Ultimate Guide to US History AP By TS HISTORICAL

US History AP

If you’re a high school student taking US History AP or considering taking the course, you might be wondering what the blog section is all about. In this section, we’ll take a look at what the course covers and what you can expect from the exam.

US History AP Course

The course covers nine periods of American history, from pre-Columbian times to the present day. A percentage indicates each content area’s exam weighting:

Period	Percent
1491-1607	4-6%
1607-1754	6-8%
1754-1800	10-17%
1800-1848	10-17%
1844-1877	10-17%
1865-1898	10-17%
1890-1945	10-17%
1945-1980	10-17%
1980-Present	4-6%

In most US History AP classes, a college-level textbook serves as the course’s foundation.

US History AP Exam

The US History AP course covers American history from 1491 to the present. The exam is divided into two sections: multiple choice and free response. In the multiple-choice section, you’ll be given four answer choices for each question and will need to choose the correct answer. In the free-response section, you’ll be asked to write three essays: an analytical essay, a synthesis essay, and an argumentative essay.

You can expect to spend about 2-3 hours on the exam, including time for both sections. While that may seem like a lot of time, remember that you’ll have plenty of time to prepare before the exam. Be sure to use your time wisely so that you’re ready when test day comes around!

Composite score range

The College Board has given data on the required composite score range (out of 180) for each grade.

Final Score	Range 1996	Range 2001	Range 2002	Range 2006
1	0-50	0-41	0-45	0-46
2	42-73	46-75	47-67	47-67
3	79-95	74-90	76-93	68-84
4	96-116	92-113	94-114	85-105
5	117-180	114-180	115-180	106-180

Note: The pre-2011 grading formula, which lost 0.25 points for each wrong multiple-choice answer, is reflected in the above composite score cut points.