The Free-Response Section

The essays are a game with published rules.

You are not being asked to write a beautiful essay. You are being asked to earn specific points off a checklist a reader is holding. Once you know exactly what each point requires, the essays stop being mysterious. This guide walks you through all three writing tasks (the SAQ, the LEQ, and the DBQ): what each one is, how to build it, and how to win every point on the rubric.

“A grader spends about two minutes on your essay. Your job is to make every point obvious, in order, so they never have to hunt for it.”

The one idea behind this whole guide

The Landscape Command Words The SAQ The LEQ Thesis Builder The DBQ Grouping Docs Using Docs Outside Evidence Sourcing (HIPP) Test-Day Timing

Start Here

01. The landscape: three essays, one exam

The free-response half of the AP exam has three writing tasks. They test the same historical thinking, but they ask for it in very different sizes. Know what you are walking into before you learn the moves.

	SAQ Short-Answer	LEQ Long Essay	DBQ Document-Based
What it is	3 short questions, each with parts a, b, c, all required. Bullet-style answers, no essay.	One required essay from a single broad prompt (the 2027 exam no longer gives a choice of three). No documents; you supply the evidence.	One essay built from 7 provided documents plus your own knowledge.
Points	3 points (1 per part)	6 points	7 points
Share of exam	20%	15%	25%
Time	~40 min for all 3 (about 12–13 min each)	~40 min	~60 min (includes a 15-min reading period)
Thesis?	No. Just answer the task.	Yes, required and scored	Yes, required and scored
The one-line goal	Answer, Cite, Explain. Fast, specific, done.	Build and defend an argument with your own evidence, framed by a reasoning skill.	Build an argument using the documents and outside knowledge, and analyze the sources.

Read the weighting againThe three writing tasks together are 60% of your entire exam score, more than the multiple choice. This is where the exam is won or lost.

Built for the 2027 exam redesignCollege Board updated the AP History free-response section starting with the 2027 exam. The two biggest changes: you now answer all three SAQs (no more skipping one), and the LEQ is a single required prompt instead of a choice of three. The point thresholds below reflect the updated rubrics your class uses.

The Master Key

02. The words that tell you what to do

Every prompt is built from a small set of command verbs and reasoning skills. Most lost points come from doing the wrong task: describing when you were told to explain, listing when you were told to argue. Learn these once and every prompt on every exam becomes readable.

A. Command verbs: the size of the answer

One sentence

Identify

State a correct fact. No explanation needed. Just name the thing the prompt asks for.

“Identify one cause of…”

1 to 2 sentences

Describe

Give the specific features or details of a thing. More than a name, but no cause-and-effect required.

“Describe one similarity between…”

2 to 3 sentences

Explain

Show how or why, connecting a cause to an effect with a mechanism. This is where most SAQ points are lost.

“Explain one reason why…”

A whole essay

Evaluate / Explain how

The essay prompts ask you to build and defend an argument. A DBQ usually says “evaluate the extent to which” (take a position on how much); a 2027 LEQ may instead say “explain how.” Either way, argue a claim, do not just describe.

“Evaluate the extent to which…” · “Explain how…”

The tellIf you see “Evaluate the extent to which,” the reader wants a judgment with a qualifier: largely, primarily, to a limited extent, more than. A flat answer with no degree of judgment cannot earn the thesis point.

B. Reasoning skills: the shape of the argument

An LEQ or DBQ is built on a reasoning skill that structures the whole thing. Pick one and build your body paragraphs around it.

Cause and effect

Causation

Argues what led to what, and why. Organize around causes and their consequences.

Because X happened, Y followed…

Then vs. now

Continuity & Change

Argues what stayed the same and what shifted across the period. Organize around before and after.

Early on X; by the end this had become Y…

A vs. B

Comparison

Argues similarities and differences between regions, groups, or eras, and why they differ.

Whereas A did X, B did Y, revealing…

Task One

03. The SAQ: Short-Answer Question

The Warm-Up That Counts

Answer, Cite, Explain

3 parts (a, b, c)

3 points total

~13 min each

No thesis needed

The SAQ is the most winnable task on the exam and the fastest to master. There is no thesis, no introduction, no conclusion, so do not write any. You answer parts a, b, and c directly, in complete sentences, and move on. Label your answers (a) (b) (c) so the reader can find each point instantly.

The three SAQs (2027)You answer all three now, and each is anchored to a different kind of stimulus and a different era between 1200 and 2001: SAQ 1 uses a secondary source (a historian's argument), SAQ 2 uses a primary source, and SAQ 3 uses a non-text source (a map, chart, image, or cartoon). Some parts are pure reading comprehension; others ask you to bring in your own knowledge or to source the author's point of view.

The A.C.E. move for every part

AnswerRestate the task and answer it in sentence one.

→

CiteA specific name, place, policy, or event.

→

ExplainShow the how or why (this is Part C).

Answer the exact task in the first sentence. Restate a piece of the question so it is unmistakable you are on target.
Cite a specific piece of evidence: a name, place, policy, event, or date. Specific beats vague every time.
Explain (for parts that say “explain” only): connect your evidence to the task with how or why. One good causal sentence usually seals the point.

Read the verb in each part

Parts a and b usually say identify or describe, which are quick. Part c almost always says explain, and that is the point students lose the most. “Explain” means show the mechanism, not just name a fact.

Class rules that win SAQ pointsWrite in past tense, in complete sentences, and label each answer (a) (b) (c). Never quote or simply reword the stimulus: add something new (an example, an analysis, an interpretation). There is no partial credit, so make each part unmistakably complete. Before you write, check three things in the prompt: the time period, the geographic limit (Eurasia, the Americas, and so on), and the SPICE-T theme it targets.

Worked example: a Part C that earns Task: “Explain one reason why demand for enslaved labor increased in the Americas, c. 1450–1750.”

“The spread of labor-intensive sugar plantations in Brazil and the Caribbean created enormous demand for workers, and because Native populations had collapsed from disease, planters turned to enslaved Africans to keep the plantations running.” Why it earns: it names specific evidence (sugar plantations, disease collapse) and explains the mechanism with “because.” A reader who never saw the source could follow the cause and effect.

Wins the point

Answers the exact task asked
Uses a specific, correct example
Part C shows how/why, not just what
Labeled (a)(b)(c), complete sentences

Loses the point

Writes a thesis or intro (wastes time)
Vague: “people were unhappy”
Restates the source instead of explaining
Answers a nearby fact, not the task

Time disciplineBudget about 12 to 13 minutes per SAQ. If a part is not coming to you, write your best specific sentence and move on. A partial, specific answer beats a perfect answer you never reach on the next question.

Task Two

04. The LEQ: Long Essay Question

Your Argument, Your Evidence

Six points, one argument

6 points

~40 min

1 required prompt

No documents

On the 2027 exam you get one required prompt (no more choosing among three) plus a brief introductory statement that orients you to the task. You write a full essay from your own knowledge, since there are no documents to lean on. You are not expected to cover the entire time period: pick the one or two examples you know best and build your argument there.

The rubric: open any point for exactly how to earn it

6 points Thesis Context Evidence ×2 Reasoning Complexity 6 total

1 ptThesis / Claim›

A historically defensible claim that responds to the prompt and establishes a line of reasoning. One or two sentences in the intro or conclusion. Must be more than a restatement of the prompt.

How to build the thesis

Evaluative adverb + “such as” or “as seen through.”

A thesis that earns the point does two jobs at once: it takes a position and it previews the specific evidence that will prove it. You do both with two small tools.

1. An evaluative adverb sets your position

Answer the prompt and stake a degree of judgment with an adverb: significantly, largely, primarily, greatly, drastically, to a great extent, to a limited extent. The adverb is what turns a flat restatement of the prompt into a defensible claim.

2. “Such as” or “as seen through” previews your evidence

Right after the claim, use “such as” or “as seen through” to name the two or three specific examples or categories you will argue. Those become your body paragraphs, so this one move also builds your outline.

[Development] [evaluative adverb] [answer to the prompt], as seen through [specific evidence 1] and [specific evidence 2].

Worked example: “as seen through” “Mongol expansion greatly transformed Eurasia, as seen through the revival of Silk Road trade under the Pax Mongolica and the wide exchange of technologies like gunpowder and paper money.” The adverb (“greatly”) stakes a position; “as seen through” names the two specific pieces of evidence that become the two body paragraphs.

Worked example: “such as” “Nineteenth-century reform movements brought about significant social and political change, such as the creation of labor unions and the passage of laws ending child labor.” Same recipe: an adverb for the degree of judgment, then “such as” to preview the specific evidence you will develop.

Add nuance with an “Although…” opener

Although [the other side], [your position] to a [great/limited] extent, as seen through [evidence 1] and [evidence 2]. Opening with “although” folds in a counter-case, which can also push you toward the complexity point. Example: “Although internal rebellions weakened the Qing, foreign involvement was primarily responsible for its collapse, as seen through the opium trade's drain on silver and the loss of sovereignty under the unequal treaties.”

Two class-tested thesis tricks1. Pretend the prompt is an SAQ: if you covered up the rest of your essay, your thesis alone should fully answer the question. 2. Use the language of the prompt. And if your opening thesis came out clumsy, rewrite a sharper version in your conclusion; the reader will credit the better one.

1 ptContextualization ★›

Describe a broader historical situation (events before or around the topic) that is relevant to the prompt. Must be more than a phrase, usually a few sentences. A free, learnable point too many students throw away.

Point worth harping on ★ Contextualization

Set the stage before you make your case.

Contextualization is one paragraph, usually at the start of your essay, right before your thesis, where you zoom out and describe the bigger historical situation your topic sits inside. Think of it the way your class does: it is the opening crawl of Star Wars, the prologue of Romeo and Juliet, or the “previously on…” recap before a new episode. It gives the reader the background they need before the story starts. It is one of the easiest points to earn and one of the most commonly lost, because students give a single phrase instead of a real, developed description.

What earns the point

You must describe a relevant broader development (before, during, or just after the period) in more than a phrase. Aim for 2 to 4 full sentences. Start broad and narrow down to the prompt, stay within about 100 years of your topic, and remember you cannot earn evidence points inside your context, so save your specific proof for the body.

A reliable formula

Before / around [the period], [describe a broad, relevant development in a couple of sentences]. This set the stage for [the prompt's topic] because [one sentence linking the background to what you will argue].

Worked example: the Atlantic Revolutions “In the century before the Atlantic Revolutions, Enlightenment thinkers such as Locke and Rousseau spread the idea that government should rest on the consent of the governed rather than the divine right of kings. These ideas circulated through books, salons, and pamphlets across Europe and its colonies, and they gave educated elites a new language for questioning absolute rule. This set the stage for the revolutions of the period, because reformers now had a framework to justify overthrowing monarchs.” Why it earns: it describes a real, relevant development across several sentences, and the last line steers it into the argument. It is background, not the argument itself.

Where students throw it away

A passing phrase (“During the Enlightenment…”) is not enough. A name-drop list with no development does not count. Context that never connects to the prompt does not count. And do not put your thesis or specific evidence in this slot: context is the wide backdrop, not your argument.

1 ptEvidence: PROVIDE two examples›

Provide at least two specific, relevant historical examples (names, events, policies). This is the low bar: naming accurate evidence on the topic earns it. Aim for 3 to 5 so one weak example does not sink you. Open “SUPPORT” below for the frame that turns those names into points.

+1 ptEvidence: SUPPORT the argument›

Use those examples to support your argument, not merely list them. Each piece must do a job for your thesis. Evidence sitting in your context paragraph does not count here, so re-use it in the body.

The LEQ gives you no documents, so every piece of evidence is your own knowledge. The move that earns the point is the same explicit link you use on the DBQ: never leave a fact sitting there unexplained.

Sentence frame for every piece of evidence

[A specific example: a name, event, or policy] supports my argument that [words from your thesis] because it [pick a verb below]…

Verbs that link evidence to your argument

showsdemonstratesillustratesprovesrevealsexemplifies

Worked example “The Declaration of the Rights of Man supports my argument that Enlightenment ideas drove the Atlantic revolutions because it demonstrates how revolutionaries turned natural-rights philosophy directly into a plan for government.” Name the specific example, tie it to your thesis with “because it [verb],” and do it for your two or three best examples. That is what turns a list of facts into the two evidence points.

1 ptHistorical reasoning›

Use comparison, causation, or continuity & change to frame and structure the whole response, not as a stray transition word.

Once you have chosen your skill, let it lay out your body paragraphs. Your class gives two clean options for each.

Comparison

Pick one layout

Subject by subject: say everything about A, then everything about B.

Point by point: take one point of comparison at a time and apply it to both.

Causation

Pick one layout

One cause, many effects: paragraphs on effect, effect, effect.

Many causes, one outcome: paragraphs on a cause and its effect, then the next cause and its effect.

Continuity & Change

Pick one layout

Chronological: the start of the period, then the middle, then the end.

Topical: take a topic and trace what continued and what changed across the periods.

The most common LEQ missesEvidence that just sits there (named but never tied to the claim) and a reasoning skill that never structures anything (one “because” buried in paragraph three). Make your reasoning the skeleton of the whole essay, and after every fact ask “how does this prove my thesis?”

1 ptComplexity›

Show a complex understanding (nuance, a qualification, multiple causes/effects, or an insightful connection) developed with evidence and sustained across the essay. The hardest point on the exam.

The reliable way inLock in the easy points first, then reach for complexity by qualifying your own argument with real evidence: open with “although…,” then show a counter-case or a cross-region comparison and explain why it matters. A hollow “it was complicated” sentence earns nothing.

StepsThe order to write it in›

Deconstruct the prompt (1 min). Read the intro statement, then circle the command verb, the topic, any region, and the time frame. Watch for “and/or”: “social and/or cultural” means you may write about either or both.
Brainstorm and prewrite (5 min). Sketch a quick Venn diagram (comparison), T-chart (continuity & change), or fishbone (causation), and list every specific fact you know before you write. Do not skip this.
Write contextualization first: a few sentences of the bigger picture that lead into your thesis.
Write the thesis: a claim with a qualifier and a line of reasoning.
Write 2 to 3 body paragraphs, each organized by your reasoning skill, each using specific evidence to prove a piece of the claim.
Land the complexity: weave in a counter-case, a limit, or a comparison and explain why it matters. Not a tacked-on last sentence.

Task Three

05. The DBQ: Document-Based Question

The Big One: 25% of the Exam

Seven documents, seven points

7 points

~60 min

7 documents

15-min reading period

The DBQ is the LEQ plus a stack of evidence and a sourcing skill. You get seven documents (text and images) and you build an argument that uses them and your own outside knowledge. It is the single most valuable essay on the exam, so it is worth a deliberate routine.

The rubric: open any point for exactly how to earn it

7 points Thesis Context Docs ×2 Outside evidence Sourcing Complexity 7 total

1 ptThesis / Claim›

A defensible claim with a line of reasoning that takes a position on the extent. Built exactly like the LEQ thesis.

How to build the thesis

Evaluative adverb + “such as” or “as seen through.”

A thesis that earns the point does two jobs at once: it takes a position and it previews the specific evidence that will prove it. You do both with two small tools.

1. An evaluative adverb sets your position

2. “Such as” or “as seen through” previews your evidence

[Development] [evaluative adverb] [answer to the prompt], as seen through [specific evidence 1] and [specific evidence 2].

Worked example: “as seen through” “Although internal rebellions weakened the Qing, foreign involvement was primarily responsible for its collapse, as seen through the opium trade's drain on silver and the loss of sovereignty under the unequal treaties.” The adverb (“primarily”) stakes a position on the extent; “as seen through” names the two ideas that become the body paragraphs; the “although” opener folds in a counter-case for complexity.

Two class-tested thesis tricks1. Pretend the prompt is an SAQ: if you covered up the rest of your essay, your thesis alone should fully answer the question. 2. Use the language of the prompt, and if your opening thesis came out clumsy, rewrite a sharper version in your conclusion.

1 ptContextualization ★›

A broader historical situation relevant to the prompt, more than a phrase, before you use the documents. Same skill and same how-to as the LEQ.

Point worth harping on ★ Contextualization

Set the stage before you make your case.

Contextualization is one paragraph, usually at the start of your essay, right before your thesis, where you zoom out and describe the bigger historical situation your topic sits inside. Think of it the way your class does: it is the opening crawl of Star Wars, the prologue of Romeo and Juliet, or the “previously on…” recap before a new episode. It is one of the easiest points to earn and one of the most commonly lost, because students give a single phrase instead of a real, developed description.

What earns the point

A reliable formula

In the [decades] surrounding this topic, [describe a broad, relevant trend in a couple of sentences]. This wider situation is the backdrop against which [the events in the prompt] should be understood.

Worked example: the collapse of the Qing “By the second half of the 1800s, industrialized Western powers were using military force and economic pressure to extract concessions from weaker states across Asia, from the Ottoman Empire to Qing China. Gunboats, unequal treaties, and demands for open trade steadily eroded these states' control over their own affairs. This wider wave of imperialism is the backdrop against which the Qing dynasty's mounting troubles must be understood.” Why it earns: several sentences describing a genuinely broader development, tied to the prompt's era, and it does not reuse a document or the outside-evidence fact.

1 ptEvidence from the documents: USE 3›

Accurately describe the content (not just quote) of at least three documents relevant to the prompt. The low bar: it shows you understood them.

Describe, do not quoteParaphrase what each document shows in your own words. A dropped quotation with no explanation does not count as using a document. This point is nearly automatic once you open the next one, “Documents SUPPORT,” and actually use them.

+1 ptDocuments SUPPORT the argument: use 4›

Use the content of at least four documents to support your argument, not just describe them. Strategy: actually use 6 or 7, which also helps earn complexity.

To earn both document points, be as explicit as possible and tie every document back to your thesis. Split your four however your groups fall: two on each argument, three and one, or all four on one. (Open the Grouping the documents toggle below for how to sort them first.)

Sentence frame for every document you use

Document [N] is [describe what it is and its main idea]. This document supports my argument because it [pick a verb below]…

Verbs that link a document to your argument

showsdemonstratesexemplifiesis an example ofchallenges

Worked example “Document 2 is an article by Karl Marx describing how British opium and machine-made textiles drained China's silver and wrecked its native industry. This document supports my argument because it demonstrates that foreign economic pressure directly weakened the Qing economy, one of the outside forces pushing the dynasty toward collapse.” Describe the document, then write “because it [verb]” and connect it straight back to your thesis. Do this for four documents and you earn both document-evidence points.

The classic DBQ trapSummarizing the documents in order (“Document 1 says… Document 2 says…”) is a book report, not an argument. Group documents by what they prove, cite two or three together in a single sentence to back one claim, and keep your thesis driving every paragraph.

1 ptEvidence beyond the documents›

Use at least one specific piece of outside knowledge, relevant to the argument and different from your contextualization. Keep it in the same region and time period as the documents.

Three separate points, three different factsContextualization is the wide backdrop from your own knowledge. Outside evidence is one specific fact inside your argument that is not in the documents. Document evidence comes from the seven sources. Reusing the same fact for context and outside evidence costs you a point.

Sentence frame for outside evidence

An additional piece of evidence that supports my argument that [words from your thesis] is [identify the outside evidence]. This evidence supports my argument because it [pick a verb below]…

Verbs that link outside evidence to your argument

showsdemonstrateshighlightsis an example ofexemplifies

Worked example “An additional piece of evidence that supports my argument that foreign involvement weakened the Qing is the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, an anti-foreign uprising crushed by an eight-nation alliance. This evidence supports my argument because it demonstrates how deeply foreign powers had penetrated China and how their military dominance further humiliated and destabilized the dynasty.” Keep it in the same region and period as the documents, and make sure it is not the same fact you used for contextualization.

1 ptSourcing / HIPP: source 2 ★›

For at least two documents, explain how or why the source's point of view, purpose, historical situation, or audience is relevant to your argument. Explain why it matters, do not just name it. Aim for 4, which also helps earn complexity.

Sourcing is really one good sentence attached to a document: name a feature of the source (not its content), explain how that feature shapes what the document says, and connect it to your argument.

Historical situation

What was happening in the world when and where this was made? Ask: how does that moment shape the message?

Intended audience

Who was the author speaking or writing to? Ask: how would the author shape the message for those specific readers?

Purpose

Why did the author create this? Ask: what were they trying to make happen, and how does that goal color what they include?

Point of view

Who is the author (their job, class, nationality, religion, group)? Ask: how does that position bias what they emphasize or leave out?

The 3-move sourcing sentence1. Identify a specific HIPP feature, pulling detail from the source line above the document. 2. Explain with a “which means…” or “therefore…” bridge: how does that feature shape what the source stresses, includes, or omits? 3. Connect it to your argument. Miss any of the three and the point does not count.

What to actually look for in the source lineFor point of view, note the author's role, nationality, religion, class, or occupation. For purpose and audience, note the type of document: a letter to an official, a decree, a newspaper article, a diary, a poster, a work of art. For reliability, compare the date it was made to when the events happened.

Where the sourcing sentence goesDo not source in a separate paragraph. When you use a document as evidence, add the sourcing sentence right after it.

Class sentence frames for sourcing

Fill in the blank for whichever HIPP feature fits.

Historical situation: “The historical situation this document was written in is [context]… it was written during [events]…”

Intended audience: “The intended audience may be [people], therefore the source could be trying to [do what]…”

Purpose: “The author is attempting to [purpose]. Therefore, they may [emphasize / diminish / etc.] [the theme].”

Point of view: “The author is a/an [POV from the source line]. Therefore, they may be [biasing the event]…”

Sourcing verbs: pick the one that matches the source's slant

Positive: praise, idolize, celebrate, uplift, admire, glorify, support.
Negative: criticize, demonize, condemn, dismiss, denounce, attack, vilify, oppose.
Neutral: emphasize, downplay, highlight, generalize, discuss, document, chronicle.

Worked example: sourcing by Point of View “Because this document is a revolutionary proclamation written by young Chinese students studying abroad (point of view), its authors were committed opponents of Manchu rule, which means it deliberately frames the dynasty's fall as an internal, patriotic uprising and downplays foreign pressure. This supports my argument that the collapse was driven as much from within as from outside.” Why it earns: it names the POV using detail from the source line, explains how that shapes the content with “which means,” and ties it to the argument.

Accurate sourcing

Names a feature of the source, not its content
Uses detail from the source line (who, when, why)
Explains how that feature shapes the document
Connects the point to your argument
Done for at least 2 documents (aim for 4)

Sourcing that earns nothing

Just naming it: “The audience is the government.”
“The author is biased” with no how or why
Summarizing what the document says
Sourcing only 1 or 2 documents
No link back to the argument

1 ptComplexity›

A sophisticated argument, sustained across the essay. Common ways in: use all 7 documents, source 4 documents, explain multiple perspectives or both cause and effect, or connect across regions and periods.

Bank it, do not chase itThe surest complexity moves on the DBQ are things you are already doing: use all 7 documents and source 4. Do those well, plus one qualified “although…” argument, and you are most of the way there without a separate “complexity paragraph.”

ReadingThe 15-minute reading period›

Read the prompt first and decide a rough position before you touch a document.
Annotate each document as you read. Write one margin note for its main idea, and note the author, their situation, and their purpose from the source line (you will need this for sourcing).
Group the documents into 2 or 3 buckets that will become your body paragraphs. Plan to use at least 6 of the 7.
Jot outside evidence in the margin: a fact you know that is not in any document, different from your contextualization.

StrategyGrouping the documents by theme›

The single biggest DBQ upgrade is refusing to go document by document. Before you write, sort the 7 documents into 2 or 3 groups, where each group is a theme or impact that supports part of your answer. Each group becomes one body paragraph.

Do it in five moves

Answer the prompt first. Decide your position so you know what each group has to prove.
Tag every document with its main idea and which side or theme it leans toward.
Find the patterns. Documents that make the same kind of point cluster together.
Name each cluster with a theme, not a list of numbers: “economic damage from foreign trade,” not “Documents 2, 3, and 6.”
Check coverage. Place 6 or 7 documents into a group; a document can sit in two groups.

Worked example: grouping a real DBQ

Prompt: evaluate the extent to which foreign involvement caused the collapse of the Qing.

Group A · one body paragraph

Foreign pressure (external cause)

Doc 2Doc 3Doc 6

Opium draining silver (2), foreigners ignoring Chinese law (3), and the cartoon of the West carving up China (6) all show outside forces weakening the dynasty.

Group B · one body paragraph

Internal breakdown (domestic cause)

Doc 1Doc 4Doc 5Doc 7

Rebels seizing districts (1), rural poverty (4), Han nationalist revolutionaries (5), and the abdication citing an internal uprising (7) show the collapse also came from within.

Setting the groups side by side is what lets you argue the extent: that foreign pressure mattered mainly because it amplified an internal weakness already there.

Topic-sentence frame for each group “One way [foreign involvement] [weakened the Qing] was through [theme], as seen in Documents [X], [Y], and [Z], which show [what they share].”

BlueprintThe paragraph blueprint›

The key idea: every document gets the same three beats.

DescribeSay what the document shows, do not quote.

→

SourcePOV or purpose, and why it matters.

→

SupportTie it back to your thesis.

Intro. Context, then a thesis that answers “to what extent,” with your outside knowledge ready to drop into a body paragraph.
Body 1 (Argument 1). One theme, about 2 documents. For each: describe, source, then support.
Body 2 (Argument 2). A second theme with another 2 documents, same beat. Work your outside evidence in where it fits.
Conclusion (optional). Restate a sharper thesis.

Test Day

06. The game plan and the questions everyone asks

Section II gives you 100 minutes for the DBQ and LEQ together, and the proctor will suggest a split. Here is the plan that keeps you from running out of time on the essay worth the most.

Block	Task	How to spend it
0–15 min	DBQ reading	Read prompt, annotate all 7 docs, group them, jot outside evidence and a thesis.
15–60 min	DBQ writing	About 45 min to write. Context, then thesis, then grouped body paragraphs with sourcing, then complexity.
60–100 min	LEQ	About 40 min. Read the prompt and its intro statement, prewrite for 5, write for about 33, leave 2 to sharpen the thesis in your conclusion.

No, but it helps you and the reader. A reliable structure is a context paragraph, then thesis, then body paragraphs, then complexity woven through and reinforced at the end. Putting each point where the reader expects it means they never have to hunt, and a two-minute grader who cannot find your point cannot award it.

Length is not scored; points are. That said, a full DBQ or LEQ that earns most of its points is usually four to six solid paragraphs. Do not pad. A tight essay that nails every rubric line beats a long one that wanders. Spend your words on specific evidence, not adjectives.

Get specific. The gap between a mid essay and a high one is almost always concrete evidence (real names, dates, policies, and places) used to prove a claim, instead of vague generalizations. “Trade increased” earns little; “the Mongol yam relay system secured the Silk Roads, reviving caravan trade between China and Persia” earns a lot.

Complexity is the least-earned point on the whole exam, and chasing it can wreck your timing. Lock in the reliable points first (thesis, context, evidence, sourcing). Then reach for complexity by qualifying your own argument with real evidence (“although…” or a cross-region comparison) rather than a hollow “it was complicated” sentence.

They are two different points that must be two different facts. Contextualization is broad background that sets the stage, a paragraph before your argument. Outside evidence is one specific fact inside your argument that is not in any document. Reusing the same fact for both costs you one of the points, so plan them as separate pieces of information.

No. Outside evidence must come from your knowledge, not from any of the seven documents, and it must be different from your contextualization. Think of it as: “here is a relevant fact the test-writers did not give me, and I am bringing it in to strengthen my case.”

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