Sections, timing, and weighting
The regular AP U.S. History exam is Friday, May 7, 2027, Session 1. Confirm your school’s reporting and start time with the AP coordinator: start times changed for some locations in 2027. The testing time is 3 hours 15 minutes; school check-in and breaks add time to the visit.
Section I Part A: 55 multiple-choice questions in 55 minutes, worth 40%. Part B: three short-answer questions in 40 minutes, worth 20%. Section II: one document-based question and one long essay, together 100 minutes. The DBQ is 25% of the total score with a recommended 60 minutes including a 15-minute reading period; the LEQ is 15% with a recommended 40 minutes. These are section weights, not a simple count of equally weighted questions.
The rules that changed for May 2027
All three SAQs are required. Question 1 uses secondary text source material; Question 2 uses a primary text source; Question 3 uses a primary or secondary non-text source. They address different historical periods within 1491–2001. Advice to choose between two non-stimulus SAQs belongs to an older format.
The LEQ is now one required broad prompt with an introductory statement suggesting possible directions. You choose the development or developments and evidence that support your argument within that prompt. You do not choose one of three separate LEQ prompts, and you are not expected to narrate every year in its broad range. The prompt can span approximately half the course.
The DBQ’s eligible topic range is 1754–1980. It still presents seven documents. Course content, historical skills, multiple-choice structure, and the FRQ scoring rubrics remain unchanged. A change in prompt design does not create a new point formula.
Understand what is scored
MCQs reward selecting the supported answer. For SAQs, each question has three independently scored parts, up to three points; a precise answer to one part can earn credit even when another part is incomplete. SAQs do not require a full essay introduction or thesis.
The DBQ rubric totals seven points: thesis 1, context 1, document evidence up to 2, outside evidence 1, sourcing analysis 1, and complexity 1. The LEQ totals six: thesis 1, context 1, evidence up to 2, and analysis/reasoning up to 2. The guides below explain the difference between naming evidence and using it. These rubric points feed a weighted exam score; there is no universal raw percentage on this site that guarantees a 5.
Practice the actual digital tasks
Both multiple-choice and written responses are completed in Bluebook. Use College Board’s test previews on the device and workflow approved by your school. Practice reading a source on screen, moving between the prompt and response, and typing a coherent argument under a timer. AP Study Lab exercises build historical skills but do not reproduce every Bluebook feature.
A useful rehearsal has two parts: first learn the interface through the official preview; then practice reasoning with unfamiliar sources and a time limit. Do not wait until the night before the exam to discover how long it takes to type an evidence paragraph. Ask the coordinator about approved accommodations and device arrangements rather than assuming that another student’s setup applies to you.
Turn the format into a study decision
If you understand the historical period but miss MCQs, work on source-task matching and elimination. If you can explain ideas aloud but lose SAQ points, practice concise responses to each command. If your essays describe events without an argument, begin with a thesis and two evidence-to-claim links.
Use the Period map to repair content gaps, then return to the relevant question-type guide. Timing comes after you can perform the task accurately: shorten a 20-minute practice SAQ set gradually rather than racing through unclear reasoning. The free diagnostic samples content and reasoning; it cannot replace a written essay assessment.
| Section | Time | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 55 MCQs | 55 minutes | 40% |
| 3 required SAQs | 40 minutes | 20% |
| 1 DBQ, 7 documents | 60 minutes recommended (including 15 reading) | 25% |
| 1 required broad LEQ | 40 minutes recommended | 15% |