The Ultimate Guide to APUSH DBQ: Rubric, Examples and More! (2023)

You've worked hard in your AP US history class and now it's time to prepare for the APUSH exam.

butThere's a lot you need to know if you want to get it right, especially in the APUSH DBQ section.For example, you need to understand the APUSH DBQ rubric to know how your answers will be scored, and you need to see some APUSH DBQ examples to understand what it takes to do so

Lucky for youWe've collected everything you need to know about APUSH DBQ in one place.(This place is, uh,on here.) We will see:

• An explanation of what APUSH DBQs are and why they are important
• A tutorial on how the APUSH DBQs work in the exam and what to expect
• A six-step process to writing a great DBQ
• Four tips for learning and answering APUSH DBQ

We also give you an APUSH DBQ rubric and APUSH DBQ examples. There's a lot to talk about, so get to work!

The APUSH DBQ is a typing thing, so you need to type fast!

What is a push DBQ?

A DBQ is a "document-based" question that you must answer on your AP exam.For these questions, you are given seven "documents," which are short readings covering various, often related, aspects of US history. From there, you are asked to answer each DBQ in the form of an essay using the information from the documentation you received.

The good thing about APUSH's DBQs is that they are open-ended, which meansThere are multiple correct ways to answer each question.The downside is that in order to answer the question and get full credit, you have to review and include multiple documents as part of your argument.

And did we mention you only get one?Do you have limited time to answer the DBQ and is it worth 25% of the total score on the exam?This is why APUSH DBQs can be stressful for candidates!

How do the DBQs work on the APUSH exam?

The APUSH exam consists of a total of 60 questions. Here's how they perform in the test:

Of the two free answer questions, one is a long essay (score 15%) and the other is a DBQ. This means that the individual DBQ alone is worth 25% of your overall rating, making it theonly question with the highest weight in the APUSH exam.

The APUSH DBQ consists ofa single open notification. To reply to this, you must create oneconvincing argumentYou use the documents that you received in the exam itself. (More on that a little later.)

To give you a little more context, here are somereal examples of APUSH DBQfrom APUSH exams of previous years:

Types of APUSH documents

To answer these questions well, you must tooRead, review, and integrate information from seven documents given to you on the day of the test.These documents are a combination of:

• primary texts: Texts actually written in the period you are asked about
• secondary texts– Texts by later historians explaining the period
• Pictures:These are usually political cartoons or works of art from the period

The number of each document type you see on your exam will vary from year to year, so you should be equally familiar with all three document types.

You need toPlease read and understand all seven documents so that you can use them to answer your DBQ question.The information in the docs will help you create a thesis, build your arguments, and prove your point... so you can score great with APUSH DBQ! Remember: to get full credit, you must also explain how at least six of the documents are relevant to your argument and use evidence to support those claims.

Use of External Information

Along with the documents provided, you must also usea historical testimonyIt is notincluded in the documents, but you already know that from your own reading. This is information you learned in class (or read yourself!) that applies to the DBQ and supports your argument.

Unfortunately, you cannot bring class notes with you on the day of the test. means you willYou need to study ahead of time to be ready to incorporate external information into your DBQ answer!

Oops! That is a lot! However, if that makes it easier, theAPUSH DBQ only covers the period 1754-1980. That means you only have to focus on learning and remembering. – Information from about 230 years.

Terminate APUSH DBQ header

First you need to understand what the expectations are and how your answer will be evaluated.That means reading and understanding the official APUSH DBQ rubric!

The good news is that the College Board has provided the APUSH DBQ rubric as part of theirs2021 AP Exam Administration Scoring Guidelines - AP United States History Document.

This is how the section is divided:

Thesis (1 point)

First, you must create a thesis that "replies to the message with a historically defensible thesis/claim that establishes a line of argument." To reach this point you needmake a disputed claim based on the documents that answer the original question.

In other words, you must choose a position and then defend it with documents and your knowledge base.

Contextualization (1 point)

To get a point of contextualization, you must "describe in detail a relevant context" for the period covered by the notice. That means you have todescribe political, social or economic events and trendswhich has contributed to what his thesis argues.

You will know some of this from the documents provided, but you are also expected to know it yourself based on what you learned in AP US History. You must also relate your knowledge to "major historical events, developments or processes that occurred before, during or after the period in question". That means you have to show ithow the events of that time are relevant now or how similar they are to another historical situation.

Proof (3 points)

In this part of the rubric you only get one point forInclusion of specific evidence that does not result from the documents submittedin a way that is relevant to your thesis!

To earn the other two points, you mustSupport your reasoning with the content of six of the seven documents. (If you do not use six documents, but use at least three of them, you only get one point.)

However, you cannot randomly add information from the docs to your essay, you have toUse it in a way that supports your argument and accurately reflects what the documents say.

Analysis and reasoning (2 points)

For the Analysis and Reasoning section, get a point if you explain "how or why the document isPoint of view, purpose, historical situation and/or target audienceIt is relevant to an argument. You get an additional point for "complexity" by showing that you understand the time period covered by the communication andUse evidence to test your understanding and support your argument.

Therefore, to get points of analysis and reasoning, you needTasteBecause the documents are relevant to your argument, your argument must show that you understand the historical events of the time, and you must create a well-reasoned and "complex" argument.

you will needShow reviewers that you understand that there are a variety of possible perspectives on the topic you are writing about, and that not all agreed at the time or had the same experiences.

Step-by-step process for handling an APUSH DBQ

The APUSH DBQ is a trick question that will test you on many different skills, so there is no easy technique to solve it. Nevertheless,Mastering each of the individual skills required to do well on the DBQ examples will make using your APUSH DBQ that much easier!

Here are five steps you can take to create a foundation that will help you master DBQ.

Step 1: Practice DBQ

The best way to master APUSH's DBQ isPractice with real examples of APUSH DBQ.

College Board websiteWetterthe actual data from 2015-2019available for download.This means you can take at least five APUSH practice tests, read APUSH-DBQ sample answers and APUSH-DBQ rubrics for free!

This is great news because you can practice answering APUSH DBQ multiple times before facing reality on test day.

Before practicing the DBQ answers,It's a good idea to take at least one APUSH DBQ practice test to know what your baseline is.This way you understand your strengths and weaknesses and can really focus on your weakest areas! From there, you can work through APUSH DBQ's handy prompts yourself.

However, the nature of a free answer means that it won't be easy for you to rate it yourself.To rate your DBQs, be sure to use the APUSH DBQ rubric described above.In all honesty, try to assess whether or not you have absorbed the information completely and accurately. You can also ask a teacher, tutor or even a family member to grade your APUSH DBQs for you too!

Later, after practicing the skills described in the following steps,do another DBQ exerciseand see if that seems easier to you.Compare your score to the original scorefrom your first try. Then read your textbooks again and do it again. Repeat the cycle several times. The big advantage will be that you will eventually get used to APUSH DBQfeel more comfortable in the real test environment.

Step 2: Practice writing a thesis

Because your DBQ answer requires you to choose and defend a position, you must work on writing strong thesis statements.A thesis statement is essentially your reasoning in a nutshell and summarizes the purpose of your essay.

The most important aspect of your APUSH DBQ thesis is that you must make a statement that is bothcontroversial (meaning you can use evidence to prove it) and relevant to the notification you receive.However, you do not want to repeat the message in your thesis!

That's what we mean. Let's say your APUSH DBQ flag is:

Estimate the extent of the change in ideas about American independence from 1763 to 1783.

You don't want your thesis to be, "Perceptions of American independence changed a lot between 1763 and 1783. That just adds a few words to the message... and isn't descriptive enough to cover the arguments you'll be making later. Instead of,make concretecomplainabout how and why ideas about American independence changed,and you must use the documents provided to prove it!

For this example, a better thesis might be: "Between 1763 and 1783, American conceptions of independence shifted from uncertainty about how the nation might survive without British rule to belief in (and struggle for) independence from the nation ."

• "Perceptions of American independence changed dramatically between 1763 and 1783. At first the colonists wanted just representation and a voice in passing new laws, but by 1783 Americans wanted real freedom from British rule.”

• "From 1763 to 1783, notions of American independence shifted from colonies blindly accepting British tyranny for the religious rights of divine kings to belief in the natural rights of the people against British rule."

Let's see how these theses make concrete claims:

The first thesis states that the colonists originally only wanted representation, but in 1783 wanted freedom from British rule. These are two different ways of thinking that the author can use in the documents to illustrate and prove that they really existed.

The thesis in the second example addresses a more theoretical shift in belief: one that shifted from accepting the medieval notion that the king inherited the right to rule from God in 1763 to one in which Americans believed in 1783 that individuals have the natural right to liberty. of tyranny. The author can then use the documents as evidence that Americans then held those beliefs and can argue what happened to change them.

While practicing the writing of thesesYou can create a detailed and defensible! - this will help you to create a convincing DBQ argument.

An outline serves as a roadmap to help you write a great essay and also manage your time.

Step 3: Practice creating an outline

With only an hour to read through the papers to write your essay, you probably won't have time to proofread. it is very important that youmake best use of limited timeavailable, so a schematic will help youOrganize your thoughts and stay on coursewhile you write

Just make sure you don't spend too much time on your outline - you'll have to write an entire essay!Five minutes (or less!) is all it takes to put together an outline that will help you write an amazing DBQ.

Let's talk about what makes a great schematic.

Two important elements of a good outline are aintroductionmiConclusion! Your introduction grounds your thesis and conclusion to restate it while explaining why it is relevant to today's reader. Because these two sections focus on your thesis statement, they help you organize the rest of your argument... and your DBQ essay!

After you attach them,You can start adding paragraphs of text to your outline.Since you only have about 45 minutes to write this essay, you won't want too many. Three or four paragraphs in the body is enough to get the job done.

The most important thing about body heels is thateach states that a) supports their thesis and b) allows them to incorporate information from the documentsas proof. You can even write which documents you want to use in each main paragraph!

Here is oneSketch template to use while practicing your APUSH DBQ:

Again, this sketch doesn't have to be fancy! If you write down a few words or a short sentence for each point, you will get there.

Step 4: Practice including citations and references

When writing your essay, you must use examples from the documents provided, and whenever you do so,You must explain the documents from which you extracted the information.You will do this whether you cite your source or simply paraphrase it.

There are two ways to do this:

#1: Mission

The attribution of your information means that youIn the sentence, tell your reader which document you are citing or paraphrasing.Here are two examples of DBQ attribution that APUSH finds acceptable:

"Charles Inglis states with good reason that the colonies could not be sustained without British support because the colonies did not make enough money from agriculture and trade."

Note that while this APUSH DBQ example does not quote Inglis directly,The author even lets readers know what source they are using to prove their point.

#2: Brackets

If you use these fonts, you need to make sure it's youUse the document accurately and do not plagiarize.Your goal is to show that you understand each document and know how to incorporate it into an argument.

Step 5: Understand time management

One of the most important skills you can acquire by taking multiple attempts on the APUSH DBQ practice test will betime management. Once you're in the actual testing environment, you can't use your phone to set a timer or alarm, so it can be difficult to keep track of how much time you're spending reading and re-reading documents, brainstorming, and spend sketching .

You want to set aside as much time as possible (an hour) for writing. The College Board's APUSH DBQ section recommends thisSpend 15 minutes reading the papers and 45 minutes writing the essay.

The best way to reduce time management is to practice. Set timers during the APUSH DBQ practice test so you can get an idea of ​​how long it takes to create an answer. This gives you an idea of ​​the process and gives you enough time on the test day to write your DBQ.

4 tips to master APUSH DBQs

Now that you've read our step-by-step process on how to use APUSH DBQ and seen several APUSH DBQ samples, you can find them heresome expert tips on how to do it right in APUSH DBQ.

Tip 1: Remember that each point is counted separately

Search in the category APUSH DBQ ewrite down each task as you will be judged on how well you complete each one. There are usually several points available for each task.

For example, you get one point for using three or more documents in your DBQ. However, if you want to get the full two points for this category, you must include at least six documents in your answer.

Understanding the rubric will help you maximize the number of points you earnin his DBQ.

Tip 2: Your essay may contain mistakes

Now don't get us wrong: you can't say an author claims something when they clearly claim the opposite. Also, you cannot write anything that is obviously wrong about how the US remains under British rule because the revolution was unsuccessful and gets all the credit!

butYou can make small mistakes that don't hurt your argumentprovided you demonstrate knowledge of the period and ability to include evidence to support an argument. For example, if you say that the First Continental Congress ended in November instead of October 1774, you might still get full credit despite a small error.

Tip 3: Write for clarity

One thing to keep in mind is that you will be judged on how well you create and argue a thesis and how well you integrate evidence from documents to support that thesis.You will not be judged on the beauty or the fluency with which you write! So while you want to use correct grammar and write as clearly as possible, don't spend a lot of time thinking about how best to phrase things as if you were writing for a publication. Just focus on explaining your ideas clearly!

You will not lose points for grammatical errors.unless they make it difficult for the raters to see how you used the evidence to make an argument.

Tip 4: Connect the dots

Not only for APUSH DBQ, but for everything you write, you have to ask yourself:Why is this relevant?In the context section,You must relate the information you provide to other time periods or situations in order to receive full credit.

This is your chance to show that the time you are writing about may have been a long time ago, but thatEvents are still relevant to us today! That's why we read, write and study history in the first place!

What's next?

If you're taking APUSH, you're probably taking other AP courses too!Here is a general guide to preparing for AP testing.This will help you prepare for any other AP exam you take.

As we mentioned above,Taking practice tests is one of the best ways to prepare for the actual AP exams.Here's a guide to help you find the best AP practice tests for any exam.

If you take multiple AP tests, you should maximize your study time.One way to do this is to study for each test based on when you need to take it!Our full breakdown of the AP exam scheduleIt will help you manage your study time efficiently and effectively.