Navigating AP® U.S. History Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)
Strategically
The AP® US History (APUSH) exam consists of two primary sections. Section I includes both multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and short-answer questions (SAQs). Section II consists of free-response questions (FRQs), which include document-based questions (DBQs) and long essay questions (LEQs).
APUSH MCQs can be challenging because they emphasize historical reasoning rather than rote memorization. The multiple-choice questions in AP US History are stimulus-based and test your ability to analyze information and make connections. Each question must be answered within a minute, making the exam even more difficult. Nevertheless, successful performance in this section is critical for a high exam score.
This guide will focus on the MCQs in Section I, Part A. We’ll take a look at the format of these multiple-choice questions and provide strategies for scoring well. We’ll also provide some examples of AP U.S. History MCQs that have appeared on the exam. By the end of this article, you’ll know the best MCQ strategies to help you succeed on the APUSH exam.
Format of AP U.S. History MCQ section
The APUSH exam consists of 55 multiple-choice questions and 55 minutes to complete this section of the test. MCQs account for 45% of your overall score.
Students who perform well on Section 1 can typically pass the APUSH exam, even with mediocre scores on FRQs. Not only will an excellent score on Section 1 boost your confidence, but working through the MCQs for each unit will also prepare you for the FRQs.
Each multiple-choice question in Section 1 covers all nine historical periods, and each question is weighted the same. However, the College Board® weighs each unit differently, and the MCQ section reflects this breakdown.
| Units | Periods | Exam Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | 1491-1607 | 04-06% |
| Unit 2 | 1607-1754 | 06-08% |
| Unit 3 | 1754-1800 | 10-17% |
| Unit 4 | 1800-1848 | 10-17% |
| Unit 5 | 1844-1877 | 10-17% |
| Unit 6 | 1865-1898 | 10-17% |
| Unit 7 | 1890-1945 | 10-17% |
| Unit 8 | 1945-1980 | 10-17% |
| Unit 9 | 1980-Present | 04-06% |
How to Approach AP U.S. History’s Multiple Choice Questions
Many students find the APUSH multiple choice questions section of the exam to be the most challenging because they must respond to 55 stimulus-based questions within 55 minutes. That is one question per minute. It may be difficult to comprehend the options and select the correct responses in that amount of time without practice. Here are some APUSH MCQ tips to help you work quickly and prepare for the difficulty of the questions.
Read the question first.
Due to the amount of time you have to answer all the questions, you cannot afford to waste time by attempting to understand the stimulus in its entirety. A better approach is to read the question first and then examine the stimulus for information that will assist you in selecting the correct response. The question will provide context for interpreting the stimulus and make it easier to find relevant information quickly.
Annotate as you read or examine the stimulus.
While you read or examine the stimulus, make notes in the margins of the test booklet. You could, for instance, draw attention to word usage, patterns in data, or the point of view of political cartoons. You may wish to take notes on the historical context.
All parts of an answer must be accurate to be correct; partly right isn't close enough.
Students are sometimes duped into believing that a partially correct answer is the right choice. However, the rest of the answer may contain inaccuracies, rendering the entire response incorrect.
If you cannot determine the right answer, focus instead on finding what makes each answer choice wrong.
Eliminating wrong answers will help you narrow down the choices and make a better guess, if necessary. For instance, eliminate answer options that are historically incorrect or fall outside of the question's time frame.
Answer every question.
There is no penalty for guessing. Plus, after you rule out incorrect choices, your chances of picking the right answer improve.
AP U.S. History Multiple Choice Examples
Each multiple-choice question on the AP U.S. History exam pertains to a prompt. There are no paired passages in this section. A prompt can come from either a primary or secondary source. Typically, the College Board bases MCQs on a single passage, graph or table, or visual source such as a photograph, map, political cartoon, or artwork.
Passage 1
“Article 1: The Parties undertake…to settle any international dispute in which they may be involved by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security and justice are not endangered….
Article 2: The Parties will contribute toward the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening their free institutions, by bringing about a better understanding of the principles upon which these institutions are founded, and by promoting conditions of stability and well-being….
Article 5: The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them…shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense…will assist…with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force….”
North Atlantic Treaty, Washington, DC, 1949
Which of the following mid-twentieth-century United States actions most directly affirmed the principles in the excerpt?
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| A. The large-scale military intervention in Korea | ||
| B. The lowering of tariffs against European countries | ||
| C. The passage of new immigration laws by Congress | ||
| D. The investigation of suspected communists by Senator Joseph McCarthy |
Passage 2
“Jefferson’s genius was philosophic, not political, in nature. He instinctively preferred abstractions to…messy aspects of actually governing. Hamilton was exactly the opposite. It was his passion to give the American nation a government that worked in the real world. With his contributions to the Constitution and to the Federalist papers, Hamilton gave the country a practical government for the time in which he lived. With his doctrine of implied powers, he made it into the dynamic instrument that has lasted through two centuries of tumult and change, amended only fourteen times since his death.
Hamilton’s program…had one great and entirely unanticipated consequence. It produced the first big political fight of the new federal union. It revealed deep and heretofore-unsuspected cleavages in the American body politic…the American political nation can be divided to this day largely into Jeffersonians and Hamiltonians….”
John Steele Gordon, historian, “The Founding Wizard,” American Heritage, 1990
Based on the excerpt, Hamilton would most likely support
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| A. a strong central government | ||
| B. the three-fifths compromise | ||
| C. states’ rights to govern themselves | ||
| D. strict interpretation of the Constitution |
The majority of immigrants who arrived in the United States between 1841 and 1860 came from
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| A. Scotland and Ireland | ||
| B. Ireland and Italy | ||
| C. Ireland and Germany | ||
| D. Germany and Italy |
The settlement pattern shown in the map contributed most directly to the
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| A. issuance of the Proclamation of 1763 | ||
| B. outbreak of the French and Indian War in North America | ||
| C. tolerance of religious practices throughout the colonies | ||
| D. British colonists openly opposing the Coercive Acts |
The political cartoon emerged most directly from the context of which of the following?
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| A. The enforcement of environmental regulations | ||
| B. The rise of big business in the Gilded Age | ||
| C. The end of federal trust-busting | ||
| D. Improved standards of living |
The image most directly reflects which of the following trends of the late nineteenth century?
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| A. The continued decline of the Social Gospel movement | ||
| B. The emergence of women’s suffrage | ||
| C. The prevailing belief that capitalism was under attack from foreign influences | ||
| D. The expanding participation of women in voluntary organizations |
How can I practice for the AP U.S. History multiple choice questions?
The best way to improve your score on the AP U.S. History MCQ section is through extensive practice. Thus, you will become familiar with the types of information and language often used. It is recommended to initially practice answering the questions at your own pace so you can carefully consider your responses. After gaining confidence and proficiency, it is a good idea to practice answering MCQs at a pace similar to what you will experience on the exam—about a minute per question.
The UWorld AP U.S. History question bank is a great resource for MCQ practice. It contains over 500 questions that closely resemble those found on the actual exam. UWorld provides explanations to help you understand the reasoning behind the correct answer and the wrong one. Knowing how to determine where you may have made a mistake when selecting an answer helps you avoid making the same mistake in the future. In addition, you can practice with or without a timer using the UWorld AP U.S. History question bank.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How are AP U.S. History multiple-choice questions graded?
Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are equally weighted, and each question either receives full credit or no credit. There is no partial credit. There are 55 questions, and unanswered questions are counted as incorrect.
How long is the multiple-choice question section of the AP U.S. History Exam?
There are 55 multiple-choice questions on the AP U.S. History exam.
When can I get the AP U.S. History past exam multiple-choice questions?
The College Board does not typically release its MCQs from past exams to the public. That is why a resource like UWorld is the best way to practice for that section of the exam.