Paying It Forward Final Project
COMPARING THE AP TO THE GLOBAL
HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY REGENTS
BY CAROLINA KONARSKI
Format of Assessments
The Global History and
Geography Regents
It is divided into three parts with a threehour time limit to complete.
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Part I - 50 standard multiple-choice
questions with four answer choices.
The AP World History
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3 HOURS AND 5 MINUTES
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Section I: Multiple Choice: 70 Questions | 55
Minutes | 50% of Exam Score
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Discrete items with an occasional set of two items
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Historical source material, such as images, charts,
maps, and text-based passages, may be included in
some items.
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Part II - One thematic essay question.
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Part III A – Eight short answer questions,
each accompanied by a document.
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Section II: Free Response: 3 Questions | 130 Minutes
| 50% of Exam Score
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Part III B - Document Based Essay.
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Document-Based Question (DBQ) (50 minutes,
including a 10-minute reading period)
Change-over-time question (40 minutes)
Comparative essay (40 minutes)
Each question in this section is weighted equally
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Global History and Geography Regents Scale Scores
The Global History and
Geography Regents
The Ap World History
 The questions undergo statistical
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analysis, and are placed on a scale
of scores according to their level of
difficulty.
 The State tests and Regents
examinations use a scale of 0 to
100, and raw scores must be
converted to the equivalent scale
score.
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Your score is a weighted combination
of your scores on the multiple-choice
section and on the free-response
section. The final score is reported on a
5-point scale as follows:
5 = extremely well qualified
4 = well qualified
3 = qualified
2 = possibly qualified
1 = no recommendation
Global History and Geography Regents Content Topics
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Unit 1: Ancient World (400 B.C. to 500 A.D.) - A study of the Ancient Civilizations of Asia, Africa and
Europe.
Unit 2: Expanding Zones of Exchange and Encounter (500 to 1200) - A study of how different regions
of the world encountered and exchanged ideas with each other from the Gupta Empire to the
Crusades.
Unit 3: Global Interaction (1200 to 1650) - A study of how the interaction of the Japanese, Mongol and
African Civilizations and the spirit of the Renaissance led to the exchange of ideas, trade and changes
in society.
Unit 4: The First Global Age (1450 to 1750) - A study of how the encounter among the Ming, Ottoman,
Spanish, Portuguese and Mesoamerican empires led to changes in the world.
Unit 5: Age of Revolution (1750 to 1914) - A study of how the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment,
political revolution, nationalism, industrialism and imperialism influenced the world.
Unit 6: Half Century of Crisis and Achievement - A study of how World War I, the Russian Revolution,
rise of dictatorship in Europe, the rise of nationalism in Asia and the Middle East and World War II
affected the world.
Unit 7: The 20th Century Since 1845 - A study of the political, economical and social changes that
influenced Europe, Asia, Latin America, the United States and the Middle East.
Unit 8: Global Connections and Interactions: A study of how overpopulation, urbanization,
globalization, ethnic rivalry and other economic and political issues are influencing the world.
AP World History Content Topics
 Period 1: Technological and Environmental Transformations (to c. 600 B.C.E.)
 Period 2: Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies (c. 600 B.C.E.
to c. 600 C.E.)
 Period 3: Regional and Transregional Interactions (c. 600 C.E. to c. 1450)
 Period 4: Global Interactions (c. 1450 to c. 1750)
 Period 5: Industrialization and Global Integration (c. 1750 to c. 1900)
 Period 6: Accelerating Global Change and Realignments (c. 1900 to the
present)
Types of Multiple-Choice Questions
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Recall multiple-choice question: these require that one know specific information about a
topic.
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Data-Based multiple-choice question: you may be asked to analyze data in a variety of
different formats, including: reading passages, graphs, tables, outlines, quotation
interpretation, and timelines.
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Political Cartoon multiple-choice question: these require that one carefully read each
aspect of the cartoon, including labels and captions. It is also very important to note
different types of symbolism.
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Map-Based multiple-choice question: these require that one carefully read each aspect of
the map, including the title, labels, legend, and key.
Examples
Recall multiple-choice
question
Data-Based multiplechoice question
 Archaeological studies of the
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Indus Valley cities of Harappa
and Mohenjo-Daro show
evidence of
Base your answer to the sample question
on the graphs below and on your
knowledge of social studies.
Between 1540 and 1580,
what happened to the native
population of Central Mexico?
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1. dynastic rule
2. monotheism
3. social equality
4. urban planning
1. It decreased by approximately 6
million people.
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2. It increased to a high of 26 million
people.
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3. It increased by approximately 2
million people per year.
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4. It decreased to 8 million people.
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More Examples
Political Cartoon multiplechoice question
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Base your answer to the sample question on the
cartoon below and on your knowledge of social
studies.
Which statement best
explains the situation
shown in the cartoon?
Map-Based multiplechoice question
 Base your answer to the sample
question on the map below and on
your knowledge of social studies.
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1. The world generally supports China’s
government.
2. Many countries are attempting to expand
their colonial empires.
3. Westerners are promoting Chinese
investment in South America.
4. China represents a way to expand Western
imports.
 According to the
information provided by
the map, which European nation
controlled the union of South Africa?
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1. Germany
2. France
3. Great Britain
4. Italy
Multiple-Choice Tips
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Identify key patterns
Use common sense
Familiarize with style questions for both the Regents and AP examinations
Make note of weak points
Use supplement practice with video lectures
Strike out wrong answer choices
Answer every question
When taking the exams:
Read the question and put it in your own words
Answer in your own words
Use process of elimination
Guess and move on to the next question (more important when taking the AP because
there is less time)
DBQ
The Global History and
Geography Regents
The social studies DBQ Essays are scored based on four
primary criteria:
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The extent to which students address the assigned
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task
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The extent to which students utilize higher level
thinking skills in their response;
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The extent to which students support their ideas with
fact, examples, and details
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The extent to which students organize and develop a
social studies essay
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The extent to which students use the information
provided in the documents
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The extent to which students incorporate relevant
outside information in their DBQ essay.
The AP World History
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Write a good thesis
Interpret the evidence within the documents
Support your thesis
Analyze the documents and identify author’s
point of view
Group the documents in at least two different
ways
Identify and explain the need for other types
of documents to clarify the issue
Expanded Core Requirements for the DBQ (AP)
 Have a comprehensive, analytical, and explicit thesis
 Use the documents as well as evidence
 Show careful and insightful analysis of the documents
 Analyze point of view in most or all documents
 Analyze the documents in additional ways
 Bring in additional relevant historical evidence not found in the
documents
 Explain why additional document(s) are missing or needed
Thematic Essay – Global History and Geography Regents
 The introduction to the essay response should communicate what it is that the
essay will show or prove.
 The body paragraphs need to thoroughly address all elements of the task by:
demonstrating an understanding of the theme; incorporating relevant facts,
examples, and details; and presenting everything in an organized manner.
 The conclusion to the essay response should communicate what it is that the
essay will show or prove.
Thematic Essay Example
AP World History
Change-Over-Time Essay
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Write a thesis that addresses the global
issues in the question and covers the
correct time period(s).
Addresses all parts of the question
Support your thesis with appropriate
historical evidence
Show the change over time using
relevant history. Include the
characteristics of historical periods to
explain the context of change
Analyze the process of change and
continuity. Describe what changed, and
how it changed, not just what the
results of change were
Comparative Essay
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Write a thesis that clearly states your
claim. Why do you believe this claim is
true?
Address all parts of the question
Support your thesis with appropriate
historical evidence
Make at least two direct, relevant
comparisons
Include a similarity or difference in
your comparison(s).
Example Change-Over-Time Essay
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-7WORLD HISTORY
SECTION II
Part B
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(Suggested planning and writing time—40 minutes)
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Percent of Section II score—33 1/3
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Directions: You are to answer the following question. You should spend 5 minutes organizing or outlining your
essay.
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Write an essay that:
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Has a relevant thesis and supports that thesis with appropriate historical evidence.
Addresses all parts of the question.
Uses world historical context to show continuities and changes over time.
Analyzes the process of continuity and change over time.
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2. Analyze how political transformations contributed to continuities and changes in the cultures of the
Mediterranean region during the period circa 200 C.E. to 1000 C.E.
Example Comparative Essay
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-8WORLD HISTORY
SECTION II
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Part C
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(Suggested planning and writing time—40 minutes)
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Percent of Section II score—33 1/3
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Directions: You are to answer the following question. You should spend 5 minutes organizing or outlining your essay.
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Write an essay that:
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Has a relevant thesis and supports that thesis with appropriate historical evidence.
Addresses all parts of the question.
Makes direct, relevant comparisons.
Analyzes relevant reasons for similarities and differences.
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3. Analyze similarities and differences between the role of the state in Japan’s economic development and the role of the state in
the economic development of ONE of the following during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
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China
Ottoman Empire
Russia
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Global History and Geography and AP Word history
Similarities
Differences
Document-Based Questions
 Same type of multiple-choice questions
 Same amount of time to complete the
assessment
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Required to use all documents for the
DBQ on the AP
Multiple choice questions can be used
to help you write your essays on the
Regents
More complex vocabulary on the AP
Essays on the AP usually require you to
compare two regions or people, for
example, while essays on the Regents
don’t
High scores on the AP can give you
college credit
The AP World History divides history
into six major periods
References
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http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/ss/hs/rubrics/revisedrubrichssocst.pdf
http://www.learnerator.com/blog/ap-world-history-tips/
http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/global/examoverview/multiple-choice.cfm
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/concht/scoring-regents.html
https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores/about-ap-scores
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/2090.html
http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/global/examoverview/thematic.cfm
http://www.barronsregents.com/global-regents.html