AP World History

Encyclopedia : A : AP : APW : AP World History

This article is part of the
Advanced Placement Program
series.

General Exam Structure

Awards

Subjects:
* Art History
* Biology
* Calculus (AB & BC)
* Chemistry
* Chinese Language and Culture
* Comparative Government & Politics
* Computer Science A
* Computer Science AB
* English Language & Composition
* English Literature & Composition
* Environmental Science
* European History
* French Language
* French Literature
* German Language
* Human Geography
* Italian Language and Culture
* Japanese Language and Culture
* [[AP Latin: Vergil|Latin: Vergil]]
* Latin Literature
* Macroeconomics
* Microeconomics
* Music Theory
* Physics B
* [[AP Physics C: Mechanics|Physics C: Mechanics]]
* [[AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism|Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism]]
* Psychology
* Russian Language and Culture
* Spanish Language
* Spanish Literature
* Statistics
* Studio Art (2-D, 3-D, & Drawing)
* U.S. History
* U.S. Government & Politics
* World History

AP World History is a college-level course offered through the College Board's Advanced Placement Program designed to help students develop greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts and interactions between different types of Human societies. This understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The chronological time frame is from 8000 BCE to the present.

The course is divided into 5 Units consisting of the following time periods and big picture ideas:

Unit 1 - 8000 BCE to 600 CE - Classical Civilizations: Rome, Han, and Gupta Empires
Unit 2 - 600 CE to 1450 CE - Rise and Spread of Islam and Fall of Classical Civilizations
Unit 3 - 1450 CE to 1750 CE - Columbian and Hemispheratic Exchange
Unit 4 - 1750 CE to 1914 CE - Imperialism and Colonialism
Unit 5 - 1914 CE to present - World War I, World War II, and Globalization

The average score in 2005 was a 1.8, meaning that most test-takers received a 2 or unsatisfactory score. A comparison essay question about the Mongols has been blamed as part of the cause. In 2006 the AP World History exam was given on May 3. The exam has been reported as easier in 2006, possibly due to repercussions from 2005's intense questions and vague Mongol essay.

The Exam

The first section of the world history exam consists of 70 multiple choice questions with a 55 minute time limit. These questions are taken approximately evenly from each of the time periods addressed in the course.

This section is half of the weighted score.

The free response section consists of 3 essays which can be answered in any order.

Document-based question (DBQ)
Change-over-time question
Comparative question

This section begins with a 10 minute reading period, then the students are given 120 minutes to write all 3 essays. Students are encouraged to pace themselves.

Grade Distribution

In the 2005 administration 64,207 students took the exam from 2,380 schools. The mean score was a 2.66.

Score Percent
5 10.2%
4 17.1%
3 25.2%
2 23.4%
1 24%

Score	Percent
5	10.2%
4	17.1%
3	25.2%
2	23.4%
1	24%

External Links

[AP World History at the College Board]

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