Attacking the DBQ
APUSH
Chevalier
Pie-Chart Breakdown
Percent Breakdown
27.5%
50%
22.5%
MC
DBQ
Essays
APUSH Exam
• Section 1: Multiple choice (50% of exam)
– 80 questions in 55 minutes (1.45
questions/min)
• Section 2: Free Response (50% of exam)
– Part A: DBQ (45% of Section 2) (22.5% of
exam)
– Part B: FRQ #1 (origins-1865) (27.5% of
Section 2)
– Part C: FRQ #2 (1865-present) (27.5% of
Section 2)
3
Section 2
• 130 minutes (15 mandatory to read)
• Part A: 60 minutes (45 advised to write)
• Part B and C: 70 minutes (5 advised to
pre-write on each and 30 advised to
write on each)
• You can look ahead once you start on
Sec. 2
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DBQ
• The most challenging element for many
students
• Many find the documents helpful in
writing the essay.
• Approximately 8 documents to interpret
• Mainly short readings, and two or three
visual resources, such as charts, maps,
cartoons, and photographs.
5
The DBQ
• The DBQ question often reads much like a
regular essay.
• Write an essay that integrates your
understanding of the documents that follow
and your knowledge of the period.
– To what extent was the demand for no
taxation without representation both the
primary force motivating the American
revolutionary movement and a symbol of
democracy?
6
The DBQ
• Needed:
– Strong and well developed thesis
– Use of substantial relevant information and
ability to analyze all elements of the question
– Requires the ability to:
• Interpret documents
• Recognize the conflicting viewpoints
• Use and refer to the documents effectively in the
context of the essay
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DBQ
• Before you write, organize your
thoughts
– Dangerous Assumption: you have to make
repeated reference to the given documents
• “and your knowledge of the period”
– One good way to ensure you incorporate
into the essay both general and specific
knowledge of a period: knowledge
acquired from past study.
8
The DBQ
• Before reading the documents:
– Analyze the question and decide how you
would answer “if there were no documents to
deal with.”
– Does the information in the text lead you to
agree or disagree with the statement? Why?
• Jot down facts that support your tentative
conclusion, or hypothesis
• If several facts support, write your thesis, if not,
then reverse your stance.
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Organizing Your Thoughts
Agree With Statement
Facts
Documents
Disagree With Statement
Facts
Documents
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Before You Write
• Look in the documents for additional
support for your position.
–Conclusion  Evidence
–Decide if it can be used. Yes = put a
check next to the document. No= move
on.
–The exam writers generally try to even
out the documents for each case
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The DBQ
• It calls for an ability to read primary
sources in their historical context and
integrate them into one’s
understanding of history.
–It may be the most challenging part of
the exam, however it comes closest to
measuring the skills associated with the
study of history
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