AP US History · Free-response guide
How to answer APUSH short-answer questions (SAQ)
By the CollegePrepRoom editorial team · Updated · How we write and check these pages
The short-answer questions, or SAQs, are the second part of Section I of the AP U.S. History exam. You answer three questions, each with three parts labeled A, B and C. Some questions include a source, such as a historian's argument, a primary text, an image or a chart; others ask about a time period with no source. Each part is worth one point, so each question is worth three.
SAQs reward precision. A strong answer to a part is usually two or three sentences: a direct answer, a specific piece of evidence, and, when the verb asks for it, an explanation that connects the two. This guide explains how the SAQ is scored, what each task verb requires, how to read a source-based SAQ, and examples of answers that do and do not earn the point.
SAQ at a glance
| Where it appears | Section I, Part B (after the multiple-choice questions) |
|---|---|
| Questions | Three questions: two required, then a choice between two more |
| Parts | Each question has parts A, B and C, worth one point each |
| Weight | 20% of the exam score |
| Suggested time | 40 minutes for all three questions |
| Thesis | Not required |
How the SAQ is scored
The SAQ is scored out of 3 points. Each row of the rubric is scored separately, so you can earn points in one row even if you miss another.
| Rubric row | Points | What earns the points |
|---|---|---|
| Part A | 1 | A response that accomplishes the task in part A, usually by identifying or describing a specific historical development, claim or piece of evidence. |
| Part B | 1 | A response that accomplishes the task in part B, often by explaining or describing with specific evidence. |
| Part C | 1 | A response that accomplishes the task in part C. Each part is scored separately, and there is no penalty for a wrong answer in another part. |
| Total | 3 | Points from all rows are added together. |
- No thesis is required. Answer each part directly in a few sentences and label your answers A, B and C.
- Verbs decide what earns the point. 'Identify' needs a specific answer; 'describe' needs details beyond naming; 'explain' needs a reason or a how-and-why connection.
- Students answer the first two questions and then choose between the third and fourth, which cover different time ranges. The first two include a source; the last two do not.
Rubric summaries are written in our own words from the publicly available AP course and exam materials. Check the current official scoring guidelines for exact wording, as they can be revised.
Step-by-step method
Read all three parts first
Before answering part A, read parts B and C. They often build on each other, and seeing the whole question keeps you from using your best evidence in the wrong part.
Circle the verb in each part
Identify asks for a specific answer. Describe asks for relevant characteristics, more than a name. Explain asks for how or why, with a connection between evidence and claim. Match the length of your answer to the verb.
Read the source for its argument
For source-based questions, first state the source's main claim in your own words. For secondary sources (historians), note the argument; for primary sources, note who created it and why. Parts often ask you to support or challenge the source with evidence it does not mention.
Answer the question in the first sentence
Begin each part with a direct answer that restates the key words of the task. Scorers look for the answer first.
Add one specific piece of evidence
Follow the answer with a named event, law, person, group or development, with a date or period if you know it. Specificity is what separates an answer that earns the point from a vague one.
Connect evidence to the task when asked to explain
For explain tasks, add a sentence that says why or how the evidence answers the question, using words such as because, which led to, or this shows.
Choose the optional question by evidence
For the choice between the last two questions, take thirty seconds to test what you know about each time range and choose the one where you have specific evidence.
Budget about 13 minutes per question
Three questions in about 40 minutes leaves roughly 13 minutes each. If a part stalls you, write your best specific answer and move on; each part is scored on its own.
Common mistakes
Writing an essay
Introductions, theses and conclusions take time and do not earn points. Answer each part directly.
Vague evidence
'People protested' or 'the government changed' rarely earns a point. Name the specific development.
Reusing the same evidence
When parts ask for different examples, use different evidence in each. The same example used twice may earn only one point.
Restating the source
If a part asks for evidence that supports the source, bring in evidence from outside it. Quoting the source back does not count.
Missing the time frame
Evidence from outside the period named in the question generally does not earn the point.
Skipping a part
Each part is independent. A partial answer to part C can still earn a point that a blank cannot.
Example: answers that do and do not earn the point
Invented question for illustration: (a) Briefly describe one cause of the Great Migration from 1910 to 1940. (b) Briefly explain one effect of the Great Migration on northern cities. (c) Briefly explain one way African Americans responded to conditions in northern cities in this period.
Part A, does not earn the point
Many African Americans moved north because they wanted better lives.
Part A, earns the point
One cause was the demand for workers in northern factories during World War I, when the war cut off immigration from Europe and industries such as meatpacking and steel recruited Black workers from the South.
Part B, earns the point
The Great Migration increased the Black populations of cities such as Chicago and Detroit, which, combined with housing discrimination, concentrated Black residents in neighborhoods like Chicago's South Side and contributed to tensions such as the 1919 Chicago race riot.
Part C, earns the point
African Americans built cultural and political institutions in northern cities; the Harlem Renaissance, for example, produced writers and musicians such as Langston Hughes who expressed racial pride and challenged stereotypes, giving the migration a cultural voice.
All prompts, passages and sample sentences on this page are original examples written for illustration. They are not official exam material.
Practice prompts
Original prompts in the style of the SAQ, written by our editorial team for practice. They are not official exam questions.
- (a) Briefly describe one cause of the Market Revolution from 1800 to 1848. (b) Briefly explain one effect of the Market Revolution on women's work. (c) Briefly explain one way the Market Revolution affected regional differences.
- (a) Briefly describe one goal of Reconstruction policy from 1865 to 1877. (b) Briefly explain one way Southern governments resisted that goal. (c) Briefly explain one reason Reconstruction ended.
- (a) Briefly describe one cause of U.S. involvement in World War I. (b) Briefly explain one effect of the war on the home front. (c) Briefly explain one way the war affected civil liberties.
- (a) Briefly describe one reason for suburban growth after 1945. (b) Briefly explain one effect of suburbanization on cities. (c) Briefly explain one way federal policy shaped who could live in the suburbs.
How to practice the SAQ
Practice SAQs in sets of three under a 40-minute timer. After each set, check each part against the verb: did identify parts give a specific answer, and did explain parts include a because or a this shows sentence?
Practice source-based SAQs by writing one sentence that states the source's argument before answering any part. This habit is the quickest way to avoid misreading the source.
Free practice prompt
Lessons in the AP US History course
Related guides and terms
SAQ: frequently asked questions
How long should an APUSH SAQ answer be?
Usually two to four sentences per part. The answer should directly address the task, include specific evidence, and, for explain tasks, connect the evidence to the answer.
Do SAQs need a thesis?
No. Answer each part directly. A thesis or introduction takes time and earns nothing on the SAQ.
Can I use bullet points on the SAQ?
Write in complete sentences. Outlines or bullet lists may not be scored as answers to the task.
How much are the SAQs worth?
The three SAQs together are worth 20% of the AP U.S. History exam score.