🌍 AP World History – 2025 Cheatsheet

AP World History: Modern is a college-level course and examination offered by the College Board. It explores global history from approximately 1200 CE to the present, focusing on significant events, developments, and processes across different regions. The course emphasizes historical thinking skills, such as analyzing sources, making connections, and crafting arguments.

The AP World History: Modern exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long.

It is divided into two sections:

• Section I (1 hour and 40 minutes total):
  • Part A: Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) - 55 questions, 55 minutes.
  • Part B: Short-Answer Questions (SAQs) - 3 questions, 40 minutes.
• Section II (1 hour and 35 minutes total):
  • Part A: Document-Based Question (DBQ) - 1 question, 60 minutes (includes a 15-minute reading period).
  • Part B: Long Essay Question (LEQ) - 1 question (chosen from 3 prompts), 40 minutes.

The exam assesses understanding of historical concepts and use of historical thinking skills. It consists of:

• Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs): 55 questions based on analysis of primary and secondary sources, images, graphs, and maps. (40% of score)
• Short-Answer Questions (SAQs): 3 questions requiring analysis of historical developments or processes, often with provided stimuli (texts or images). (20% of score)
• Document-Based Question (DBQ): An essay that requires students to analyze a set of 7 historical documents and develop an argument related to a historical prompt. (25% of score)
• Long Essay Question (LEQ): An essay where students choose one of three prompts, each focusing on a different historical thinking skill (e.g., comparison, causation, continuity and change) and time period. (15% of score)

The content covers 9 units spanning from c. 1200 CE to the present.

The AP World History: Modern course is divided into 9 units:

• Unit 1: The Global Tapestry (c. 1200 to c. 1450)
• Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (c. 1200 to c. 1450)
• Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (c. 1450 to c. 1750)
• Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections (c. 1450 to c. 1750)
• Unit 5: Revolutions (c. 1750 to c. 1900)
• Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization (c. 1750 to c. 1900)
• Unit 7: Global Conflict (c. 1900 to the present)
• Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization (c. 1900 to the present)
• Unit 9: Globalization (c. 1900 to the present)

The difficulty of AP World History is subjective and depends on the student's interest, prior knowledge, reading and writing skills, and work ethic. However, it is generally considered a challenging, college-level course.

• Scope: It covers a vast amount of history across diverse cultures and regions.
• Skills: It requires strong analytical reading, critical thinking, and argumentative writing skills.
• Workload: There is typically a significant amount of reading and preparation.

Many students, including sophomores, successfully complete the course with dedication and effective study habits. It can be very rewarding for those interested in understanding global patterns and historical developments.

AP exams, including AP World History: Modern, are typically administered in the first two full weeks of May each year. Specific dates for upcoming exams (e.g., for 2024, 2025) are published by the College Board on their official website. Always check the College Board website for the most current and accurate exam schedule.

For example, the AP World History: Modern exam in 2023 was on Thursday, May 11, 2023. The exam in 2024 was on Thursday, May 16, 2024.

AP exam scores are typically released in early to mid-July. Students access their scores online through their College Board account. The exact release dates can vary slightly by geographic location and year, with scores often released on a rolling basis over several days.

Effective study strategies include:

• Consistent Review: Regularly review notes, readings, and key concepts throughout the year, not just before tests.
• Understand Themes & Key Concepts: Focus on the major themes (e.g., Humans and the Environment, Cultural Developments and Interactions) and key concepts outlined in the APWH Course and Exam Description (CED).
• Practice Historical Thinking Skills: Actively practice skills like contextualization, comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time.
• Use Multiple Resources: Supplement your textbook with review books, online videos (like those from Heimler's History or Crash Course), and primary/secondary source analysis.
• Practice with Exam Questions: Work through released MCQs, SAQs, DBQs, and LEQs. Pay attention to scoring guidelines.
• Form Study Groups: Discussing concepts and practicing arguments with peers can be very helpful.
• Master Timelines: Develop a strong sense of chronology for major events and periods.
• Take Effective Notes: Develop a note-taking system that helps you organize information by theme, region, and time period (e.g., Cornell notes, outlining).

For the Document-Based Question (DBQ):

• Understand the Prompt: Clearly identify what the prompt is asking you to do.
• Develop a Thesis: Create a historically defensible claim that answers the prompt.
• Use the Documents: Incorporate evidence from at least six of the seven provided documents to support your thesis. Don't just summarize; analyze them.
• Contextualization: Describe the broader historical events, developments, or processes relevant to the prompt.
• Evidence Beyond the Documents (Outside Evidence): Include at least one additional piece of specific historical evidence not found in the documents that is relevant to your argument.
• Sourcing/HIPP: For at least three documents, explain how or why the document's H_istorical situation, I_ntended audience, P_urpose, or P_oint of view is relevant to an argument.
• Complexity: Demonstrate a complex understanding of the historical development that is the focus of the prompt, using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument.

For the Long Essay Question (LEQ):

• Choose Wisely: Select the prompt you feel most confident addressing.
• Develop a Thesis: Create a clear, historically defensible argument that answers the prompt.
• Provide Specific Evidence: Support your thesis with multiple pieces of specific historical evidence.
• Contextualization: Describe the broader historical context relevant to the prompt.
• Analysis and Reasoning: Use historical reasoning (e.g., comparison, causation, continuity and change) to frame or structure your argument.
• Complexity: Demonstrate a complex understanding as in the DBQ.

Many colleges and universities grant credit or advanced placement for a score of 3 on an AP exam, but policies vary widely. More selective institutions may require a 4 or 5. It's essential to check the specific AP credit policy of each college or university you are interested in. The College Board website has a tool to search for college AP credit policies.

Similarly, the amount of college credit awarded (if any) also depends on the institution.

• The Crusades: A series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. Primarily, they were fought between Christians and Muslims over control of holy sites in the Levant (c. 1095-1291). They had significant long-term impacts on European and Middle Eastern societies, trade, and cultural exchange. (Unit 1/2)
• Tax Farming: A system of revenue collection where governments contract out the right to collect taxes in a particular area to private individuals or groups (tax farmers). The tax farmers pay a fixed sum to the government and then attempt to collect more than that sum from the taxpayers, keeping the difference as profit. Practiced in various empires, including the Ottoman Empire and Mughal India. (Unit 3)
• HIPP (or HAPPY, SAPP, etc.): An acronym used to remember how to analyze a document's sourcing for the DBQ: Historical Context, Intended Audience, Purpose, Point of View. Understanding these helps evaluate the document's reliability and meaning.
• Tribute Collection: A system where states or empires demand payments (tribute) from conquered or subordinate peoples or states. Tribute could be in the form of goods, money, labor, or soldiers. Common in many pre-modern empires like the Aztec or Mongol empires. (Units 1-4)
• Zionism: A nationalist movement that emerged in the late 19th century advocating for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. It has been a significant factor in the history of the Middle East, particularly in the 20th and 21st centuries. (Unit 7)
• Settler Colony: A form of colonialism where large numbers of settlers from the colonizing power move to the new territory, intending to stay permanently and often displacing or dominating the indigenous population. Examples include British North America, Australia, and South Africa. (Units 4, 6)
• Globalization: The increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of countries through the exchange of goods, services, information, ideas, and people. While it has historical roots, its pace and scale have accelerated dramatically in the late 20th and 21st centuries. (Primarily Unit 9, but with earlier forms in other units)
• House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma): A major intellectual center during the Islamic Golden Age in Baghdad, established by the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th century. Scholars there translated, preserved, and expanded upon knowledge from various cultures, including Greek, Persian, and Indian traditions. (Unit 1)
• Champa Rice: A quick-maturing, drought-resistant variety of rice that originated in Vietnam and was introduced to China during the Song Dynasty. Its adoption led to increased agricultural productivity and population growth in East Asia. (Unit 1)
• Feudalism: A decentralized political, economic, and social system in medieval Europe (and with variations in Japan) based on reciprocal relationships between lords and vassals. Lords granted land (fiefs) to vassals in exchange for military service and loyalty. (Unit 1)
• Imperialism: A policy or ideology of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means. "New Imperialism" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw European powers, the US, and Japan dominate large parts of Africa and Asia. (Unit 6)
• State Building: The processes by which centralized political entities (states) are created and consolidated. This involves establishing institutions of governance, asserting authority over a territory and population, collecting revenue, and often developing a shared identity. A recurring theme throughout AP World History.
• May Fourth Movement: An anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919. It protested the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles (which awarded German territories in China to Japan) and advocated for national independence, individual emancipation, and rebuilding society and culture. (Unit 7)
• De Beers Mining Company: Founded in 1888 by Cecil Rhodes, De Beers became a dominant force in the diamond industry, controlling much of the world's diamond mining and trade, particularly in Southern Africa. Its activities are linked to European imperialism, labor exploitation, and the economic development of the region. (Unit 6)

In the context of AP World History: Modern (which starts c. 1200 CE), some of these are foundational or have legacies that extend into the course period. The course uses broad geographical regions:

• Rome (Roman Empire): Primarily Europe. While the Western Roman Empire fell before 1200 CE, its legacy profoundly shaped European development, and the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire continued into the course period.
• Abbasid Caliphate: Primarily the Middle East (Southwest Asia and North Africa). Though in decline by 1200 CE, its cultural and intellectual achievements were highly influential.
• Baghdad: Located in the Middle East. It was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and a major center of learning and trade.
• Chang'an (modern Xi'an): Located in East Asia. It was a major ancient capital of various Chinese dynasties, including the Tang.
• Tang Dynasty: Based in East Asia (China). While the Tang Dynasty ended before 1200 CE (618-907 CE), its achievements set a precedent for later Chinese dynasties covered in the course, like the Song.

The Scientific Revolution, which began in the 16th century and continued through the 18th century, is primarily covered in Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections (c. 1450 to c. 1750). It's often discussed alongside the Enlightenment as a major intellectual shift that challenged traditional ways of thinking and laid groundwork for later developments.

Typically, the AP World History: Modern exam is administered in person with paper and pencil. During unique circumstances (like the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021), the College Board offered digital exam options. However, the standard format is paper-based. Always check the College Board's official website for the most current information regarding exam formats for a given year.

AP World History: Modern is one of the most popular AP exams. The exact number of students taking the exam varies each year. For specific numbers (e.g., "how many students took AP World History in 2024"), this data is compiled and released by the College Board, typically sometime after the exam administration and scoring period, often in their annual Program Results reports. For instance, in 2023, over 300,000 students took the AP World History: Modern exam.