AP World History
Writing Guide
Miss Beck
There are three important writing assignment categories in AP World History. All of the
categories are tested on the AP World History exam. This guide is meant to help you understand what is
expected for each category and how to write for each type of assignment.
Before you understand how to write the required essays, you should know how to write an
appropriate thesis for AP World History. While the thesis writing you learned may be appropriate in
other academic classes, it must be enhanced for AP World History. All scoring guides on the AP World
History exam (the same ones used to grade your work in class) emphasize the thesis statement. The
rubric states you must have an acceptable thesis. The challenge lies in knowing what is acceptable.
THESIS WRITING
A thesis should be a specific argument that answers the question at hand.
Example Test Question Prompt: Compare and contrast the Roman Empire during 206 BCE-220 CE with
the Spanish Empire of the sixteenth century.
Your thesis should include one comparison and one contrast while referencing both empires and time
frames. A generic thesis would be:
“There were many similarities and differences between the Roman Empire during 206
BCE-200 CE and the Spanish Empire of the sixteenth century.”
For AP World History you need to do more than what is stated above. It is too general and simply
repeats the prompt. In other words, you need to create a better thesis. An AP World History thesis
would read:
“There were many similarities and differences between the Roman Empire during 206
BCE-220 CE and the Spanish Empire of the sixteenth century. One was land-based while
the other was sea-based yet they both grew rich from conquest of territory outside their
boundaries.”
All you must do is present an argument in your thesis. A short thesis is always better than a long one. A
thesis that is too long may cause you to lose points. Additionally, do not split up your thesis. Make sure
it is all in one place.
Developing better thesis writing is simply by practice. You will be offered multiple opportunities to
develop you thesis writing skills. Please utilize them!
DOCUMENT-BASED QUESTIONS (DBQ’s):
The purpose of DBQ’s is to test your ability to work with and understand historical documents. This
essay is about the documents! Make sure to keep focus on that concept. Each DBQ should have the
following:





A relevant thesis with evidence from the documents
o Thesis must be based on the documents, not just the question
Use of all the documents
o College Board says you must “Support the thesis with appropriate evidence from all
documents.” Do not simply mention the document.
Analysis of documents by grouping them in as many appropriate ways as possible; not a simple
summary of the documents individually
o Ability to group shows that you have read and understand the document.
o Groupings include
 Time
 Geography
 Type of source
 Type of author
 Similar opinions
 Those that are of the same religion, political party, social groups, or other
groups
Accounts for all the sources of the documents and includes analysis of the authors’ points of
view
o Think about:
 The author
 Why he/she would think this
 Where the document comes from in time and geography
 What the document comes from (religious text, speech, letter, diary,
newspaper)
 Truthfulness of the document
Explanation for need of one additional document
Yes, an additional document! Your DBQ is not just about the documents you see on the paper, but also
one you can recall from reading. There will be plenty to prepare you ahead of time. It is simply a matter
of remembering what they consist of and including them.
DBQ Scoring Rubric
Basic Core
Is the thesis acceptable?
Does the student address all of the documents and
demonstrate understanding of all or all but one?
Points
1
1
Has the student supported the thesis with
appropriate evidence from all but one of the
documents?
(Has the student supported the thesis with
appropriate evidence from all but two
documents?)
Has the student analyzed point of view in at least
two documents?
Has the student analyzed the documents by
grouping them in two or three ways?
Has the students identified and explained the need
for one type of appropriate additional document?
TOTAL
2
(1)
1
1
1
7
If you score 7 out of 7 on the Basic Core you are eligible to receive points for the Expanded Core.
Expanded Core
Does the student have a comprehensive,
analytical, and explicit thesis?
Points
0-2
Has the student shown careful and insightful
analysis of the document?
Has the student used the documents persuasively
as evidence?
Has the student analyzed bias and point of view in
most or all documents?
Has the student analyzed the documents in
additional ways-syntheses, comparisons, or
groupings?
Has the student brought in relevant “outside”
historical content?
Has the student explained the need for more than
one type of appropriate additional documents?
Total
2
Words and what they mean on a writing prompt or exam:
Word
Analyze
Definition
Study or examine the structure
of something or how its parts are
Assess/Evaluate
Compare
Contrast
Describe
Discuss
Explain
put together
Examine something in order to
judge it
Examine things or people in
order to discover the similarities
and differences. You need to
deal with both the similarities
and the differences. When you
see compare, think compare and
contrast.
Examine things or people in
order to discover the differences
Give an account of something by
discussing the details or its
characteristics
Consider a topic in writing or to
write about
Tell why something is or give an
account with clarity and detail to
be understood by someone else
OTHER FREE RESPONSE QUESTIONS (FRQ’S):
CONTINUITY AND CHANGE OVER TIME ESSAY (CCOT):
For this writing component you will be given some choice. You will be offered a general question and
then a choice of two to five regions to write about. These will usually be related by themes.
Example Question Prompt: Discuss the effects of migration from 1200-1400 on THREE of the following
regions:
South America
Southeast Africa
India and the Himalayas
Eastern Europe
Overall, this question is designed to have you discuss how something in world history has changed over
time and what has stayed the same. The essay will likely require you to write over more than one time
period specified by the College Board. In other words, the essay may cover more than one unit. Please
keep the following in mind:


Show CHANGE OVER TIME and avoid discussing simply the beginning and end of a process.
Remember to show continuity- how things have not changed over time.

Include as much historical evidence as possible.
CCOT Scoring Rubric
Basic Core
Does the student have an acceptable thesis?
Has the student addressed all parts of the
question?
Points
1
2
(Has the student addressed most parts of the
question?)
Has the student substantiated the thesis with
appropriate historical evidence?
(1)
(Has the student done so partially?)
(1)
Has the student made effective use of historical
context to show the continuity and change over
time?
Has the student analyzed the process of
continuity and change over time?
Total
1
Expanded Core
Does the student have a clear, analytical, and
comprehensive thesis?
Points
0-2
2
1
7
Has the student analyzed all parts of the
question as relevant: global context, chronology,
causation, change, continuity, and effects?
Has the student given ample historical evidence
to substantiate his or her thesis?
Has the student provided connection with
relevant ideas, events, and trends in an
innovative way?
Total
2
COMPARATIVE ESSAY:
For this writing component you will be asked to write about two major societies and how they
interacted with one another. You may also be asked to compare and contrast them based on a
major theme or event.
Please keep the following in mind:



A comparison essay implies that you will contrast as well.
Do not discuss just one region or culture and then the other. The AP World History
Comparative Essay calls for more than just that. The scoring guides require direct
comparisons.
Provide evidence!
Comparative Essay Rubric
Basic Core
Does the student have an acceptable thesis?
Has the student addressed all parts of the
question?
Points
1
2
(1)
Has the student addressed most parts of the
question?
Has the student substantiated the thesis with
appropriate historical evidence?
2
Has the student done so partially?
Has the student shown at least one relevant, direct
comparison between or among the societies?
Has the student analyzed at least one reason for
similarity or difference identified in a direct
comparison?
Total
(1)
1
Expanded Core
Does the student have a clear, analytical, and
comprehensive thesis?
Points
0-2
Has the student addressed all parts of the question
thoroughly: comparisons, chronology, causation,
connections, themes, interactions, and content?
Has the student given ample historical evidence to
substantiate his or her thesis?
Has the student related comparisons to a larger
global context?
Has the student made direct comparisons
consistently between and among societies?
Has the student consistently analyzed the causes
and effects of relevant similarities and differences?
1
7
Total
2
A WORD ABOUT SCORING!
Although scoring appears to be out of 7 points (or 9 if you do a really phenomenal job), your
score is actually multiplied on the AP Exam. Since the multiplication scheme on the AP World History
exam is quite complicated, your essay scores will be multiplied by 5 for the purposes of clarity. In other
words, if you score a 9 on your essay, it would actually be a 45/45 since your score is multiplied by 5. It is
also counted as 45 points. If you score a 4/9, your score is actually a 20/45.