The exam consists of two parts: a multiple choice section and a free-response section.
College Board recognizes that writing under time constraints when you don't know the questions in advance means you will be writing what amounts to a rough draft. As long as the intent, meaning, and historicity is correct, you will get the points. If you write something incorrect or wrong, you can still get points if the rest of what you wrote has things correct. So if something is wrong, just remember that if you can cross it out, erase it, or ignore it and the rest of the writing is good, you can still get the points (you don't lose points for incorrect things if they are correct elsewhere). You also need to be careful when you write since the readers grading your written work won't double dip points. If a sentence, component, or element got you points in one category, they can't use it to give you points in another area too.
College Board recognizes that writing under time constraints when you don't know the questions in advance means you will be writing what amounts to a rough draft. As long as the intent, meaning, and historicity is correct, you will get the points. If you write something incorrect or wrong, you can still get points if the rest of what you wrote has things correct. So if something is wrong, just remember that if you can cross it out, erase it, or ignore it and the rest of the writing is good, you can still get the points (you don't lose points for incorrect things if they are correct elsewhere). You also need to be careful when you write since the readers grading your written work won't double dip points. If a sentence, component, or element got you points in one category, they can't use it to give you points in another area too.
2019 Global AP Exam Results
The Multiple Choice Section
For the multiple choice section, there are 55 questions and you have 80 minutes, so almost 1 and a half minutes per question (but beware, many questions have documents, charts, graphs, or images to analyze too). There are going to be 4 types of multiple choice questions: quantitative analysis, text-based analysis, visual source analysis, and individual multiple choice questions. This section makes up 50% of your overall exam grade.
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Quantitative Analysis
These questions have a line graph, chart, table, map, or infographic to review before answering a set of questions. There will be 5 sets of these types of questions, with two to three questions per set.
These questions have a line graph, chart, table, map, or infographic to review before answering a set of questions. There will be 5 sets of these types of questions, with two to three questions per set.
Questions 3 and 4 are an example from the course and exam description of what you might see for the quantitative analysis multiple choice questions.
Question 3 uses disciplinary practice skill 3.A: describe the data presented. It also comes from Learning Objective LOR-2.B, which is in unit 3. When examining the questions, read them carefully and choose the best answer.
Question 4 uses disciplinary practice skill 3.C: explain patterns and trends in data to draw conclusions. The answer is also from unit 3, LOR-2.B.
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Text-Based Analysis
There will be two sets of text-based analyses questions, each set will have three to four questions per set. One set will include a foundational document as a stimulus and the other will include a primary or secondary text-based source.
There will be two sets of text-based analyses questions, each set will have three to four questions per set. One set will include a foundational document as a stimulus and the other will include a primary or secondary text-based source.
Questions 7 and 8 are an example from the course and exam description of what you might see for the text-based analysis multiple choice questions.
Question 7 utilizes skill 4.A: describe the author's claim(s), perspective, evidence, and reasoning. The content of the question comes from unit 1, learning objective LOR-1.B.
Question 8 requires skill 4.B: explain how the author's argument or perspective relates to political principles, institutions, processes, policies, and behaviors. It comes from content learned in unit 5, found in learning objective PMI-5.F.
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Visual Source Analysis
Visual sources can be maps, images, cartoons, or infographics. There will be three sets of these questions, with two questions per set.
Visual sources can be maps, images, cartoons, or infographics. There will be three sets of these questions, with two questions per set.
Questions 12 and 13 are an example from the course and exam description of what you might see for the visual source analysis multiple choice questions.
Both questions content is covered in unit 5, learning objective PRD-2.E.
Question 12 uses skill 4.D: explain how the visual elements of a cartoon, map, or infographic illustrate or relate to political principles, institutions, processes, policies, and behaviors.
Question 13, however, comes from skill 2.D: explain how required Supreme Court cases apply to scenarios in context.
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Individual Multiple-Choice Questions
There will be approximately 30 of these types of questions and these will have no stimulus - they are just multiple choice questions.
There will be approximately 30 of these types of questions and these will have no stimulus - they are just multiple choice questions.
Questions 10 and 11 are an example from the course and exam description of what you might see for the individual multiple choice questions.
Question 10 uses skill 1.A: describe political principles, institutions, processes, policies, and behaviors. The content to answer this question is in unit 2, learning objective CON-3.A.
Question 11 is covered by skill 1.E: explain how political principles, institutions, processes, policies, and behaviors apply to different scenarios in context. This question is in unit 4, learning objective PMI-4.D.
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The Free-Response Questions (FRQs)
When looking for how you should answer these questions, look to what the questions are asking you to do.
- Compare means to provide a description of explanation of similarities and/or differences.
- When it asks you to Define it means they are looking for you to provide a specific meaning for a word or concept.
- Describe means you should provide the relevant characteristics of a specified topic.
- To Develop an argument means to articulate a claim and support it with evidence.
- When you are tasked to Draw a conclusion, you should use available information to formulate an accurate statement that demonstrates understanding based on evidence.
- When it asks you to Explain, you should provide information about how or why a relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome occurs, using evidence and/or reasoning. Explain “how” typically requires analyzing the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome, whereas explain “why” typically requires analysis of motivations or reasons for the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome.
- To Identify means to indicate or provide information about a specified topic, without elaboration or explanation.
Each FRQ is worth 12.5% of the exam, so your strategy should be to focus your time on the questions you feel strongest on. Be mindful, though - not every question is worth the same amount of points; they are just weighted the same in the overall exam score.
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FRQ 1: Concept Application
This question will give you an authentic scenario and ask you describe and explain the effects of a political institution, behavior, or process. You will be asked to transfer your understanding of course concepts to the application of a new situation or scenario.
Here is the sample College Board gives in the course and exam description:
To answer this question, write each answer separately, labeled with the correct letter. This will ensure that you answered everything and the person reading your answer can accurately find what you meant. This question requires content from unit 5, learning objectives PMI-5.E and PMI-5.G. The skills required for it come from 1.D and 1.E:
Here is how College Board expects you to answer and get all the points:
FRQ 2: Quantitative Analysis
This question will present you will a table, graph, map, or infographic and require you to analyze it and respond to a set of questions. Those questions will ask you to describe the data, describe patterns, trends, similarities, or differences, draw conclusions, and explain how it demonstrates a political principle, institution, process, policy, or behavior.
Here is the sample College Board gives in the course and exam description:
This question uses skills 3.A, 3.B, and 3.D: describe the data presented, describe patterns and trends, and explain what the data implies or illustrates about political principles, institutions, processes, policies, or behaviors. The content for this question is in unit 1, learning objective CON-2.A. Again, break out your answer into A), B), C), and D), each on it's own line, to be sure you cover everything.
Here is how College Board expects you to answer and get all the points:
FRQ 3: SCOTUS Comparison
This question will always give you a Supreme Court case that is not required, so it may be a brand new case that you have never seen before. You will need to identify a similarities or difference between this case and a specific required Supreme Court case, describing the details, reasoning, and holding or the required case. You will also need to explain a similarity or difference in the reasoning or holding of the two cases and explain how the reasoning or holding in the non-required case shows a political principle, institution, process, policy, or behavior.
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Here is the sample College Board gives in the course and exam description:
This question come from unit 1 as well, learning objectives CON-2.A and CON-2.B. The skills required for this question come from 1.E, 2.A, and 2.C: explain how political principles, institutions, processes, policies, and behaviors apply to different scenarios in context, describe the facts, reasoning, decision, and majority opinion of required Supreme Court cases, and compare the reasoning, decision, and majority opinion of a required Supreme Court case to a non-required Supreme Court case. Break your answer down into each individual piece again to insure you have covered everything.
Here is how College Board expects you to answer and get all the points:
FRQ 4: Argumentative Essay
The argumentative essay requires you to write an essay, this one does not get broken down into sections. A key point to note: if you do not have a thesis, you cannot earn the third evidence point and you cannot earn the point for responding to an alternative perspective (without a thesis, your maximum score could only be 3 out of 6). Think of this as a typical 5 paragraph essay with at least the following format:
(1) An introduction with a thesis (and it only needs a thesis!);
(2) One body paragraph with evidence from one of the required foundational documents, explain your evidence;
(3) A second body paragraph with evidence from elsewhere, explain your evidence;
(4) A paragraph that responds to one or more counterpoints, refuting them and explaining your evidence that refutes it, and;
(5) A quick conclusion that restates your thesis (and it only needs to restate your thesis!).
Restating the thesis means saying it a different way, this way if your first attempt at writing your thesis failed, you can still get the thesis point because the thesis point can be earned anywhere in the essay.
(1) An introduction with a thesis (and it only needs a thesis!);
(2) One body paragraph with evidence from one of the required foundational documents, explain your evidence;
(3) A second body paragraph with evidence from elsewhere, explain your evidence;
(4) A paragraph that responds to one or more counterpoints, refuting them and explaining your evidence that refutes it, and;
(5) A quick conclusion that restates your thesis (and it only needs to restate your thesis!).
Restating the thesis means saying it a different way, this way if your first attempt at writing your thesis failed, you can still get the thesis point because the thesis point can be earned anywhere in the essay.
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Here is the sample College Board gives in the course and exam description:
This example uses knowledge from units 1 and 5, learning objectives LOR-1.A, LOR-1.B, CON-1.A, MPA-3.A, PMI-5.B, PMI-5.D, and PRD-2.B. It uses skills 5.A, 5.B, 5.C, and 5.D: articulate a defensible claim or thesis, support your argument using relevant evidence, use reasoning to organize and analyze evidence, explaining its significance to justify your claim or thesis, and use refutation, concession, or rebuttal in responding to opposing or alternative perspectives.
Here is how College Board expects you to answer and get all the points: