sources, write specific historical claims and support them with appropriate evidence, and contextualize historical events within their appropriate time period.

While the test may sound daunting, you’ve already taken an excellent first step towards success by visiting our website. We’re here to help you ace the AP® European History exam. Below, we’ve provided a comprehensive list of suggestions for how to study for AP® European History. You’ll find a variety of AP® European History resources and tips as well as clear AP® European History DBQ examples, practices, and more.

What We Review

Overall How To Study for AP® European History: 11 Tips for 4s and 5s

1. Make studying part of your daily routine.

The old saying goes that, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it” but it’s also true that, “Those who try to learn five centuries of European History in one night before the test are doomed to fail it.” But seriously, not starting to study until the day or even a few days before this test is a recipe for disaster. Rather than leaving all of your studying until the last minute, make short study sessions a part of your daily routine.

If you don’t believe us, believe the cognitive scientists who research how to study. According to Dr. Yana Weinstein , cramming for tests actually takes longer and results in less learning than simply spending a few minutes each day reviewing what you learned. 

2. Just re-reading your notes and textbooks is bad studying.

Once you’ve made studying part of your daily routine, it’s important to consider how you are studying. Some methods are more effective than others, and you want to spend your time doing what works best. One strategy not to use: re-reading your notes and textbook.

Why not? Studies show that re-reading your notes actually ends up taking a lot of time and producing less durable learning than other study methods. Mark McDaniel, co-author of Make It Stick , showed that students who re-read their textbook had “absolutely no improvement in learning over those who just read it once.” So unless you just happen to enjoy reading history textbooks (we do, it’s cool), try out some more effective forms of studying like using flashcards, creating charts that show connections between events, and journaling about what you have learned in class. 

3. Think outside of the fact.

The way middle schools teach history set up high school students for failure when it comes to tackling challenging history courses. Rather than memorize facts from your book like you’ve done since middle school, create a framework and general understanding of the core themes from your reading. Believe it or not, knowing the type of bread that XYZ leader liked is not important. 

A lot of history books go excessively in depth in regards to the nitty gritty. Learn to selectively read the important bits of information and practice summarizing the key points of your reading by outlining 3-5 key takeaways in your notes on your readings. If you cannot connect the dots, then you will simply craft essays with random “name drops” and “date drops”; as a result, your AP® score will reflect your inability to create a cohesive argument.

4. Try out the SQ3R method.

This is a popular studying technique that can be applied for more than just AP® European History. Francis Robinson originally created it in a 1946 book called Effective Study . SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recall, and Review. You can read more about the SQ3R method here.  

5. Connect, connect, connect:

In case we haven’t mentioned it enough, AP® European History is all about connecting the dots. Whether you’re just doing your nightly reading or reviewing for your test, it’s helpful and essential that you recognize how events and people in history are interrelated. History is the study of how people interact with one another. 

One technique to make sure you are connecting the dots is to write key events or terms on flashcards; then at the end of your reading or review session, categorize your flashcards into 5-7 different categories. You may end up doing this by time period, by a significant overarching event, etc. 

A good way to think about this is you have 5-7 drawers, and a bunch of random things lying around in your room. Each thing represents some event or important person in history and you want to fit all the things into one drawer in order to make your room clean again. If the clean room analogy doesn’t work for you, try to think of a way to get in the categorizing mindset yourself and let us know about it!

6. Create a cheat sheet:

While unfortunately you won’t be able to use your cheat sheet on the actual test, you can use a cheat sheet to help simplify your reviewing process as the AP® European History test gets closer. Create a cheat sheet that is flexible and can be added on to—then as the year progresses and you do more and more readings, add to your cheat sheet. Before you know it, you’ll have a handy and hopefully concise reference guide that you can turn to in those last few weeks before the test.

Here are a few examples of what cheat sheets might look like in your history class. Notice that each sheet includes not only key terms and dates but also describes the historical context.

7. Supplement your studies with a review book.

Review books are one of the most important tools for surviving AP® European History. These books are often broken into chapters with summaries and review questions at the end. They also include practical suggestions on how to study for AP® Euro. Typically, they include several AP® European History DBQ examples and at least one full AP® European History practice test. We highly suggest investing in and heavily using one of several highly rated review books .

8. Test, study, test.

In a class that covers several centuries of history like AP® European History, there are going to be some topics that you understand better than others. That’s totally normal, and it shouldn’t scare you. But one key for surviving AP® European History is to spend the time that you are studying on the topics that you are least familiar with. We suggest the test, practice, study workflow. 

First, take a short test between five and ten questions on a specific topic. Albert offers high-quality practice questions broken down by topic. Then, review your score. If you did really well, that means you understand the topic and probably don’t need to spend much more time reviewing it. 

However, if you struggle, you should spend more time studying that topic and then test yourself at the end to ensure understanding. 

9. Hank’s History Hour : 

Going along the lines of alternative ways to learn AP® European History, you can also learn a great deal from Hank’s History Hour, which is a podcast on different topics in history. This is a great way to actually go to sleep since you can listen to the podcast while you dose off. Did you know when you go to sleep you remember what you heard last the best when you wake up?

10. Supplement your learning with video lectures : 

While YouTube can be a distractor at times; it can also be great to learn things on the fly! Crash Course has some great videos here pertaining to AP® European History. Use them to affirm what you know about certain time periods and to bolster what you already know; then, practice again.

11. Create flashcards along the way : 

After you have gotten a multiple choice question wrong, create a flashcard with the key term and the definition of that term. Think about potential mnemonics or heuristics you can use to help yourself remember the term more easily. One way is to think about an outrageous image and to associate that image with the term related to AP® European History.

One of the best ways to use flashcards is through the timeline game. First, create or find a list of the most important dates to remember for the AP® European History Test. Here’s one student who already created a Quizlet with over 60 important dates. 

Next, create a flashcard with the event on one side and the date on the other. Afterwards, get together with one to three study partners and treat your flashcards like a deck of cards. Deal five cards to each player with the date side down. Use the remainder of the index cards as a draw pile. Take the top card from the draw pile and put it down in the center of your table and read the event and the data on that card. This card is the first event in your timeline.

Next, each player goes around one by one, adding to the timeline. All you have to do is to say whether the event on your card happened before, after or between the events that are already on the timeline. If you get it right, you will place your card on the timeline in the appropriate slot. If you are wrong, you will also place your card on the timeline but you also draw a new card. The first person to get rid of all their cards wins. See this link for further directions.

Return to the Table of Contents

AP® European History Multiple Choice Review Tips: 9 Tips

1. Pay attention to SOAPSTone.

The best way to quickly understand primary source documents is by paying attention to who is writing, to whom they are writing, and when they are writing. This process is often referred to as contextualization, and SOAPSTone is a very handy way of breaking the thinking into smaller bites.

Let’s take a look at one practice problem from Albert’s AP® European History review resource.

We chose this massive chunk of text for a reason: you can quickly understand what the speaker is arguing by understanding who the speaker is as well as the historical context of the document. Doing so requires only the source line.

An astute student will quickly note that this document was produced by the Pope in the year 1515, just around the beginning of the Reformation. The source line identifies the major topic as “on printing books” and using your historical knowledge about the Reformation, you can make a very solid prediction that the Church will be highly suspicious about the distribution of printed materials. By reading those last eleven words, you’ve set yourself up to better understand the rest of the document. 

2. Read the title, key, and axes for all charts.

The AP® European History exam will not only require you to read text but also to interpret charts. It may seem obvious, but you must read the key on these charts in order to accurately interpret their meaning. 

The question above is really quite challenging on its own: most students won’t remember the year that Brazil dropped the gold standard as a means of estimating their wealth. And yet, students who read the key will notice that that the upside down triangle “marks [the] point at which [the] country left [the] Gold Standard”. 

Furthermore, the X-axis clearly represents years. From there, the answer is obvious. The purpose of this question is not to test your understanding of Brazil’s economic history but to make sure that you know how to read a chart, so make sure you use the title and axes to your advantage. 

3. Pay attention to the clock.

Many of our students have found the timing of this exam to be extremely challenging.  The AP® European History exam allots 55 minutes for 55 multiple-choice questions. The fast pace of the multiple-choice section does mean that you shouldn’t spend too long on any single question. One helpful strategy is to make your best guess and then to return to questions you are concerned about at the end if you have time. 

Another helpful strategy is to take several 55 question multiple-choice AP® European History practice tests in advance. Albert has several full-length tests that you can use to practice as well as a whole host of other standards-aligned questions. When you take these tests, set a 55-minute timer on your phone and stop when that time is up.

4. Attempt to answer every question .

If you’re crunched on time and still have several AP® European History multiple-choice questions to answer, make a solid attempt at answering each and every one of them. With no guessing penalty, you literally have nothing to lose.When it comes to the AP® European History test, all multiple-choice questions are weighted equally. 

5. Use the Process of Elimination .

When it comes to tackling AP® European History questions, the process of elimination can come in handy if you can eliminate just one answer choice or even two, your odds of getting the question right significantly improve. Remember there is no guessing penalty so you really have nothing to lose.

6. Use your writing utensil .

As you work through the multiple-choice section of the AP® European history test, physically circle and underline certain aspects of answer choices that you know for fact are wrong. Get in this habit so that when you go back to review your answer choices, you can quickly see why you thought that particular answer choice was wrong in the first place. 

For example, whenever you see “EXCEPT” on the test, circle it. EXCEPT questions can often throw students off so make sure that you get in the habit of physically circling every time you see the word EXCEPT. This is a technique that you can use for more than just the AP® European History test.

You should also put X’s over the answer choices that you have eliminated while using the process of elimination. Doing so will help you to focus your attention on selecting the best possible answer choice. A word of warning: don’t cross out the entire selection. We’ve seen students waste several minutes trying to erase answers that they later realized might be correct.

Another helpful way to annotate multiple choice questions is by adding SOAP® annotations to the source line of each document.

This strategy is an excellent way of reminding yourself to contextualize the document before deep reading. Doing SOAP® annotations only takes a few seconds, but it will pay off in your multiple choice scores. 

7. Use checkmarks . 

If you feel confident about your answer to a particular multiple-choice question, make a small checkmark next to that question number. The reason why you want to do this is that when you go back to review your answer choices, you’ll be able to quickly recognize which questions you need to spend more time taking a second look at. Also, making this checkmark gives you momentum moving forward throughout the multiple-choice section. If you feel good about an answer, that little bit of positive reinforcement will help keep you alert as you move through the multiple choice questions.

8. Take advantage of chronology . 

Unlike other AP® History exams, no one AP® European History unit is weighted more heavily than another , so we can’t accurately predict what topics will surely show up on the test. Still, when it comes to answering the multiple-choice questions, the questions are actually grouped in sets of 4-7 questions each. 

Practice recognizing when you’re at the start and end of a group. This will allow you to mentally think about the different time periods that are being tested while also staying alert throughout the duration of the test.

9. Practice Using Albert.

If you want to get better at anything, you have to practice. We think the highest-quality practice available is through Albert.io. We offer tons of AP® European History practice exams, study modules, DBQ examples, and more. All of our materials are carefully curated and are aligned to what will actually show up on your test.

AP® European History Free Response: 11 Tips

1. Turn the prompt into a question.

One of the most unfortunate mistakes that you can make during the free response section is to respond to a question that was not asked. It is absolutely essential that you understand the prompt before you start writing, and one of the very best ways to do so is to turn the prompt into a plain question that can be answered in one sentence. 

For example, let’s investigate the 2019 AP® European History DBQ prompt, which was to “Evaluate whether or not the Catholic Church in the 1600s was opposed to new ideas in science.” How could you rewrite this?

We rewrote this prompt as the question: “In the 1600s, was the Catholic Church opposed to new ideas in science? If so, how strong was their opposition?” 

2. Write your thesis…twice.

Once you have re-written the question, answer it twice: once in the introduction and once in the conclusion. Don’t use the exact same words. This test hack actually gives you a much stronger chance of earning the point for writing a thesis in both your DBQ and your LEQ. The 2019 Chief Reader Report notes that some responses have theses that are “more specific in the conclusion than in the introduction.” This means that students get the point for a thesis only after writing their entire essay.

Why do you think that is? We think it’s because many students gain an understanding of the prompt as they write, and by the conclusion, they are finally ready to produce a point-worth version. 

We should also point out that both the 2018 and 2019 Chief Reader reports note that many “ responses merely restated the prompt or did not indicate a line of reasoning.”  It’s important to actually answer the question that you wrote in step one. 

For example, the response “Some people wonder if the Catholic Church was actually opposed to scientific advancements in the 1600s, but others disagree” will not score you a thesis point. Why? You haven’t answered the question that you wrote! Take a side and be sure you back your response up with evidence. 

3. Know the rubric like the back of your hand . 

This goes in hand with the last tip. By the time the test rolls around, make sure you know that AP® graders are looking for these key components: an answer to all parts of the question, a clear thesis, facts to support the thesis presented, use of all documents, and inclusion of point of view/evaluation of document bias. Here is an awesome and very readable rubric that should help you to understand what exactly graders will be looking for in your writing.

It’s very difficult to get a perfect score on the AP® Euro DBQ. In 2019, the mean score on the AP® Euro was a 3.26 out of 7 possible points. The points that students miss most on the rubric are sourcing and complexity. 

In order to get a better understanding of the rubric, we highly recommend that you read through the 2019 AP® European History DBQ Scoring Guidelines . This document provides ample examples of student writing that earn points in all categories. 

4. Read the whole document.

One of the more common mistakes that students make each year on the DBQ is to quickly skim documents rather than reading them more closely. The 2019 Chief Reader Report noted that students “ occasionally correctly analyzed one part but missed that the rest of the document contradicted that information.” 

We know that you might feel rushed on time, but you can’t show off your ability to interpret and analyze documents if you don’t read them closely. Practice reading until the end of each document and check your understanding of that document by briefly summarizing it in writing before moving on. 

5. Assess the author’s perspective.

As you work your way through the documents and group them, keep a few clear questions in mind, “Why is the author writing this? What perspective is he or she coming from? What can I tell from his or her background?” Asking yourself these questions will help you ensure part of your thesis and essay integrates bias and analysis of bias.

For example, Document 7 of the 2019 AP® European History DBQ was a, “Critique of French thinker René Descartes by the Jesuits of Clermont College.” An acceptable assessment of the author’s perspective would note that the Jesuits see Descartses’s model as undermining the Church’s authority.

6. Group, group, group, and did we say group?

When you read and analyze documents, make sure to group your documents into at least three groups in order to receive full credit. You should group based on the three respective key points you will be discussing in the body of your essay.

Just to hit the nail in the coffin, here are a few starting blocks for how to group documents. Think about how the document works in relation to politics, economics, imperialism, nationalism, humanitarianism, religion, society & culture, intellectual development & advancement. Pretty much every single document the CollegeBoard ever created can fit into one of these buckets.

7. Plan out your writing . 

Writing a coherent essay is a difficult task. In order to do this successfully on the AP® European History test you want to make sure that you have spent a few minutes in the very beginning of the test to properly plan out an outline for your essay. You may have heard this advice hundreds of times from teachers but the reason why teachers give it is because it really does help. Ultimately, if you go into your essay without a plan your essay will read without a sense of flow and continuation. One of the things you are assessed on is your ability to create a cohesive argument.

One specific tip for planning out your writing is to write down your groups and explicitly include them in your thesis statement. An excellent example of this comes from Tom Richey’s 2019 AP® Euro DBQ Sample Response. 

Before writing, Mr. Richey splits the documents into three groups.

Only after brainstorming by grouping does he begin writing. Also notice how the work he does before writing directly influences the organization of his essay. For example, his thesis directly references all three groupings. 

“Although Catholic leaders publicly condemned new ideas in science, some Catholic leaders were open to discussing these ideas in private and the intellectual Jesuits were often directly involved in experiments that confirmed new scientific discoveries.”

By planning his essay before writing it, Mr. Richey set himself up for success on the DBQ. His thesis is almost a copy of the brainstorm, and he has scored the thesis point. Additionally, each grouping becomes the main topic for his body paragraphs. You should notice that each topic sentence again directly references one grouping.

• “Catholic clergy were quick to publicly condemn discoveries that posed a threat to Catholic doctrine and traditional understandings of the Bible.“
• “While the Church was quick to publicly condemn scientific discoveries that threatened its doctrines, there were clergy that were open to discussing advances in science – especially in private.”
• “Eventually, the goals of the Jesuit Order to promote education would bring that order, and the Catholic Church as a whole, to embrace new ideas in science .”

Lastly, we should point out that Mr. Richey knows exactly where to use each document in the DBQ because he pre-planned his essay through grouping.

8. Use the contents of the document to answer the question.

This may seem obvious to you, but simply summarizing the documents is not going to earn you points on the DBQ. Instead, you should explain how the document is helpful in answering the question you wrote in Step One. 

You will remember our question from Step One: “In the 1600s, was the Catholic Church opposed to new ideas in science? If so, how strong was their opposition?” 

Now, imagine being given the following document:

How would you use this document in order to answer the question we wrote?

Do you think the following is an example of analysis, or is it simply summary? 

“In this document, Maria Celeste Galilei writes a letter to her father explaining that the Pope values the abilities of her father, Galileo.”

If you said summary, you are correct. The sentence didn’t explain how the document was useful in answering the question.  

“Maria Celeste Galielei said, ‘Sire written to you by that most distinguished Cardinal, now elevated to the exalted position of Pope, was indescribable, for his letters so clearly express the affection this great man has for you, and also show how highly he values your abilities.’”

If you said summary, you are again correct. While this is a relevant quote, it’s not being used in any way to answer the question that we wrote back in step one.

“Maria Celeste Galilei’s letter to her famous scientific father proves that some in the Church were open to the new ideas of science because the Pope himself had expressed an admiration of Galileo.” 

If you said analysis, you are correct. The last sentence clearly responds to the initial question and explains the relevance of the document. 

9. Connect between documents.

The difference between scoring a perfect score on your essays and scoring an almost perfect score can often come down to your ability to relate documents with one another. As you outline your essay, you should think about at least two opportunities where you can connect one document to another. 

So how do you connect a document? 

Well one way would be writing something along the lines of, “The fact that X person believes that XYZ is the root of XYZ may be due to the fact that he is Y .” 

So in this example, weI may pull X person from document 1, but use document 4 to support my Y of the reason why he thinks a certain way. When you connect documents, you demonstrate to the grader that you can clearly understand point of views and how different perspectives arise. It also is a way to demonstrate your analytical abilities.

10. Do not blow off the DBQ . 

If you are short on time, do not skimp on the DBQ. The DBQ is worth 25% of your grade, whereas the long essay is worth 15%. To be clear, both of these pieces of writing are valuable, but the DBQ is worth more.

Even if you feel stressed about the multiple choice section or the short answer response section, we’ve seen kids salvage their final score by writing a really strong DBQ. 

11. Read some examples of strong DBQs.

If you’re not sure where to begin on DBQs, we often suggest reading a few sample DBQs. Check out this amazing annotated DBQ sample from the 2020 AP® European exam. You should be able to read student writing and be able to explain why it did or did not achieve a point.

One helpful way to improve your understanding of the DBQ rubric is to read a sample of student writing, create a prediction for if it scores a point, and then to cross reference your prediction against the actual score.

The College Board also freely offers sample responses here for many past exams. You can get a really good feel for these essays just by reading through a few samples.

AP® European History Study Tips from Teachers

1. Keep referring back to the question . 

While writing the essay portion, especially the DBQ, remember to keep referring back to the question and make sure that you have not gone off on a tangent. When students drop the ball on an essay it is usually because they do not answer the question. Thanks for the tip from Ms. N at South High School in MI.

2. Review your vocab . 

Complete the vocabulary at the beginning of each section of your preferred AP® European History prep book. If you do not know the meaning of the terminology in a question you will not be able to answer the question correctly. Thanks for the tip from Ms. O at Northville High in MI.

Here’s a list of 35 Frequently Tested European History Terms & Concepts. 

3. Do lots of point-of-view statements.

You don’t want to suffer on your DBQ because you only had two acceptable POV’s. Do 4 or 5 or 6. And be sure to say how reliable a source is ABOUT WHAT based on their background, audience or purpose. Thanks for the tip from Steve!

4. Complete readings as they are assigned.

Chunking material is the best way to learn and then to synthesize material. Look at the primary sources and secondary sources to support textual readings. Think in thematic terms. Thanks for the tip from Ms. J at Trinity High in PA.

If you don’t know where you start with your textbook, check out this amazing blog post by The Learning Scientists.

5. Supplement your in-class learning with videos.

Tom Richey has put together a comprehensive YouTube playlist just for AP® European History students. You can check it out at here . He also has a great website you can check out here .

6. Provide context in your DBQ.

When trying to write a point of view statement for the DBQ you must include three things: First, state who the author really is.  Second, what did he actually say. Third, why it said it.

Are you a teacher? Do you have an awesome tip? Let us know!

Hopefully you’ve learned a ton from reading all 50+ of these AP® European History tips. Remember, AP® European History is one of the most challenging AP® exams to score high on, so it’s crucial you put in the work to get you there. Read actively and review constantly throughout the year, so that you do not feel an incredible burden of stress as the AP® exam nears. Approach readings using SQ3R, connect the dots between documents, and understand how you are going to be graded by AP® readers. You’re going to do great! Good luck.

Wrapping Things Up: The Ultimate List of AP® European History History Tips

The AP® European History Exam is one of the more challenging AP® tests, but you will do very well on it if you use the right strategies and work hard. You must not only build your content knowledge but also hone your writing skills and ability to think historically.

To begin preparing, create a regular study routing and stick to it. Use the test, study, test practice method using our AP® European History practice exams and questions broken down by topic . Create study groups and quiz each other using flashcards and Quizlet. Play European History timeline. Consistently studying with diverse methods is an excellent approach to ensuring success on the AP® European History exam.

• The one thing to remember about the AP® Euro Multiple-Choice Section : Read the source line closely before attempting to answer any question.
• The one thing to remember about the AP® Euro Free-Response Section : The better you understand the rubrics, the easier it will be to craft a strong essay.
• The key takeaway from teacher tips : Practice. Practice. Practice. The top students in this course will not only be productive in class but will spend many hours outside of class making sure their skills are honed before test day. 

If you’ve made it this far, well done. You’re well on your way to success on the AP® European History exam. Work hard, use the study tips that you just learned, and do your very best on test day. Good luck!

Interested in a school license?​

9 thoughts on “the ultimate list of ap® european history tips”.

Do lots of point-of-view statements: You don’t want to suffer on your DBQ because you only had two acceptable POV’s. Do 4 or 5 or 6. And be sure to say how reliable a source is ABOUT WHAT based on their background, audience or purpose.`

Love it, Steve!

DBQ – Nail the thesis! Once the docs are grouped be sure to follow the instructions…write a clear detailed and precise thesis that addresses all parts of the question.

We definitely agree, Keith! Answering the question (#1) and refining your thesis (#14) are crucial.

Thanks for this post and its good post.

You’re welcome!

Please continue to send…very helpful

Glad you enjoyed!

While some aspects of this were very useful, the full capacity of this list could have been better utilized if it wasn’t sent out so close to the exam. For example, several of the points stressed keeping up of your reading and material assignments, but for some, it’s a little to late to tell them that. *EDIT: The tab to show me this list didn’t appear towards the end of the year, so if it were made known earlier, it would have been more useful.

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AP European History Exam Questions

Free-response questions and scoring information.

Download free-response questions from this year's exam and past exams along with scoring guidelines, sample responses from exam takers, and scoring distributions.

If you are using assistive technology and need help accessing these PDFs in another format, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 212-713-8333 or by email at [email protected] .

2024: Free-Response Questions

2023: Free-Response Questions

2022: Free-Response Questions

2021: Free-Response Questions

2020: Free-Response Questions

The 2020 free-response questions are available in the  AP Classroom question bank .

2019: Free-Response Questions

2018: Free-Response Questions

2017: Free-Response Questions

2016: Free-Response Questions

2015: Free-Response Questions

2014: Free-Response Questions

2013: Free-Response Questions

2012: Free-Response Questions

2011: Free-Response Questions

2011: Form B

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2010: Form B

2009: Free-Response Questions

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2008: Free-Response Questions

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2007: Free-Response Questions

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2006: Free-Response Questions

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2005: Free-Response Questions

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2004: Free-Response Questions

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The Best AP European History Study Guide

Advanced Placement (AP)

Are you taking AP European History? If so, you know the big AP test occurs in May. Doing well on this exam is a great boost to your college applications, and it can even earn you college credit. So how can you ensure you get the score you want? That's where we come in! This AP European History study guide covers everything you need for your AP Euro review. Read on to learn what the AP Euro exam will be like (including looking at sample questions), what topics the exam will cover, how to create a personalized study plan, and the tips to follow to help you get your best score.

What's the Format of the AP European History Exam?

Before we discuss how to develop your AP European History study guide, let's get familiar with the test. The AP Euro test is three hours and 15 minutes long and consists of two sections, each of which is further split into a Part A and a Part B. Section 1 is worth 60% of your exam score, and Section 2 is worth 40%.

Section 1 consists of a 55-question multiple-choice section, worth 40% of your overall grade, and a three-question short-answer section, worth 20% of your score. In total, Part 1 is 95 minutes long.

Meanwhile, Section 2 consists of one document-based question, for which you have to synthesize historical documents into a coherent analysis of a historical moment, and a longer essay, for which you must write one essay analyzing a historical moment, with no outside sources at your disposal.

The DBQ is worth 25% of your final grade, and the long essay is worth 15%. You'll get 100 minutes for Section 2, including a 15-minute reading period. There are recommended amounts of time to spend on each essay, but no one will force you to move on to the long essay after 60 minutes (or do the DBQ first). You have the entire 100 minutes to spend as you wish on both essays.

It's worth noting that the exam was recently revised in 2018 and changed slightly again in 2020. The most recent revision is minimal, though: according to the College Board , not much is changing except for the fact that "the short answer questions will now be more tightly aligned with the course skills."

These revisions mean that there are not that many up-to-date practice resources available through the College Board, since old released exams have slightly different formats. That doesn't mean you can't use them—just that you'll need to be aware of these differences.

What Will the AP European History Exam Test You On?

The AP European History course has nine units:

• Unit 1: Renaissance and Exploration (1450-1648)
• Unit 2: Age of Reformation (1450-1648)
• Unit 3: Absolutism and Constitutionalism (1648-1815)
• Unit 4: Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Developments (1648-1815)
• Unit 5: Conflict, Crisis, and Reaction in the Late 18th Century (1648-1815)
• Unit 6: Industrialization and Its Effects (1815-1914)
• Unit 7: 19th-Century Perspectives and Political Developments (1815-1914)
• Unit 8: 20th-Century Global Conflicts (1914-present)
• Unit 9: Cold War and Contemporary Europe (1914-present)

Each unit will make up about 10-15% of the questions on the AP Euro exam.

Questions on the exam aren't ordered by unit, so you'll be jumping around time periods and themes throughout the test. Interested in seeing what exam questions will look like? Of course you are! Below are explanations and sample questions for each of the four main AP Euro exam sections.

For this section, you'll be shown primary and secondary historical sources and asked to answer three to four questions relevant to each source. The 55 questions are essentially divided up into a series of mini-quizzes. Each question has four possible answer choices.

Note that the presentation of sources in the text ties into the AP test's focus on historical evidence and the actual work historians do when it comes to evaluating and analyzing evidence.

There are two basic kinds of questions on the multiple-choice section: source-analysis questions, and outside-knowledge questions. Source-analysis questions ask you to analyze the historical source presented in some way. You might be asked to link the events described in the given source to a broader historical movement, contrast it with other sources, determine whether it supports or contradicts a certain historical trend, and so on. Outside knowledge questions have little to do with the source and require you to have outside knowledge to answer them. Here's an example of an outside knowledge question:

The short-answer section is three questions long and lasts 40 minutes, giving you approximately 13 minutes per question. You will be asked to give a total of three pieces of information (labeled A-C). For example, you might be asked to provide two pieces of information in favor of a historical thesis and one piece of information against.

You'll get different types of stimuli, or sources, for each question, as well as different topics. Here's what you can expect on test day:

There is generally an element of choice to these questions. For example, you might need to name one reason of many that something happened or two consequences of a particular event, but you will not be required to name particular events.

Here's an example of Question 2, along with the primary source:

On the DBQ , you'll be given seven documents, made up of primary and secondary sources, and asked to write an essay that analyzes a historical issue. This is meant to put you in the role of historian, interpreting historical material and then relaying your interpretation in an essay. You'll need to combine material from the sources with your own outside knowledge . 

Here's an example of an AP Euro DBQ (documents not shown):

The Long Essay will ask you a broad thematic question about a particular historical period. You must craft an analytical essay with a thesis that you can defend using specific historical evidence you learned in class.

You'll get a choice between three prompts for this essay, each of which is based on a different historical period:

• Option 1: 1450-1700
• Option 2: 1648-1914
• Option 3: 1815-2001

Below is an example of a Long Essay question on the AP Euro exam:

AP European History Study Help: 5 Steps to Follow

Now that you know what to expect from the exam, you can design your AP European History study guide. In this section, we've outlined five steps to follow while studying for AP European History exam prep . In total, the steps will take at least 11.5 hours, although you can spend more time on each step as needed. You can also repeat the entire process if you reach step 5 but still want to prepare more during your AP Euro review.

Step 1: Take a Full-Length Practice Test

Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

The first step is to take a full, official AP US History practice test under realistic conditions. You can check out the best AP European History study resources here. (coming soon!) Make sure you strictly time yourself on each section. Don't give yourself more time than you'll get on the actual AP exam! Mark any multiple-choice questions you had to guess on—you'll review these questions in the next step.

When you're done, score your practice test to see how well you would do on the real AP exam if you were to take it right now.

Depending on how much you're hoping to improve your score, you might have to budget for more or less study time for your AP Euro exam review. If you're already scoring close to 5 (or a low 5), you might complete these steps once and find that you're satisfied with your results. If you're scoring 2 or more AP points lower than you'd like to, however, plan to go through this process several times.

Step 2: Review Your Mistakes and Guesses

Time: 1 hour

After you score your practice AP European History test, review each question you got wrong, as well as those you had to take a lucky guess on. Try to categorize the mistakes by content area so you can look for patterns and determine which parts of the course you need to study the most. For example, you might do really well with source-analysis questions but struggle with outside-knowledge questions. If this is the case, you'll know you need to build up your outside knowledge of European history if you want to raise your score.

Once you've identified what you need to study as part of your AP Euro study guide, move on to reviewing the actual content. Make a list in descending order of the topics that correspond to the highest number of missed multiple-choice questions and missed points on short-answer and free-response questions.

Step 3: Build Up Your Weak Areas

Time: 2 hours+

Use the list you made in the previous step to guide your review of the AP European History content. Start with the areas for which you need a little refresher, and work your way up to the bigger issues you had on the diagnostic test.

When you're satisfied that you've filled the content gaps that led to your errors, you should do some practice AP Euro multiple-choice questions to make sure you really know your stuff.

Step 4: Practice Writing Essays

Next is essay practice. You really want to feel comfortable with the AP Euro essays well before the exam. This is especially true when it comes to the Document-Based Question , which has a unique format.

After examining the problems with your essays from the original diagnostic test, practice your skills on additional free-response questions . For the sake of saving time, you don't necessarily need to write out entire essays, but you should at least make rough outlines that include all the components of a successful essay. That said, if you struggled a lot with time on your initial AP practice test, we recommend going through another timed free-response section in full so you can practice moving more quickly.

Step 5: Take a Second Full Practice Test

Time: 3 hours and 15 minutes

Once you've gotten more familiar with the material, it's the part of your AP Euro review where you take a second full AP practice test to assess your progress. If you find that you've improved to a satisfactory level, you might stop there and just do some light review until the exam. If you're still not happy with your results, repeat this process, taking special note of where you're still making mistakes. A prep book or AP tutor can often help you if you're still struggling to understand some of the material or how to tackle the free-response questions.

Tips for Your AP European History Exam Prep

You're now nearly ready to begin your AP Euro review, but first, here are three tips in mind to help make your AP Euro exam review as effective as possible. 

Tip 1: Understand Historical Evidence

One of the most important skills you can build for the AP Euro exam is understanding historical evidence. When you see primary and secondary sources on the AP exam, you'll need to think about who is writing, why they're writing, who their audience is, and the historical (or current) context they are writing in. Ask yourself, what is this source evidence of? Is it relating facts, opinions, or interpretations?

For more guidance on working with primary and secondary sources, see this online lesson from a college history professor .

Tip 2: Practice the DBQ

Because the DBQ is somewhat unusual compared with the typical AP essay, you will need to make sure you understand how to plan and write one. Really work on not just your ability to understand historical evidence but also your ability to synthesize different pieces of historical evidence into a coherent interpretation or argument about a historical topic.

On top of that, you'll need to make a connection to another time period, movement, or discipline! Use the rubric as a guide to improve your DBQ skills. You can also check out our guide to writing a great DBQ essay .

Tip 3: Balance Learning Details and Large Themes

As you review historical content, be sure to balance acquiring breadth and depth. You definitely need to understand the major historical movements and moments of European history, but you should also know specific facts and events about each era to maximize your chances of success on the short-answer and free-response sections of the exam.

Of course, you aren't going to be able to memorize every single date and person's name ever mentioned in class for the purposes of the AP exam, but do try to make sure you have at least a few facts you could use as specific evidence in an essay about any of the major historical happenings covered in the course.

What's Next?

Taking practice tests is a key step in being well-prepared for the AP Euro exam.  Learn what the best AP Euro practice tests are by reading our guide to AP Euro study resources. (coming soon)

Is AP Euro hard? How does it compare to other AP exams in terms of how well students do and how much they need to study? Our "Is AP Euro Hard" article ranks this course's difficulty on several metrics so you fully understand what you're getting into. (coming soon)

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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