During your first few weeks of AP US History you may feel like your teacher is trying to drive you nuts. SA what? Are we really HAPPE? There were no SPACEMEN in the 1700s. What is even happening?
Like it or not, every AP class has it's own language. That includes the term "AP!" We'll tackle the most common abbreviations in this article so you can speak AP-ese with ease!
Note: This article will focus on abbreviations that are specific to AP US History. But I've got you covered if you're interested in abbreviations commonly found in primary sources. This includes CE, sic, and ca. These symbols are used by historians inside and outside of the AP curriculum. Just hop on over here for more information.
A lot of this information is the same as the information in AP World History. But I do have a separate article if you'd like something specifically tailored to that course. You can find that here!
Table of Contents
The Course
AP (Advanced Placement)
Advanced Placement is often abbreviated "AP."
Advanced Placement and AP are terms trademarked by the College Board. The College Board runs the AP program.
All AP classes and exams have a few things in common.
- AP courses cover the same content and skills as a introductory college course.
- The College Board determines a specific set of content for each course. They also determine how that content is tested. You can find this information in the Course and Exam Description. Click here to see the AP US History Course and Exam Description.
- Course teachers independently determine the best way to cover the content and determine student grades. These grades go on each student's transcript.
- The College Board develops a test to cover the content. The results of this test are reported as a single score between 1 and 5. A 5 is the highest score possible.
- Colleges use the exam score to determine if they will award college credit. Each college determines what scores they accept and what credit the award for each score.
APUSH (AP US History)
"APUSH" stands for AP US History.
It's just cumbersome to say the full name.
Types of Questions
You'll spend a LOT of time talking about the different question types. So, we've got abbreviations for those too. If you're interested in a deep dive on the question types, click here! I'll focus on just the basics here so we don't get bogged down.
MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)
"Multiple Choice Question" is commonly abbreviated as MCQ.
Multiple Choice Questions are the most common type of question on the AP US History exam. Every MCQ has four options on the exam. MCQs are divided into groups of three or four questions. Each set of questions has a stimulus. A stimulus is a document from the past, a chart, a graph, or a map. You have to accurately interpret the stimulus in order to answer the questions correctly.
SAQs (Short Answer Questions)
SAQ stands for "Short Answer Question."
Short Answer Questions require a written response. This response is typically less than four sentences. Every Short Answer Question has three parts. They are labeled a, b, and c. Some short answer questions have a stimulus, and some do not.
DBQs (Document Based Questions)
The Document Based Question is often abbreviated as "DBQ."
It is the first of two essay questions on the AP US History exam. A finished DBQ is typically less than four paragraphs long. The Document Based Question always has seven stimuli. Some of these stimuli need to be included in the essay itself.
LEQs (Long Essay Questions)
The Long Essay Question is abbreviated "LEQ."
The Long Essay Question is the second type of essay question on the AP US History exam. Like the DBQ, a finished essay is typically less than four paragraphs long. Unlike every other type of question, the Long Essay Question does not have any associated historical stimuli. Instead, all of the information must come from your memory. Fun!
Niche and Esoteric Phrases
HIPPO (DBQ-Specific Points)
HIPPO stands for the following:
- Historical Situation
- Intended Audience
- Purpose
- Point of View
- Outside Evidence
HAPPE (DBQ-Specific Points)
HAPPE stands for the following:
- Historical Situation
- Audience
- Purpose
- Point of View
- Evidence Beyond the Documents
SPACEMEN (AP US History Themes)
SPACEMEN stands for the following:
- Social Structures
- Politics and Power
- America in the World
- Culture (American and Regional)
- Environment and Geography
- Migration and Settlement
- Exchange, Work, and Technology
- National and American Identity
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This material is based on my interpretation of the AP US History Course and Exam Description and my experience working in education for the past decade. The views expressed on this page are my own. AP® and Advanced Placement® are trademarks registered and owned by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this site.