Ah, the Long Essay Question. This question doesn't have the notoriety of it's cousin, the Document-Based Question. As a result, many students underestimate this question. You don't get any documents to jog your memory. It's the last thing on the exam, which is a recipe for mistakes. That makes it critical not to skimp on preparing for this type of question.
I'm a licensed teacher and professional tutor. I have over ten years of experience in education. I've helped dozens of students improve their grades in their AP class. Read on for tips you can use to improve your scores on the LEQ today!
Note! This article is for AP World History. Click right here if you're looking for information on the AP US History Long Essay Question.
The Basics of the Long Essay Question
Prompts
There are three long essay prompts on the AP World History exam. You will respond to only ONE of the prompts.
The prompts test three of the historical thinking skills. These historical thinking skills are comparison, causation, and continuity/change over time. All three questions will use the same historical thinking skill.
Each question will focus on a different topic and period. The first question will come from the first half of the class. That means it could relate to any topic from before 1750 CE. The second question comes from the middle two time periods. This means that will relate to a topic from between 1450 and 1900 CE. The final question will come from the period after 1750 CE.
The period between 1450 CE and 1900 CE is the only period guaranteed to appear on the exam. Odds are good that two of the questions will address this period. This period is also over represented in the Multiple-Choice Questions. It makes sense to review this section earlier and more often when preparing for the exams in may.
Regardless, it's typical for each question to address a different theme. For example, the first question might focus on economic systems. The second one might look at political changes. The third one might focus on cultural or social changes. Unsure what themes might be on the exam? I've got you covered here.
Organization
The College Board does not award points for organization. This means that you won't lose points for putting part of your essay in a unique spot. there are some advantages to following a common format. Many teachers expect Long Essay Questions to follow a common format. It also makes it easier for the AP graders to expect where you will attempt to earn specific points.
With that in mind, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Long-Essay Questions are usually three to four paragraphs long. Most people write one introductory paragraph followed by two to three body paragraphs.
- The introductory paragraph often includes the contextualization and thesis statement.
- The body paragraphs contain evidence and analysis of your chosen topic.
- You do not need to include a concluding paragraph (unless your teacher says you do). It is best to skip this paragraph on the AP World History exam. This gives you more time to work on areas of the essay that can earn you points.
Exam Information
You have 1 hour and 40 minutes for both of the essays on the AP exam. The College Board encourages taking 40 minutes to write the Long Essay Question. The Long-Essay Question makes up 15% of the total exam score.
Students can earn up to six points for completing each of the following tasks. Each point is binary. This means that it is either earned or not earned.
A student's score on one skill doesn't directly impact scoring on any of the other skills. For example, let's say you earn the contextualization point. That fact doesn't influence how the graders score your evidence. For two of the skills (evidence and analysis) you can earn two points. In this case, you must earn the first point to be eligible for the second point.
There are indirect relationships between the skills that may impact scoring. For example, a student who earns the thesis point is more likely to earn the evidence points that one who doesn't. This is because its difficult to identify details if you can't identify broad trends. It is still important to remember this is about statistics, not any hard rule in the rubric.
How To Earn Each Point
Skill 1: Thesis Point or Thesis Statement
You must write a thesis that is "historically defensible." This means that you must be able to defend your thesis using historical evidence. A thesis statement that is incorrect or unproveable won't earn the point. The statement must also give a reason for the claim or provide categories that make up the argument. This point is identical on the Document-Based Question and the Long-Essay Question.
Skill 2: Contextualization
You must explain events or developments that are relevant to the prompt. It is most common to describe the things that led up to the situation outlined in the prompt. This point is identical on the Document-Based Question and the Long-Essay Question. Check out this article for more tips about how to earn this point.
Skill 3: Evidence
You can earn two points for this skill. One point is for citing two relevant, specific examples. The second point is for using the evidence to support an argument.
Skill 4: Analysis and Reasoning
You must use historical reasoning in your argument to earn this point. Historical reasoning includes comparison, cause and effect, and changes over a period.
Skill 5: Complexity
You can earn a point for showing complex understanding of the topic. There are many ways to earn this point. You can read more about my best tips and tricks here.
Strategy
Pre-Writing
This is one of the most overlooked ways to improve your score! And it's easy.
Before you write your essay, take time to outline your essay. I recommend writing out the thesis statement. Then use bullet points to jot down your contextualization and evidence.
This is helpful for two reasons. First, sometimes this can help you realize that you've picked the wrong prompt. You may realize you don't know as much about the topic as you thought you did. Or you may find that information isn't coming to mind. Pre-writing gives you the opportunity to bail early enough to do well if you pick a new topic.
Second, you will write this essay at the very end of your exam. AP exams are stressful and exhausting. It is easy to forget things and make mistakes under those circumstances. Pre-writing your essay gives you the opportunity to put your ideas down on paper. Paper doesn't get tired or stressed. That information will be there for the entire rest of the exam.
Forgetting your next point with fifteen minutes left on the clock is the stuff of nightmares. It will never happen to you if you get into the habit of writing down all your best points.
Three Keys
It's worth spending extra time to earn the following three points. I call them the three keys.
Thesis Point
Contextualization
First Evidence Point
Why those three? First, most students find these points easier to earn than say, the complexity point. They also create a sound foundation for the rest of the essay. If you have a clear argument and sound evidence, you can use those points to built a strong argument. That means these points make it easier to earn more points. That's a statistical observation, not part of the rubric.
These three points show up on both the Long Essay Question and the Document Based Question. Both types of question have the same requirements for contextualization. They are also identical when describing how to earn the thesis point. You must identify one piece of outside evidence and connect it to your argument on the DBQ. This is virtually the same thing as evidence in the Long Essay Question. So, if you get these three points ironed out for the LEQ, you get to double-dip and use those same skills on the DBQ. Win-win.
Finally, three points on the Long Essay Question is an above average score on the essay. If you can earn those three points, you are more likely to pass the AP exam. You are also in contention for a 5 on the AP exam, depending on how the other parts of the exam go.
Play to Your Strengths
On the AP World History exam, there will be three prompts in the Long Essay section. Each of these questions will focus on a different time period and different topics.
You will only respond to one of the three prompts. That means that you should choose the one that you feel the most confident about answering. Ideally, you'll be able to decide just by looking at the prompts. If you need to, you can quickly outline essays for two of the prompts. It will likely become very clear which one will work best for you.
The absolute worst strategy is changing your mind in the middle of your essay. Sometimes, one of the other options starts looking appealing in the middle of the essay. Ignore the impulse to change it. It won't magically fix your problems, and you'll have significantly less time to get your ideas on the paper.
Know Thy Content
If you don't know your content knowledge, this section of the exam will reveal that in a heartbeat. It will be painful.
Most of the AP World History exam gives you documents to help jog your memory. Sometimes, the answer to the question is in the document itself. There are no documents on this section of the exam. That means you will need to come up with facts for the contextualization. You will also need a separate set of facts to earn the evidence points.
It's vital that you understand the broad trends of history during each period. You also need to know specific examples of each of these trends. Use effective study methods so that you can make the best use of your time. I recommend the blurting method because it is fast and effective. You can also incorporate the strategies outlined on this page.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Don't forget to practice the Long Essay Questions! This may seem obvious, but often this type of question gets lost in the shuffle.
Practice is particularly important to nail the timing of this style of question. You only get 40 minutes to pick your question, outline your answer, and then write your essay. That's not a lot of time! Practice helps you sense when you need to speed up your response, and when you can relax. It will also help the task become familiar and routine. If you write your first or second essay on the exam, then it's easier to get stressed and make mistakes. That's part of being a human doing something for the first time. If you have written several essays, then the task is familiar. You'll have learned better routines and strategies. This makes the task less daunting.
Pro tip: If you don't have time to write a full LEQ, then write an outline. Create a thesis for your essay. Then add bullet points for the contextualization and evidence you would use. This isn't as good as writing a full essay. It does strengthen your brainstorming, thesis-writing, and contextualization skills. If you struggle in those areas, outlining essays can allow you to do more of them in a shorter period of time. This can help you grow in those specific areas.
All good things!
You can find old essays and scoring guides at the College Board's website.
Myths and Misconceptions
Myth 1: You must write a counterargument.
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! Essay!
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.
Myth 2: You have to get a perfect score to earn 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 several points. Albert.io has a great AP World History exam score calculator. 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.
I help ambitious students improve their skills and master the AP World History exam. Learn more here!
You may also like:
All blog posts are licensed using a CC-BY-SA 4.0 license. You are free to copy or share this information in any form. You may also adapt and build upon this material for commercial and noncommercial. If you chose to share, adapt, or use this information, you must give credit to Spring Learning Services, LLC and indicate if changes were made. All material must be shared using the same terms
This material is based on my interpretation of the AP World 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.