Did you know that there are six different ways to earn the complexity point on the Long Essay Question?
It's unsurprising that the complexity point is, well, complex. I'm a professional tutor. I have helped dozens of students improve their grades in AP World History. I get tons of questions about the complexity point, and today I'm going through my best tips. Read on for my best advice about how to earn this point.
Note: The information in this post is based on my interpretation of the AP World History Course and Exam Description. You can see the official description of this information on pg. 222.
Table of Contents
The Basics of the Complexity Point
Six Ways to Earn the Complexity Point
Multiple Themes or Perspectives
Myth 1: You must write a counterargument to earn the complexity point.
Myth 2: You need to earn the complexity point for a 5.
Myth 3: Only perfect papers earn the complexity point.
Myth 4: The complexity point is the most important point.
Myth 5: Content is unrelated to earning the complexity point.
The Basics of the Complexity Point
To earn the complexity point, you must show a "complex understanding" of the topic. You show this by creating an argument that goes above and beyond the basics. The College Board describes this type of argument as nuanced, complex, or sophisticated.
Any part of your response can earn the complexity point. It is common to find the necessary requirements in more than one paragraph. This makes earning this point more complicated than many other points. You have to sustain high-quality writing across a whole essay.
You can't earn the complexity point through passing mentions of a topic. This includes a lone vocabulary word, mentioning a person's name, or a specific event. The goal is to develop a complex argument, and citing evidence does not do that. You will need to elaborate on each point and connect it to your argument to earn this point.
Six Ways to Earn the Complexity Point
There are exactly six ways to earn the complexity point. I've ranked them below in the order of my personal preference. My favorite techniques are at the top, and my least recommended techniques are at the bottom.
Like many things in AP World History, there isn't one correct way to do the complexity point. Some methods work better with specific prompts. Some people find it easier to write in certain ways. Practice and feedback will help you determine which methods work best for you.
More of the Same
This method requires explaining many aspects of the prompt. You need to use one of the historical thinking skills. That could mean any of the following.
Explaining multiple causes.
Explaining multiple effects.
Explaining multiple similarities.
Explaining multiple differences.
Explaining multiple continuities.
Explaining multiple changes.
I love this method because it works for every prompt in every topic. It aligns with the goal of the Long-Essay Question. You are forming an argument about a specific topic. The more aspects of the topic you address, the more sophisticated your argument is. This means you don't have to remember to do anything extra during the exam. The exam is stressful, and its easy to forget things. Reducing the amount of things you have to remember is useful.
Multiple Themes or Perspectives
This method requires describing many perspectives or themes related to the topic. A perspective refers to how different groups of people view events. Themes are recurring patterns in history.
Let's use this prompt as an example:
Evaluate the relative importance of the effects of the Columbian Exchange prior to 1750 CE.
An essay focused on perspectives would consider the groups involved. Because the essay should be about effects, we want to explore what the results of this event were. In this case, "Old World" peoples where one group influenced by the Columbian Exchange. You could consider the impact of the Columbian Exchange on Western Europeans, West Africans, Southeast Asians, and East Asians. You could also focus on more specific groups, like the Ming Dynasty in China or the Asante in West Africa.
The indigenous peoples of the Americas were also affected by the Columbian Exchange. You could consider impacts on specific groups, like the Aztecs, Incas, or Dakota.
If you wanted to focus on themes, you would look at the bigger picture. You could consider the role of human interaction with the environment. This could include the effects of new crops in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia. It could also discuss the effects of disease. Other paragraphs could discuss economic and political changes.
I like this option because it plays to one of the strengths of the AP World History curriculum. The course itself emphasizes themes and perspectives. Many students internalize these ideas, so this method works well for them.
Evidence to Show Perspectives
This option is like the previous option, but it focuses on evidence. This technique requires using evidence to show different perspectives.
Most of the information in the previous section applies here. You still need to explore different perspectives to earn this point. The emphasis is on how you use evidence to make your argument more complex.
Let's use the same prompt as last time:
Evaluate the relative importance of the effects of the Columbian Exchange prior to 1750 CE.
One perspective we could consider is that of indigenous peoples in the Americas. Like before, you need to discuss many perspectives. The difference is that your evidence shows that you have a complex understanding. This requires a detailed discussion of specific vocabulary words, events, and people. That could include diseases like smallpox, influenza, and malaria. You could discuss the legacy of specific crops, like sugar cane or potatoes.
Again, these ideas should be well-developed. That means that mentioning evidence isn't enough. You want to develop these ideas over several paragraphs. Each piece of evidence should relate to your thesis.
Both Sides
Explain causes and effects
Explain continuities and changes
Explain similarities and differences
I love this technique because it's so simple. It lays out a great roadmap for the essay. Two paragraphs describe one "side" of the issue. Then, write one paragraph describing the other "side."
Let's use this prompt this time:
Evaluate the extent to which economic systems changed in the period between 1450 and 1750 CE.
For this prompt, y should discuss both changes and continuities. Changes include the rise in plantation agriculture and cash cropping in the Americas. You could reference specific systems that supported these economic activities. For example, the encomienda and chattel slavery were changes in the Americas.
Then, you should pivot to discussing continuities. Trade in the Indian Ocean flourished during this time. In the Americas, some colonial powers exploited existing labor systems. This includes the Spanish adoption of the Incan mit'a system.
Writing a counterargument often sets you up to earn the point in this way, but it is not required.
A downside of this technique is that you have to take care to stay focused on the prompt. In particular, sometimes the prompt asks for causes or effects. In this situation, trying to write about cause and effects can take you off topic. I recommend using a different technique for that type of prompt.
Connections
You earn this point by making connections between time periods or geographic regions. In AP World History, there are four main time periods and at least thirteen major regions. The time periods are 1200-1450 CE, 1450-1750 CE, 1750-1900 CE, and 1900 to roughly 2001.
There are thirteen major regions. The regions in the Americas are North America and Latin America. In Africa there is North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and South Africa. The regions in Asia are the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia. Europe is a region. The last region is Oceania.
Some of these regions have smaller regions within them. Latin America contains Mexico, Mesoamerica, the Caribbean, and South America.
You can also use the continents as regional divisions.
Let's use this prompt:
Evaluate the relative importance of the effects of the Industrial Revolution after 1750 CE.
The Industrial Revolution affected every corner of the globe. This makes it ideal for focusing on different regions. You could discuss how Europe and North America were able to industrialize first. This changed the economy and social structures in these areas.
Then, you could use another region of the world to show different impacts. For example, many land-based empires struggled to remain independent as Europeans gained power. You could discuss the Qing Dynasty and Tokugawa Japan. The corresponding region would be East Asia. This frame shows that the impacts were not uniform, and that shows complexity.
This strategy also works for prompts that span many periods like this one. This prompt would allow us to discuss two periods. On is 1750-1900 CE, and the other is 1900 to the present. For the first period, we could focus on the legacy of imperialism and the rise of Marxism. One way to show contrast would be to examine the role of technology in creating a global culture. Industrialization in the Soviet Union and China is another option.
This strategy is not the best choice for all prompts. If the prompt limits you to a specific period or geographic region. In that case, trying to pull in other time periods or locations can pull the whole essay off topic. In that situation, I would fall back on the "more of the same" method.
Four Pieces of Evidence
The final method requires citing at least four high-quality pieces of evidence. This evidence must be part of a complex argument.
The appeal of this option is the number four. Four pieces of evidence is far more concrete than any of the other options. Many students like this option because it appears to be simple.
Using this method is more complex than it seems at first glance. It is not enough to drop in four pieces of evidence. The evidence must "support a nuanced or complex argument" to meet the requirements. This is where things get tricky. If the argument that you make is not complex, then it doesn't matter how much evidence you include. Also, you can't throw together four random pieces of evidence. All the evidence needs to point in the same direction.
So what makes an argument complex? The other five options do a great job of giving us some parameters. A complex argument explores many themes, perspectives, geographic areas, or periods. You can also show complexity by using the historical thinking skills to show depth of though.
Students who use the other five strategies often have four pieces of evidence. If they don't, trying to think of four different points and adequately support them can be very time consuming. I recommend using this method as a back up. When you write your essay, use one of the other methods to develop a strong thesis and outline. Then, be intentional about using four pieces of evidence to develop that point. That makes it more likely that you will earn the complexity point
Myths and Misconceptions
Myth 1: You must write a counterargument to earn the complexity point.
I have a love-hate relationship with counterarguments. If you write one, great. If you don't, great. They are not required to earn any point on the AP World History exam.
Write a thesis statement with a counterargument is a great tool. The counterargument forces you to think about the topic in a different way. That often leads to a more nuanced argument. It also gives you a great road map for the essay. You write two paragraphs talking about one side. Then you shift and write one paragraph talking about the other. Bam! Complexity point!
Counterarguments can backfire. I've met many students who thought they had to write a counterargument. Some of them spent hours agonizing over the counterargument. Then, they could only to come up with one that was difficult to defend. It's not hard to see how that's a disaster on exam day.
The reality is that not every topic has two polar opposites. There are times when things change way more than they stay the same. There events that are different from each other, despite seeming similar. There's no guarantee that you'll be able to think of a counterargument on the day of the exam. If you can't, roll with it. A complex argument can be talking about many aspects of the same thing. It's more important to keep going than spend time thinking of a counterargument.
There's an old saying about how if you only have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. One of my goals for this article was making sure you have many tools you can use.
Myth 2: You need to earn the complexity point for a 5.
Many people think they need to get perfect scores on all sections of the exam to earn a 5. This is false.
The College Board establishes cut points for each exam before its given. Everyone scoring above a specific point earns the same score. This is important for two reasons.
First, it means that the AP exam is not scored on a curve. You are not in competition with everyone else who takes the exam. You do not need to score better than everyone else to earn the top score. If everyone else does better than expected, that has zero impact on your score.
Second, those cut points are much lower than they would ever be in a high school class. Scores on comprehensive exams tend to be lower than on unit exams. The College Board sets the cut points with this in mind. Let's look at this in more detail.
You can earn a 5 even if you miss the complexity points on the Document Based Question and the Long Essay Question. Albert.io has a great AP World History exam score calculator at this link. The cut points change every year, so this isn't perfect. It is a great resource for getting a general idea what a "good" score looks like.
It can take a weight off your shoulders if you experiment with the numbers. I found that a student who got 38/55 on the Multiple Choice, 6/9 on the Short Answer Questions, and missed both complexity points would earn a 5. The bar for this exam has never been perfection, or anything close to it.
Myth 3: Only perfect papers earn the complexity point.
Every point on the AP US History exam is independent of the other points. It is possible to miss other points, and still earn the complexity point.
A paper with a weak thesis, evidence, or argumentation is less likely to earn the complexity point. The complexity point measures the strength of the evidence and argument. It's hard to develop a more sophisticated argument without a good foundation. The thesis is the argument itself. It's tough to set up a good argument if you're unclear about what you're arguing.
Myth 4: The complexity point is the most important point.
The most important point on the exam is the next one that you can learn how to earn.
For some people, it's the complexity point. Other people may be better served by working on the evidence points. Other people would benefit from focusing on the on the Multiple Choice Questions. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses.
This claim doesn't make sense based on math. The entire Long Essay Question is worth fifteen percent of your total score. If we divided fifteen percent by six points, we get 2.5. This means that 2.5 percent of your entire exam score comes from the Long Essay Question complexity point. That's about one third of a Short Answer Question. It would be absurd to say you needed to get every question on the Short Answer section correct. The same is true for the complexity point. It's an absurd claim not backed by math.
In fact, it's counterproductive to worry about the complexity point in some circumstances. The thesis and evidence points create a strong base for your argument. If you are not earning those points, they should come first. After that, I would recommend focusing on contextualization. It's an easier point and it shows up on the LEQ and the DBQ. Finally, earning the initial analysis and reasoning point is important. If all those things are good, that's the optimal time to focus on the complexity point.
Myth 5: Content is unrelated to earning the complexity point.
Most of the guidance for this point focuses on crafting a good thesis and a good argument. That's reasonable because that's how you earn the point.
But I always like to highlight that the complexity point is about content knowledge. You must understand the content. This allows you to explore many perspectives, regions, periods, or aspects of a topic. The best situation to be in is to know more about the topic than what made it into the essay. This allows you to pick the best options and avoid spending extra time thinking of examples.
Sometimes, content knowledge is what holds people back in this area. That means it's time to review your study skills and habits to ensure a high-level of mastery of the content.
I help ambitious students improve their skills and master the AP exam. Learn more here!
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