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Home > AP Courses and Exams > AP Exam Questions > The AP United States History Exam The AP United States History Exam More About AP U.S. History... 2008-2009 AP Exam Formats AP United States History Course Home Page Exam Content The first AP U.S. History Exam -- originally known as "American History" -- was given in 1956. The exam tests knowledge and skills included in a full-year introductory course in United States history from the first European explorations of the Americas to the present. The exam covers political institutions and behavior, public policy, social and economic change, diplomacy and international relations, and cultural and intellectual development. The multiple-choice section tests students' factual knowledge, breadth of preparation, and knowledge-based analytical skills. The majority of multiple-choice questions are on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Approximately 20 percent of the questions deal with the period from the first European explorations through 1789, 45 percent with the period 1790 through 1914, and 35 percent with the period 1915 to the present. There may be a few multiple-choice questions on the period since 1980. Political institutions and behavior and public policy account for approximately 35 percent of the questions, and social and cultural developments account for approximately another 40 percent. The remaining questions are divided between the areas of diplomacy and international relations (15 percent) and economic developments (10 percent). Standard essay questions may require students to relate developments in different areas, analyze common themes in different time periods, or compare individual or group experiences that reflect socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, or gender differences. Multiple-Choice Questions For sample multiple-choice questions, refer to the Course Description.   AP United States History Course Description (.pdf/625KB) New! Free-Response Questions Below are free-response questions from past AP United States History Exams. Included with the questions are scoring guidelines, sample student responses, and commentary on those responses, as well as exam statistics and the Chief Reader's Student Performance Q&A for past administrations. Important Note About the "Form B" Exams Because of the worldwide growth of the AP Program and the administration of exams in multiple time zones, another version of the AP U.S. History Exam, called "Form B," may be administered in order to maintain security. Free-Response Questions 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 1999-2002 2009: Free-Response Questions Questions Scoring Samples and Commentary Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Student Performance Q&A Scoring Statistics Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 Grade Distributions 2009: Form B Questions Scoring Samples and Commentary Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 2008: Free-Response Questions Questions Scoring Samples and Commentary Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Student Performance Q&A Scoring Statistics Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 Grade Distributions 2008: Form B Questions Scoring Samples and Commentary Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 2007: Free-Response Questions Questions Scoring Samples and Commentary Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Student Performance Q&A Scoring Statistics Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 Grade Distributions 2007: Form B Questions Scoring Samples and Commentary Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 2006: Free-Response Questions Questions Scoring Samples and Commentary Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Student Performance Q&A Scoring Statistics Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 Grade Distributions 2006: Form B Questions Scoring Samples and Commentary Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 2005: Free-Response Questions Questions Scoring Samples Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Scoring Commentary Student Performance Q&A Scoring Statistics Sample Responses Grade Distributions 2005: Form B Questions Scoring Samples Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Scoring Commentary Sample Responses 2004: Free-Response Questions Questions Scoring Samples Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Scoring Commentary Student Performance Q&A Scoring Statistics Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 Grade Distributions 2004: Form B Questions Scoring Samples All Questions Scoring Guidelines Scoring Commentary Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 2003: Free-Response Questions Questions Scoring Samples Grade Distributions All Questions Scoring Guidelines Scoring Commentary Student Performance Q&A Scoring Statistics Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 Grade Distributions 2003: Form B Questions Scoring Samples All Questions Scoring Guidelines Scoring Commentary Sample Responses Q1 Sample Responses Q2 Sample Responses Q3 Sample Responses Q4 Sample Responses Q5 Important Note: PDF Files The links to exam questions for this course are in Adobe® PDF format, and you will need to use the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® to view them. If you don't have Acrobat Reader 4.0 or higher installed on your computer, choose the link for the Adobe Web site below for installation instructions. For help downloading and printing PDF files, choose the link "PDF Troubleshooting" below in "See also." See also... Exam Questions Index PDF Troubleshooting Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®

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