Short Answer Essays
The short answer essays are the first essays that you will encounter on the AP exam. Looking for guidance on these kinds of questions? Read out post below, which breaks down answer short-answer questions.
The short answer essays questions at the end of the first section of the exam. For each question, you will see a series of sub-questions, all related to the same historical topic. On the exam, you will be presented with 4 essay questions, but you only need to provide 3 answers. You are required to answer questions 1 and 2. For your third answer, you can select whether you would prefer to answer question 3 or question 4. You will have 40 minutes to complete this section.
When you answer the short answer questions, there are some important points to keep in mind:
Read all of the sub-points of the question before you begin your answer. There are multiple ways to answer each sub-question. Brainstorming a bit beforehand ensures that you can match your best examples to the questions that the fit best. For instance, if the question is about the lead-up to the Revolutionary War, you might want to mention both the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. It is most beneficial to take a moment to assess which example fits best with each sub-question.
Pay attention to the number of examples that the question asks for. If the question just asks for 1 historical example, only write down 1 example and explain it as fully as you can in the few sentences that you have time to write. You won’t receive any more points if you give 2 or more examples if the question only asked for 1, so save time for the moves that will translate into exam points.
Give specific examples when possible. Proper names, events, dates, and documents all give fuller answers than generalities. For instance, in a question about the US entry into World War I, an imprecise answer might mention the change from neutrality to declaring war, while a more specific answer might mention Woodrow Wilson, the Zimmermann Telegram, or unrestricted submarine warfare.
While it is impossible to know the topics of the questions beforehand, the AP does clarify the types of questions you will encounter in this section:
Question 1 focuses on how to read and interpret secondary sources. For this question, you will encounter 1 or 2 excerpts written by professional historians. These are texts in which historians analyze the past and make historical arguments. For question 1, you are most often asked to provide specific evidence that might support or refute the historian’s claims. The test does not ask you to take a stand on whether you agree with what is written in the text, just to provide examples that might help or hinder the historical argument. Looking for help with how to analyze secondary sources? Check out our post here.
Question 2 focuses on how to read and interpret primary sources. Unlike question 1, which will ask you about historical arguments, this question will ask you to assess and analyze primary sources. You might have seen these texts or images before. At the same time, they might be new to you. There is quite a range of material you might encounter for this question, from political documents to private letters to newspaper reports. Indeed, you might not be presented with texts but instead be presented with an image, like a political cartoon or a painting like the one of King Louis XIV above. Looking for help analyzing written texts? This post breaks down what you should look for. Or need help with visual sources? This post introduces you to analyzing sources without textual components.
Questions 3 and 4 are purely content questions. They will not have any sources that you need to react to. Instead, you will just see the questions themselves. Question 3 focuses on the earlier half of the exam, from 1491-1877. Question 4 focuses on the second half of the exam, from 1865-2001. It doesn’t matter if you select question 3 or 4: choose whichever question you think you can answer more fully, with more specific examples.
The best way to improve with the short answer questions is to practice them under timed conditions. The AP publishes old short answer questions. You can also use the questions found in AP study books. After you finish your answers, be sure to check them against the other student essays provided. Look to see what moves these students made to pick up points. And look to see how you could have given fuller or more specific answers to these questions.
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