2009 APUSH Exam
National
North Penn
5
4
3
2
1
3>
11.1%
38%
19.5%
34.2%
22.2%
17.6%
25.2%
10.2%
5
4
3
2
1
3>
11%
39.6%
18.8%
32.1%
22.8%
14.1%
25.8%
14.1%
21.6%
0%
52.6%
85.9%
5
4
3
2
1
3>
11%
32.3%
20.8%
41.4%
21%
20.3%
26.6%
6%
5
4
3
2
1
3>
11.6%
19.3%
21.2%
33.1%
21.7%
33.1%
26.6%
13.8%
18.9%
0%
54.5%
85.5%
4
21%
43%
3
21%
21%
2
27%
6%
1
19%
1%
3>
53%
94%
#s
4
21.2%
43.5%
3
20.1%
15%
2
28%
11.6%
1
19.8%
0%
3>
52.1%
88.4%
#s
22%
0%
#s
52.8%
89.8%
2010 APUSH Exam
National
North Penn
#s
2011 APUSH Exam
National
North Penn
20%
0%
#s
52.8%
94%
2012 APUSH Exam
National
North Penn
#s
2013 APUSH Exam
National
North Penn
5
11%
30%
2014 APUSH Exam
National
North Penn
5
10.8%
29.9%
4
Section
I
Question Type
Part A – Multiple
Choice Questions
Number of Questions
Part A – DocumentBased Question
Part B – Long Essay
Question
55 Minutes
40%
45 Minutes
20%
60 Minutes
25%
35 Minutes
15%
55 Questions
Part B – Short Answer 4 Questions
Questions
(with multiple parts)
II
Timing
Percentage of
Total Exam
Score
1 Question
1 Question
(chosen from a pair)
1
2
3
1491 – 1607
On the North American continent controlled by American Indians,
contact among the peoples of Europe, the Americas, and West Africa
created a new world
1607 – 1754
Europeans and American Indians maneuvered and fought for dominance,
control, and security in North America, and distinctive colonial and
native societies emerged
10%
1754 – 1800
British imperial attempts to reassert control over its colonies and the
colonial reaction to these attempts produced a new American republic,
along with struggles over the new nation’s social, political, and economic
identity
12%
4
1800 – 1848
5
1848 – 1877
6
1865 – 1898
7
1898 – 1945
8
9
1945 – 1980
1980 - Present
5%
45%
The new republic struggled to define and extend democratic ideals in
the face of rapid economic, territorial, and demographic changes
10%
As the nation expanded and its population grew, regional tensions,
especially over slavery, led to a civil war – the course and aftermath of
which transformed American society.
13%
The transformation of the U.S. from an agricultural to an increasingly
industrialized and urbanized society brought about significant economic,
political, diplomatic, social, environmental, and cultural changes.
An increasingly pluralistic U.S. faced profound domestic and global
challenges, debated the proper degree of government activism, and
sought to define its international role.
13%
45%
After WW II, the U.S. grappled with prosperity and unfamiliar
international responsibilities, while struggling to live up to its ideals.
As the U.S. transitioned to a new century filled with challenges and
possibilities, it experienced renewed ideological and cultural debates,
sought to redefine its foreign policy, and adapted to economic
globalization and revolutionary changes in science and technology.
5%
17%
15%
5%
5%
Identity (ID)
The formation of both

American national identity
and group identities in US 
history.
Work,
Exchange, and
Technology
(WXT)
The development of
American economies
based on agriculture,
commerce, and
manufacturing.



Why and how the various
people who moved to,

from, and within the US
Peopling (PEO) adapted to their new social 
and physical
environments.
Politics and
Power (POL)
Explore and examine
ongoing debates over the
role of the state in society
and its potential as an
active agent for change.
The global context in
America in the which the US originated
and developed as well as
World (WOR)
the influence of the US on
world affairs.



How and why have debates over American national identity changed
over time?
How have gender, class, ethnic, religious, regional, and other group
identities changed in different eras?
How have changes in markets, transportation, and technology affected
American society from colonial times to the present day?
Why have different labor systems developed in British North America
and the US, and how have they affected US society?
How have debates over economic values and the role of government in
the US economy affected politics, society, the economy, and the
environment?
Why have people migrated to, from, and within North America?
How have changes in migration and population patterns affected
American life?
How and why have different political and social groups competed for
influence over society and government in what would become the US?
How have Americans agreed on or argued over the values that guide the
political system as well as who is a part of the political process?

How have events in North America and the US related to contemporary
developments in the rest of the world?
How have different factors influenced US military, diplomatic, and
economic involvement in international affairs and foreign conflicts, both
in North America and abroad?
Environment
and
Geography –
Physical and
Human (ENV)

The role of environment,
geography, and climate in

both constraining and
shaping human actions.
How did interactions with the natural environment shape the institutions
and values of various groups living in the North American continent?
How did economic and demographic changes affect the environment
and lead to debates over use and control of the environment and natural
resources?
Ideas, Beliefs,
and Culture
(CUL)
The roles that beliefs,

social mores, and creative
expression have played in 
shaping the US.
How and why have moral, philosophical, and cultural values changed in
what would become the US?
How and why have changes in moral, philosophical, and cultural values
affected US history?
Skill Type
Historical Thinking Skills
Historical Causation
Chronological
Reasoning
Recognize, analyze, & evaluate the dynamics of
history over periods of time through the
discovery of patterns or themes.
Periodization
Analyze & organize history into blocks of time
or periods so that it is meaningful.
Contextualization
Historical Argumentation
Crafting Historical
Arguments
Appropriate Use of Relevant
Historical Evidence
Historical
Interpretation &
Synthesis
Identify, analyze, & evaluate relationships
among significant events:

Immediate, proximate, or long-term

Correlation or coincidental
Patterns of Continuity and
Change over Time
Comparison
Comparison &
Contextualization
Description
Describe, compare, contrast, and evaluate two
or more historical developments from multiple
perspectives.
How a specific event or development fits into
the context of a larger and broader historical
development, often on the national or global
scale.
Analyze and address a question through the
construction of a plausible and persuasive
argument.

Thesis driven

Support from relevant historical
evidence
Evaluate evidence from diverse sources:

Author’s point of view

Intended audience

Purpose

Historical context
Interpretation
Describe, analyze, and evaluate diverse
interpretations of historical sources, and to
construct one’s own interpretation.
Synthesis
Applying all of the thinking skills to draw and
fuse knowledge from diverse sources and
disciplines to develop a persuasive
understanding of the past.