Tips for Writing an
Essay on the AP US
History Exam
General Pointers
• Be persuasive, convince the reader that your answer is
correct
• Take a stand, have an opinion, don’t be timid
• Avoid fragmented sentences & run-ons
• Avoid slang and informal language
• Avoid using first person; “I,” “my,” “we,” & “our”
• Essays must be written in black or dark blue ink
General Pointers
• Don’t waste time with white out, instead cross out
words or sentences
• Write legibly in fairly large sized letters
• The average reader spends only a few minutes on each
essay. Your goal is to distinguish your essay from
mediocrity in the 1st paragraph.
Understanding the
Essay Prompt
• All AP essays are written in response to a “prompt”
• Understanding what this prompt is asking you to do is
very important
• Read the WHOLE prompt, every word; don’t be in a
hurry
• Examine the VERB in the prompt. It tells you what you
must do
• Commonly used verb phrases: analyze, evaluate, assess the
validity, compare and contrast, discuss or consider
Understanding the
Essay Prompt
• Carefully observe any NUMBERS in the question
• Observe the GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES
• Center your answer within the TIME FRAME
• USE THE CATEGORIES given in the question
• Social, economic, political, cultural, religious,
geographical, etc.
• Announce the categories in your thesis & then write a
paragraph about each
Sample Prompts
• Analyze the effect of the French and Indian War and
its aftermath on the relationship between Great Britain
and the British colonies. Confine your response to the
period from 1754 to 1776.
• Compare & contrast United States foreign policy after
the First World War and after the Second World War.
Consider the periods 1919-1928 and 1945-1950.
Sample Prompts
• Analyze the origins and outcomes of the intense cultural
conflicts of the 1920s. In your response, focus on TWO of
the following.
• Immigration
• Prohibition
• Religion
• Compare and contrast the Cold War foreign policies of
TWO of the following presidents.
• Harry Truman (1945–1953)
• Dwight Eisenhower (1953–1961)
• Richard Nixon (1969–1974)
Create an outline
• After you understand the task at hand, create a brief
outline
• This maybe a chart, diagram, outline, or list, but do
not skip this step
• Organize your thinking so that you cover all of the
material you need to cover in order to address the
prompt completely
• You are advised to spend 5 minutes planning and 30
minutes writing
Writing a thesis
• A clear thesis is essential to a solid score, it is the most
important sentence in your essay
• A thesis sentence is a single declaratory sentence that
“answers” the prompt with a clearly and simply stated
opinion that does not restate the prompt.
• Do nor rewrite or restate the question/prompt
• A good thesis shows that the writer is going to answer
all parts of the question within the boundaries of the
question
Writing a thesis
• “Slavery was the principal cause of the U.S. Civil War.
Assess the validity of this statement.”
• Good
• Although slavery was a significant factor in the coming of the
Civil War, the primary causes were the political, economic, and
moral implications of the extension of slavery to the territories.
• Bad
• Slavery was the principal cause of the Civil War
• Ugly
• The Civil War had many causes.
Writing a thesis
• It may be helpful to answer the prompt in a single
sentence in order to help establish your thesis
• Use this prompt to try:
• “How successful was organized labor in improving the
position of workers in the period from 1875 to 1900?
Analyze the factors that contributed to the level of
success achieved.”
Writing a thesis
• Concept Thesis vs. Organizational Thesis
• Concept thesis examples:
• Although this was a period of intense labor pressure,
unions failed to make the lives and status of workers
better.
• Although this period saw increased labor involvement,
state and federal government antagonism kept unions
from being effective.
• This type of statement acknowledges that the question
is complex
Writing a thesis
• Organizational thesis examples:
• Labor unions failed because they were confused in their
goals and were aggressively opposed by both state and
federal governments.
• Organized labor unions were successful because they
were not unified in their demands and were associated
with radical European groups
• These statements specifically mention what the topics
of the body of your essay will be
Creating an
introduction
• Avoid fluffy statements
• It’s OK if your intro is only 2-3 sentences
• Ideally your first sentence is the thesis
The Body
• Essays often fall short b/c they lack facts, support your
thesis w/ FACTS
• It is wise to show more than one side of an argument
(although thesis statements)
• Showing exceptions demonstrates analysis & critical
thinking
• Write down your most factually supported ideas in
your 2nd & 3rd paragraphs in case you run out of time
The Body
• Things to Avoid:
•
•
•
•
•
Repetitiveness
Wordiness
Mush: vague generalities unsupported by facts
Facts that do not pertain to the question/prompt
Telling a narrative
What are graders
looking for?
• Thesis Statement
• Facts (outside info for DBQs)
• Analysis
• Did you show that you understood the question?
• Did you make reasonable, logical arguments?
• Synthesis
• Did you put your facts & reasoning together & make
reasonable inferences & conclusions?
ETC.
• Multiple Choice Questions=50% of grade
• 80 Qs in 55 minutes
• Essay Exams=50% of grade
• 1 DBQ in 45 minutes
• 2 Free Response Essays (choose one of two twice), 35
minutes each