ap american history exam date 2022

AP US History Exam 2022

For details on the 2024 AP US History Exam, check this article .

Unlike 2020 and 2021, when the College Board modified the AP exams as a response to the disruption caused by COVID-19, the 2022 AP exams will return to its original format.

This year, the AP exams will take place over a two-week period in May: May 2–6 and May 9–13.

The College Board may change the format, however, if schools are disrupted in the spring due to COVID-19. 

“We’ll continue to monitor global, national, and local health conditions, putting the health and safety of students first, and if there are widespread school closures in spring 2022, we’ll provide options similar to those offered in 2021,” the College Board noted here . 

We will, of course, update this guide if that should happen.

The AP US History exam for 2022 will be a full-length paper-and-pencil exam that students can take in school only. 

Here is what you need to know to do well in the upcoming APUSH exam. 

Will I get college credit for the 2022 APUSH exam?

Students who take the 2022 APUSH exam will be eligible for college credit.

As in previous years, a student must obtain a score of 3, 4, or 5 to be eligible for college credit. 

For tips on getting a perfect AP score, check out this interview with Dawn Mueller, an educational consultant with Tutor Doctor.

How long is the 2022 APUSH exam?

The 2022 APUSH exam will be 3 hours, 15 minutes long. 

What’s the 2022 APUSH exam date and time?

The 2022 APUSH exam is scheduled for Friday, May 6 at 8 AM local time .  

What will be tested on the 2022 APUSH exam?

The 2022 APUSH exam will test students on the whole course content, so be prepared to answer questions on these topics:

• Unit 1: Period 1: 1491-1607
• Unit 2: Period 2: 1607-1754
• Unit 3: Period 3: 1754-1800 
• Unit 4: Period 4: 1800-1848
• Unit 5: Period 5: 1844-1877
• Unit 6: Period 6: 1865-1898
• Unit 7: Period 7: 1890-1945
• Unit 8: Period 8: 1945-1980
• Unit 9: Period 9: 1980-Present

What is the APUSH exam format for 2022?

The 2022 APUSH exam will consist of two sections. The first section is worth 60 percent of the exam, and the second section is worth 40 percent of the exam.

In the first section, you will have 55 minutes to answer 55 multiple-choice questions and 40 minutes to answer 3 short answer questions. The first two short answer questions are required, but you can choose between two prompts to answer the third question. 

In the second section, you will have 1 hour to answer 1 document-based question and 40 minutes to answer 1 long essay question. 

The chart below shows the breakdown of the exam components. 

Does the College Board offer any free APUSH exam prep resources? 

The College Board is offering a number of free APUSH exam resources to students to help them prepare for the exam.

APUSH Practice Tests

You can get examples of free-response questions from past APUSH exams for free. You can use these as practice tests to supplement other test prep materials you use.

Check here for free-response questions posed in the 2021 APUSH exam. You can also log in to the AP Classroom Question Bank for questions posed in the 2020 exam. 

And check here for free-response questions from the 2015-2019 APUSH exams.

APUSH Courses

The College Board’s AP YouTube channel gives students access to APLive classes and recordings delivered by AP teachers from across the country. Additionally, to help students review course content and skills before their exam, the College Board gives students access to the AP Daily: Live Review sessions for the 2021 APUSH exam . 

What are my other options for preparing for the 2022 APUSH exam?

If you don’t have an APUSH review book already, check out TUN’s Textbook Save Engine to compare prices and get the best deals. 

There are also online resources that you can use to help you prepare for the 2022 APUSH exam. 

Princeton Review

The Princeton Review offers a 6-Hour AP Cram Course for the APUSH exam. The course covers significant events and people in U.S. history from earliest times up to the present time, and reviews the historical periods and themes you need to understand for a great score.

The course, which comes with a Princeton Review prep book, can be ordered online for $399. For now, there are 3 available Cram Course schedules.

• April 24 & May 1, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM (Eastern time)
• April 26 & April 28, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (Eastern time)
• April 30 & May 1, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM (Eastern time)

The Princeton Review also offers private tutoring , available both in-person or online, for a fee starting at $206 an hour. If you decide to go with this personalized option, expert tutors will work with you to “make a plan, set goals, and exceed them.” The Princeton Review guarantees that if you’re not 100% satisfied, they will match you with another tutor and your next lesson will be free. 

If you’re taking more than one AP exam in 2022, check TUN’s AP Exam Review for details on other AP exams.

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Guide to the AP® U.S. History Exam

Why take ap ® u.s. history.

When faced with the choice of whether or not to take AP ® U.S. History, the benefits often outweigh the costs for most students.

Many colleges require students to fulfill a history or social science course before they can graduate. However, if you take the AP ® U.S. History Exam and attain a high score while you are in high school, you may be able to qualify for credit toward that requirement and not have to take another history exam in college.

A more recent argument for taking AP ® Exams, is that more colleges are going test-optional . This means that SAT ® and ACT ® scores are potentially holding less weight when it comes to college applications, and a good AP ® score could help tip the scale in your favor when it comes to college admissions.

Besides creating the opportunity to earn college credit for the work you do, APUSH courses also develop crucial skills, challenge you academically, and help round out your knowledge in ways you wouldn’t otherwise be able to. In addition to that, preparing for and taking the AP ® U.S. History Exam provides excellent practice for college-level exams you may take in the future. Still unsure? This article goes into more detail about the benefits of taking AP ® U.S. History .

How to sign up for the AP ® U.S. History Exam

To register for the APUSH exam, you need to contact your school’s AP ® coordinator, who can help facilitate your courses and exams.

Bear in mind you’ll likely need to complete requirements to be eligible to enroll in an AP ® course. In order to register for the AP ® U.S. History Exam, you have to join your class section online, on College Board’s My AP portal. Some schools will automatically register you for the exam if you’re enrolled in an AP ® U.S. History class, but others won’t and you will have to register online through the portal. If you are unsure whether or not you are registered for the AP® U.S. History Exam, check wIth your AP ® Coordinator.

There is also a deadline for exam registration, so make sure you register through your AP ® Coordinator by then to avoid paying any late fees. The deadline to register for exams is in the fall, but specific deadlines may vary by the school—be sure to check with your teacher or AP ® Coordinator.

How much does the AP ® Exam cost?

Each AP ® Exam costs a total of $96—if you’re in the mainland United States and its territories and commonwealths, Canada, or a U.S. Department of Defense Dependents School.

If you’re outside of those areas, the AP ® Exam will cost $126 per exam.

The College Board has a financial aid program that offers a $34 fee reduction in the exam. Read more about exam fees here .

You cannot use the My AP ® portal to pay fees – they will be collected by your AP ® coordinator.

When you take into account the cost of a college course versus the cost of the exam, though, you’ll see that the AP ® Exam is actually a bargain. With a passing score, you may be able to earn college credit and save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

When can I take the AP ® U.S. History Exam?

The AP ® U.S. History Exam date in 2022 is Friday, May 6th. You can find more information about dates and late-testing schedules for the 2022 AP ® U.S. History Exam Exam in our 2022 AP ® Exam Dates article.

What’s on the AP ® U.S. History Exam?

The AP ® U.S. History Exam will cover students’ knowledge of history in America from pre-Columbian times to the present day.To begin, let’s break down the topics that the AP ® U.S. History Exam will cover.

The course and exam focus on SEVEN broad themes of U.S. history. Let’s take a look at each theme now and give a brief overview of what to expect from them—and what you should be studying:

American and National Identity . The fundamental concepts of American democracy, the Constitution, and liberty. You are expected to demonstrate a grasp of these ideas and how they’ve evolved since the American Revolution.

Politics and Power . The history of American government and party systems. You should be able to discuss the various political parties throughout U.S. history as well as the government’s impact on social institutions.

Work, Exchange, and Technology. The way labor and economic forces have impacted the American market. You should understand the history of America’s economic landscape as well as how new technological developments have influenced it.

Culture and Society. How the role of religion, arts, and culture have impacted American society. You should be able to outline how different cultural groups have evolved and impacted within American history.

Migration and Settlement . The history of colonialism and immigration in America. You should be able to analyze the causes of external and internal migration, as well as detail how migration has impacted American history.

Geography and the Environment . The way the environment has impacted American communities. You should be able to detail how geographic and environmental factors affected human settlement of the country.

America in the World. The way America impacts other nations. You should be able to illustrate the impact U.S. military and diplomatic efforts have had on the world at large.

Some AP ® teachers might opt out of teaching via the “thematic” format and instead teach American history chronologically. The years are then broken down like this:

1607–1754 (Colonialism)

1754–1800 (The Revolutionary War)

1800–1848 (Early America)

1844–1877 (The Civil War and Reconstruction)

1865–1898 (The Gilded Age)

1890–1945 (The Great Depression and World Wars)

1945–1980 (The Cold War)

1980–Present (Modern Times)

What is the test format for the AP ® U.S. History Exam?

The test format for the Advanced Placement ® U.S. History Exam is somewhat complicated. There are two sections, each of which contains two distinct parts.

Put it all together, it looks like this:

Each section of the test is unique. To help you fully understand what to expect when you go into the AP ® U.S. History Exam, let’s take a closer look at what’s involved each step of the way.

You have 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete the exam. The structure of the test itself is made up of a 95-minute section of multiple-choice and short-answer questions, and a 100-minute writing section where you will answer two essay prompts.

This is a nice, readable table of the scoring percentage for each section:

Both sections are scored differently. For example, the multiple-choice section is scored by a computer. It also doesn’t deduct scores for incorrect or blank answers on the exam. That means you should never leave any multiple-choice questions blank ! The raw score for this section comes from the total number of questions you answer correctly.

The free-response section, on the other hand, is more complicated because someone (a real human) actually has to read your answer to determine your score by assigning individual points. It is important to study real AP® U.S. History exams from previous years and also to study the specific strategies you need to earn each point on the free-response essays. This section is scored during the AP® Reading—an annual convention in June, during which thousands of college professors and AP® teachers nationwide gather to help judge and score AP® essays.

What is a DBQ?

If you’ve come across the term ‘DBQ’, but don’t know what it means, don’t worry-the world of AP® tends to come with quite a few of its own acronyms . AP® U.S. History, for example, is often referred to as ‘APUSH’, for short.

DBQ simply stands for Document-Based Question. This is the first of the two essay questions you will have to answer in Section II of your AP ® U.S. History Exam.

For the DBQ, you will have one hour, including 15 minutes of reading time, to analyze a set of historical documents (usually 6 or 7), which you should use to help you answer the essay prompt.

The documents provided could either be in text or image format. Past examples of DBQ documents include, but are not limited to:

• Constitutional texts
• Diary excerpts
• Political cartoons
• Speech transcripts

You will be expected to use information from as many of the documents as you can to answer the question to the best of your ability.

How is the AP ® U.S. History Exam Scored?

The AP ® Exam’s scoring system is on a scale of one to five—with five being the best and one being the worst.

Here’s a good table that breaks down the score you could get and what it means.

When it comes to AP ® U.S. History, you’ll want to aim for a score of 3 or higher. Most colleges will give you college credit if you score within that range.

It varies from college to college though. So, if you want to know the score that a specific college will accept in exchange for credit, you’ll need to check with the college’s registrar’s office to find out information about AP ® credit for the AP ® U.S. History Exam. Often, you can find this information on the school’s website. You can also check out the College Board’s search tool for AP® credit policies .

NOTE: Colleges sometimes change their requirements for awarding college credit or offering placement out of required courses. So always check in with the college to make sure you have the most relevant and recent information.

Bottom line: You’re going to want to score as high as you possibly can. Sure your dream school only requires a 3—but you should always be aiming for the highest possible score regardless.

When you get that credit, you will effectively be walking into college with part of the requirements already completed. It means you could skip a history requirement and take whatever class you wanted to. Or, you could even save money on college tuition by spending less time getting credits. Either way, getting that college credit before college is a great way to set yourself up for the next four years. Read more about how AP ® exams helped Marco Learning’s tutors earn college credits.

What can I bring to the AP ® U.S. History Exam?

Below is a list of all the things you can bring with you into the exam room. Note: It’s possible that not all of the items will apply to you (e.g., the Student Accommodations Letter).

• Two No. 2 pencils with erasers. These will be used on the multiple-choice portion of the exam.
• Two black or dark blue ink pens. These will be used for the free-response questions. Be sure to bring black or dark blue ink pens only. Leave your gold glitter pens at home.
• A watch. This is a simple analog or digital watch with no internet access or alarms. Don’t even try to bring your smart watch in the room.
• The AP ® Student Pack. This is given to you just before you take your exam and contains a label that you need to place on your exam. Follow the labeling instructions carefully.
• Government- or school-issued ID. If you don’t attend the school where you’re taking the AP ® S. History Exam, you must also bring a government- or school-issued ID.
• College Board SSD Student Accommodation Letter. If you require accommodations beyond the regular exam, you’ll receive a letter that verifies this (e.g., you need a braille or large-type exam).
• Remember, you won’t have to bring all these things—but it’s in your best interest to be as prepared as you can for the exam.

Take a look at our Test Day Checklist to make sure you are 100% prepared to take your AP ® U.S. History Exam when the time comes!

How do I study for AP ® U.S. History?

Here are the best study tips for APUSH:

#1: Connect the themes

One thing that the AP® U.S. History course wants you to do is be able to connect historical events to the broader themes covered in the course. Not only that, but you need to be able to show that you know how the themes impact each other. That means connecting the broad themes together and showcasing how they relate to one another using specific examples.

#2: Take practice tests

There’s a saying, “Don’t shoot your first free throw in the NBA.” You also don’t want to take your first AP® U.S. History Exam on test day. To that end, take as many practice tests as you can before the big day. Take note of the areas you performed the weakest in and dedicate extra study time to those areas. Only by practicing over and over again can you expect to be better at any skill—including test-taking. If you don’t have much experience taking practice tests, check out John Moscatiello’s Step-by-Step Guide to taking a practice test like a pro .

#3: Write as much as you can

The free-response section of the AP ® U.S. History Exam is the most difficult part of the entire test. To prepare, you should be writing and practicing for the document-based question (DBQ) and long-essay question (LEQ) in the weeks leading up to the exam. College Board’s website has a page dedicated to past exam questions . Read them and start to craft essays around them. You can have your AP ® teacher read them and provide feedback as to which areas you can improve.

#4: Find resources that work

When it comes to studying for your exam, there is no “one size fits all”. Just because your older sister studied best with flashcards doesn’t necessarily mean that flashcards are right for you. We encourage you to take some time to figure out what study methods you are most comfortable with; it could be a mixture of everything!

We know it can be overwhelming starting from scratch. If you feel stuck, we suggest downloading our free AP® U.S. History study guide as a jumping off point and going from there.

If you’re looking for live video reviews before the AP ® Exams, we will host live AP ® review sessions on our YouTube channel . As well as live sessions, you can review content for the AP ® U.S. History Exam here:  APUSH Content Review .

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AP® US History

Ap® us history faq: everything you need to know for 2024.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: February 8, 2024

Read below for detailed answers to the most commonly-asked questions about the 2024 AP® US History exam!

What We Review

Is AP® US History easy? What can make it hard?

The AP® US History course is inherently more difficult than a regular US History course. The AP® courses are designed to teach at a college introductory level, and the AP® exams test your knowledge of college-level content. Within the realm of AP® exams, the AP® US History exam is more difficult than the majority of the AP® exams. Here’s why:

In 2023, 47.5% of students scored a 3 or above on the AP® US History exam, with a mean score of 2.54.

It is important to note the sample size when viewing statistics. The AP® US History exam has been the second most popular exam in the last three years, second only to AP® English Language. 

Approximately 470,000 students take the AP® US History exam every year. In 2023, 467,975 students took the APUSH exam .

Because of the accessible nature of the content, it is likely that some students who take AP® US History lack the academic experience necessary to do well or do not adequately prepare for the exam . This at least partially explains why the pass rate for the APUSH exam is typically lower than the average pass rate of all AP® exams.

So, while the passing percentage may appear low, it is possible that the percentage is skewed slightly due to a higher volume of unprepared test takers. 

In order to maximize your study time for the AP® US History exam, it is useful to know how the exam sections are weighted so that you can focus your attention on the areas that carry more weight than others. 

The AP® US History exam is fairly evenly weighted among all nine categories, but three of the nine categories carry a much lower weight than the others. These categories are:

• Unit 1: Period 1: 1491–1607 (4-6%)
• Unit 2: Period 2: 1607–1754 (6-8%)
• Unit 9: Period 9: 1980–Present (4-6%)

These units are only weighted at 4-8% of the exam, while the following 6 units are weighted at 10-17% of the exam:

• Unit 3: Period 3: 1754–1800
• Unit 4: Period 4: 1800–1848
• Unit 5: Period 5: 1844–1877
• Unit 6: Period 6: 1865–1898
• Unit 7: Period 7: 1890–1945
• Unit 8: Period 8: 1945–1980

When attempting a score of 3 or better of the AP® US History exam, it could be useful to know how many questions you need to answer correctly in each section to achieve that score. Our AP® US History score calculator (previewed below) shows that you must correctly answer 28 multiple-choice questions and at least half of the short answer and essay questions to achieve a passing score. 

Is AP® US History worth it?

The AP® US History exam is worth taking for various important reasons. First, AP® courses help build essential college skills, such as time management and study skills. AP® courses also help to build an academic confidence level for students going on to college. 

Second, taking AP® courses lets colleges know that you are taking your academics seriously and that you are familiar with and prepared for the rigors of college-level courses. According to College Board research , “ students who receive a score of 3 or higher on AP® Exams typically experience greater academic success in college and have higher graduation rates than their non-AP® peers.”

Perhaps the most important benefit of taking the AP® US History exam is the potential for college credit, which can translate into thousands of dollars in savings on your college tuition. By completing college credits in high school, you can avoid the need for additional semesters beyond four years and, in some cases, even graduate early.

Earning college credit can translate into significant savings on college tuition. The list below of several top colleges outlines the savings realized when using AP® US History for college credit.

The chart clearly outlines that there are significant savings to be gained by taking and passing the AP® exams. Add to this the educational benefits and it is clear that taking the AP® US History exam is worth your time and effort.

When is the 2024 AP® US History exam?

The 2024 AP® US History exam will take place on:

Fri, May 10, 2024, at 8am local time

Curious about when other AP® exams are happening in 202 4? View or download the complete AP® exam schedule here .

Is the 2024 AP® US History exam a digital test?

Schools can take the 2024 AP® US History exam as a traditional paper-and-pencil test or as an in-school digital exam on computers. More information on the digital option is available here .

You should check with your teacher and AP® Coordinator to know if you’ll take a paper-and-pencil or digital version.

Return to the Table of Contents

When do AP® US History scores typically come out?

According to the latest update from the College Board exam season timeline , students will receive their AP® scores in July 2024. Historically, the College Board typically releases AP® scores early in the month of July.

You’ll be able to access your AP® scores online with your College Board account username and password.

How is AP® US History scored? What’s the weighting of different questions?

The multiple-choice section of the AP® US History exam requires answering 55 questions in 55 minutes. The questions are typically grouped in subject sets of three to four. The questions require you to analyze historical texts and evidence using primary and secondary sources. All sources, maps, and graphs needed to answer the question are included. 

The AP® US History short answer section consists of three questions with a time limit of 40 minutes. This section actually consists of four total questions – the first two are required, and you can choose to answer either question 3 or question 4, for a total of three answered questions. 

The first two (required) questions cover the years 1754 to 1980. The optional questions cover 1491 to 1877, and 1865-2001 respectively. 

The single document-based question on the AP® US History exam allows a 15-minute reading period and then allows for an additional 45 minutes to answer the question. 

You must read 7 documents from a variety of historical perspectives. Based on your assessment of these documents, you must present and defend an argument that is supported by the provided documents. This question can cover any topic from the time period 1754-1980.

The last question on the AP® US History exam is the long essay question. You are allowed 40 minutes to answer this question. For this question, you can choose from three time periods. Option 1 is 1491-1800, Option 2 is 1800-1898, and Option 3 is 1890-2001. You should choose the option for which you feel most comfortable developing and defending an argument. 

It’s useful to know that the rubrics for the LEQ and DBQ have been slightly changed for the 2024 exam. The basic instructions remain the same, but the instructions for earning the evidence and complexity points have been simplified. The most noticeable changes are in the DBQ, where the number of documents that need to be used and the number of times POV has to be analyzed to earn full credit has been reduced. You can find the full rubrics in the College Board’s Course and Exam Description .

Pro tip : when answering the free-writing questions on the AP® US History exam, remember not to rely too heavily on quotations. Overusing quotations can signal to the exam reader that you are not confident in your understanding of historical content/context and lack the ability to adequately express that understanding. 

The units are weighted according to the chart below. If you want to know how this weighting translates to an actual score, try our free AP® US History score calculator . As you can see from the chart below, units 3-8 are weighted more heavily than the rest, so be sure to prepare well for those sections. 

The exam weighting breakdown for AP® US History is as follows:

What happens if you fail AP® US History?

If you fail or your score on the AP® US History exam is not high enough to receive college credit at the institution of your choice, it is important not to panic! 

You can retake the AP® US History exam as many times as you choose to achieve a higher score. The exam is given once a year in May. You will be required to pay the exam fee every time you take the exam.

The impact of failing the AP® US History exam on your high school GPA will actually be negligible. Most high schools base your course grade on your coursework and course exams. They don’t typically factor your AP® exam score into your course grade, so it shouldn’t affect your GPA

For college admissions, the impact of failing the AP® US History exam depends on the reason for taking the exam. If you are taking the exam for college credit, typically a score lower than a 3 (or a 4 for some schools) will disqualify you from receiving college credit for the course. 

Since the student is in control of where their AP® scores are sent, you can choose not to send a low score to the college of your choice. In addition, if you do send your AP® US History exam score to a college and then retake the exam and achieve a higher score, you can choose to cancel your lower score.

When do students typically take AP® US History? When is best?

Students typically take the AP® US History course later in their high school career.  

The AP® US History exam does not have any prerequisite requirements, however, many schools require at minimum successful completion of the school’s regular US History course. Many also require a grade of C or better on either AP® European History or AP® World History. For these reasons, most schools recommend waiting until your junior or senior year to take AP® US History. 

Waiting until 11th or 12th grade to take AP® US History means that you’re well-established in your high school career and more able to juggle the demands of more rigorous classes. This experience will allow you to handle this intensive survey course that covers the entirety of American history. 

Taking other AP® courses before AP® US History also allows you to have more exposure to the in-depth and informed responses required for the College Board’s short answer and essay questions before tackling them in the detail-heavy environment of AP® US History. 

Some students like to take more than one AP® class at a time. Many pair the reading and writing intensive AP® US History course with either an AP® language or AP® math course to balance the workload. 

In the end, the decision of when to take AP® US History will depend on your academic abilities and your workload. You should discuss the decision with your parents and your guidance counselor to settle on the perfect time to take AP® US History. 

Where can I find past AP® US History exams?

The College Board has made past AP® US History exam questions available on their AP® Central website . 

In addition, the College Board has made practice tests available for the past several years. Using these practice tests allows you to gain familiarity with the level of depth of the questions and the types of responses that have been successful in the past. 

Practice tests for the AP® US History exam for the most recent exam years can be found below:

• 2023 AP® US History Free-Response Questions
• 2022 AP® US History Free-Response Questions
• 2021 AP® US History Free-Response Questions
• 2019 AP® US History Free-Response Questions
• 2018 AP® US History Free-Response Questions
• 2017 AP® US History Free-Response Questions
• 2016 AP® US History Free-Response Questions
• 2015 AP® US History Free-Response Questions

You can find some examples of the multiple choice questions from the AP® US History Course and Exam Description . There are only 17 questions in the guide, so this will not mimic the actual test in length and may omit some important learning objectives. 

If you would like additional practice on the multiple choice portion of the exam, Albert provides thousands of practice questions that are aligned with the actual units covered by the AP® US History exam. 

There is quite a bit more useful information on the AP® Central website that you should review if you want to maximize your score on the AP® US History exam. This includes:

• AP® US History Scoring Guidelines 2023 / 2022 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2016
• AP® US History Chief Reader Reports 2023 / 2022 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2016
• AP® US History Scoring Reports 2023 / 2022 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2016

The scoring guidelines are useful to review because they outline how points are allocated or withheld on the short answer questions. 

Unlike multiple choice, the short answer questions can be more subjective to judge. The scoring guidelines provide examples of answers that would be awarded full or partial credit. This information can be invaluable to students trying to milk every point out of the AP® US History test.

In the Chief Reader Reports, the Chief Reader for each year shares insights on each short answer and essay question. The reports outlines the expectations for each question and the elements that were present in successful responses. The report also provides information on where students missed the mark on the question. 

According to the 2019 Chief Reader Report for AP® US History, one common mistake that students made was relying too heavily on quotations. To the reader this signaled an inability to show comprehension by expressing the ideas from the excerpts in their own words. From this report data, you can learn not to rely on quotations and to restate concepts to demonstrate a higher level of understanding.  

Another useful tool is the AP® US History Scoring Report. This report lets you see at a glance which questions students struggled with and which ones they were successful in answering. For example, question #3 on the 2019 exam had the lowest mean score of 1.34 points (out of a possible 3).

Correctly answering this question required an understanding of the economics of different colonial groupings from 1607 to 1754. According to the Chief Reader Report, students who missed this question often failed to correctly identify the geography of the colonies or discussed factors that occurred outside the specified time frame. 

After reviewing the Scoring Guidelines, the Chief Reader Reports and the Scoring Reports, you can also review the sample responses. For example, the sample response for question #3 provides three actual student responses to the question: one that received full credit, one that received two points, and one that received one point. 

If you’re looking for powerful practice with AP® US History FRQs,  Albert has practice questions for each type of FRQ  along with examples of responses that would earn full points. Albert even provides a detailed explanation of how the sample response earned each point in the rubric!

AP® Central provides a lot of information on the short answer and essay questions, but it is important to remember that 40% of the exam score comes from the multiple choice section. Albert provides thousands of AP-aligned practice questions for the AP® US History exam, along with detailed explanations for each question. 

You can learn more about Albert here    

Who should take AP® US History? What sort of students may like it more than others?

The decision to take AP® US History depends on your academic interests and goals after graduation. If you have enjoyed history courses in the past and are interested in learning more about the events and cultures that went into founding the United States, AP® US History could be a good choice for you. You can read more detail in the course overview . 

You are not required to take AP® US History to graduate, so if history and analytical writing are not strengths for you, it might be better to choose a different AP® course. It really does depend on your interests and academic strengths. 

If college is your goal, taking AP® US History looks good on your transcript and can boost your overall GPA. AP® courses carry more weight than the average high school class, or even honors classes, since they are considered college-level. The combination of AP® classes on your transcript, a higher weighted GPA and a higher class rank can make the difference when applying to colleges with more competitive admissions.

If you are considering taking AP® US History to get a perfect score, you’ll want to be aware of the difficulty level and the percentage of 5s awarded for this exam. Approximately 10-11% of students who take the AP® US History exam typically score a 5 on the exam. 

This is comparable to several of the other AP® History exams. The AP® US Government exam awarded 12.9% of students a perfect score in 2019, and AP® European History awarded a 5 to 11.7% of students. AP® World History had the lowest percentage, with only 8.7% of students being awarded a perfect score. 

No matter which AP® courses you choose, achieving a perfect score will always be difficult, so you should choose AP® courses based on your interests and academic strengths. You should decide after weighing advice from your parents and guidance counselor, but the ultimate decision should be yours. 

How do students typically score on AP® US History? What’s the score distribution?

How students usually score on the AP® US History exam depends on a variety of factors. First, it is important to note that the AP® US History exam is the second most popular AP® exam, so the trends over the past three years are based on an extremely large sample size. The larger sample size increases the reliability of the data.

Over the last three years, the scoring trends for the AP® US History exam are as follows:

Over the last few years, the percentage of students who achieved a passing score has remained mostly stable, with about 50% of students passing the exam with a score of 3 or higher.

For 2023, the mean score on the AP® US History exam was 2.54, which was based on 467,975 total test takers .

Need help preparing for your AP® US History exam?

Albert has thousands of AP® US History practice multiple-choice questions, free-response questions, and full-length practice tests to try out.

Interested in a school license?​

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Advanced Placement (AP)

Looking for the 2023 AP exam dates? We have the complete 2023 AP test dates as well as advice for getting through the busy May exam season. Keep reading to stay on top of your 2022-2023 study schedule and to get tips for dealing with the stress of endless AP tests!

What Is the 2023 AP Schedule?

The 2023 AP Exams will be administered as a paper-and-pencil test from May 1–5 and May 8–12. The only exceptions to this rule are for the AP Chinese and AP Japanese tests, which are administered on computer .

If you're a student who's taking lots of AP classes and finds you have two tests scheduled at the same time on the same day, the College Board has a late-testing schedule that can accommodate the changes you need. You can learn more about the late-testing schedule here .

At this point, the College Board has not announced any changes to the 2023 AP Exam schedule due to COVID-19. However, you can always check our COVID-19 article for up-to-date information on any AP Exam changes.

AP Exams: Week 1

The first week of the 2023 AP Exams runs from Monday, May 1st to Friday, May 5th. Morning exams will be taken at 8:00 AM local time, afternoon exams will be taken at 12:00PM local time.

Week 1 AP Exam Schedule

Art and Design : Friday, May 5th, 2023 is the last day for AP coordinators to submit digital AP 2-D Art and Design, 3-D Art and Design, and Drawing portfolios (by 8:00 PM ET) and to gather 2-D Art and Design and Drawing students for physical portfolio assembly. Teachers should forward completed digital Art and Design portfolios to coordinators before this date.

AP Exams: Week 2

The second week of the 2023 AP Exams runs from Monday, May 8th to Friday, May 12th. Morning exams will be taken at 8:00 AM local time, afternoon exams will be taken at 12:00 PM local time or 2:00 PM local time.

How to Stay Focused During the AP Exam Period

It can be tough to manage your time in May and feel prepared for each AP test—whether you're taking two AP exams or five!

I'm actually pretty familiar with the AP time crunch. In my last three years of high school, I had multiple exams every May, and each year had a different but equally challenging schedule. Sophomore year I had three AP tests in one week. Junior year I took two tests in two days. Senior year was more of a marathon: I took four tests, stretching from the first day of testing to the last!

Whether your AP schedule feels like a sprint or a marathon, you can expect it to be challenging.

From experience, I know it can be challenging to keep your energy and motivation up during the exam period. So my main piece of advice is to memorize your AP exam schedule as early as possible so you can start preparing for May.

As an example, if you realize you're going to have three AP tests in three days, you should get all of your studying out of the way before AP exams start. This way you can focus on staying rested during the exam period and not stress yourself out with last-minute cramming.

On the other hand, if you have tests on the first Monday, the second Monday, and the last Friday of the exam period, you should plan to do some studying during May for your last two tests. That said, definitely prioritize the test you're taking soonest, and make sure you're prepared for it before May rolls around.

Consult the tables above and figure out what your AP exam schedule looks like for 2023. Next, follow our rules for staying focused and motivated during May.

#1: Don't Cram!

By May, you should have learned all major concepts and taken at least one practice exam for each AP test you're taking. Trying to pull off last-minute studying during the exam period, such as by rushing through a prep book or taking tons of practice exams, will just stress you out. You'll study more effectively if you give yourself plenty of time.

If you finish major studying before May, you can use any extra time to review tricky concepts and to ensure you're getting enough rest.

#2: Focus on Your Weak Points

If you have one exam that you know is going to be the hardest for you, prioritize any extra time you have in May toward that test.

For example, if you're taking both AP Calculus AB and AP US History—and you're pretty confident about Calculus—you can use any extra time in May to keep working on AP US History. Memorize dates, practice essay questions, or review your notes.

If you try to spend equal time on every upcoming exam in May, you risk spreading yourself too thin. Again, this is why it's so important to begin studying early so you have enough time to learn all the major concepts for your tests well before May!

Looking for help studying for your AP exam?

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#3: Timing Is Everything

When doing practice sections in April or May—either multiple choice or free response— be sure to time yourself strictly so you're prepared for actual AP test timing.

Earlier in the year, it's appropriate to take a few untimed multiple choice or free-response sections. But right before your AP tests, you need to make sure that you're prepared for what the actual exam timing will be like. Do this, and it'll make taking the AP tests much less stressful, since you'll be used to the time constraints!

#4: Don't Burn Yourself Out

If you have multiple exams in a week, or two days in a row (or two in a day!), limit heavy studying during that time and instead confirm that you're getting enough rest. Right before an AP test, getting enough sleep and eating a healthy, balanced breakfast or lunch will do far more to improve your score than will memorizing a few more facts or doing one more practice test.

#5: Be Self-Reflective

If you're the type to obsess over studying and get really anxious about tests, try to actively make time to do something fun or get some exercise in during the AP exam period. Whether that's doing yoga, going for a run, or reading your favorite book, taking time to relax is key, since anxiety can (and will!) negatively affect your performance on test day.

However, if you're having a tough time staying motivated late in the year and have been slacking on studying, definitely take the time you have left in May to do some practice sections or review key terms. Remember, finishing strong and doing well on your AP tests is important to getting the most out of your AP classes!

#6: Don't Forget Your Other Classes

Most teachers should be sympathetic about homework and assignments during the AP test period, but you still want to be sure that your schedule isn't crammed with cramming in case you have to deal with non-AP class assignments, too.

Your high school GPA is very important for college admissions , so don't let AP exams completely distract you from your other classes!

#7: Remember Your Goals

Whether you're hoping to ace AP Spanish so you won't have to take a language in college, or you're aiming for high scores across the board to make you competitive for top schools, don't lose track of your goals during May.

Even though it can be exhausting and stressful to have a handful of AP exams, make sure to keep your reasons for taking the tests in the back of your mind. This will give you the motivation you need to finish strong and pass your exams!

What About AP Test Dates for Future Years?

You might be wondering what the AP exam schedule is for 2024 and beyond. Unfortunately, we cannot predict the schedule exactly. This is because the AP Calendar tends to change a bit from year to year. Since there are always slight changes, we can't say for certain what the 2024 calendar will look like—even though the changes from year to year are often minor.

Here are the schedules from the last five years, with changes from the previous year highlighted in yellow :

2022 AP Testing Schedule

Week 1 (2022), week 2 (2022), 2021 ap testing schedule, week 1 (2021), week 2 (2021), 2020 ap testing schedule, week 1 (2020), week 2 (2020), 2019 ap testing schedule, week 1 (2019), 2018 ap testing schedule, week 1 (2018).

The AP testing schedule from 2022 to 2023 didn't change much, but past years have had a lot of difference from year to year. While there was understandably a lot of change in 2020 due to COVID, there was also quite a bit of change in AP test scheduling from 2018 to 2019 —nearly half of all the AP exams moved around time- or day-wise (although most of the change happened to tests in the afternoon of week 1).

If you look back five or even 10 years, the dates change more, and the exams evolve as well. Some AP tests have been added over time (such as the new Physics exams), and some have been taken away, such as French Literature and Studio Art.

In short, you can expect the AP test schedule for the next year or two to look somewhat similar to the 2023 schedule —but you can't do any longer-term planning beyond that!

What's Next?

Learn more about AP tests— how long they are , how many you should take , and which ones are the easiest and hardest for students.

Also studying for the SAT or ACT? Develop a target SAT score based on your top schools ( ACT version here ).

Studying for the SAT? Check out our complete guide to the SAT . Taking the ACT instead? Then get a complete guide to the ACT .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. In high school, she earned 99th percentile ACT scores as well as 99th percentile scores on SAT subject tests. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process.

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