AP World History · Free-response guide
How to answer AP World History short-answer questions
By the CollegePrepRoom editorial team · Updated · How we write and check these pages
Short-answer questions make up Part B of Section I of the AP World History: Modern exam. You answer three questions, each with parts A, B and C worth one point apiece. Some questions include a source, such as a historian's interpretation, a primary text, a map or an image; others ask about a period of world history with no source.
Treat each part as a precise task. A strong answer to each part is two or three sentences: a direct answer, a specific example and, when the verb calls for it, an explanation. This guide covers how SAQs are scored, what identify, describe and explain require, how to handle source-based questions about unfamiliar regions, and example answers.
SAQ at a glance
| Where it appears | Section I, Part B |
|---|---|
| Questions | Three questions: two required, then a choice between two more |
| Parts | 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 the whole question
Read parts A, B and C before writing. Parts often build from identifying a development to explaining it, and you want to save your strongest evidence for the part that needs it most.
Match your answer to the verb
Identify: a specific, named answer. Describe: characteristics or details, more than a name. Explain: how or why, with a connection between evidence and claim.
State the source's claim
For source-based questions, write one sentence in the margin stating the source's main argument or message. Questions often ask for evidence that supports or challenges it.
Lead with the answer
Start each part with a sentence that directly answers the task, with no introduction.
Add a specific example
Use a named empire, ruler, trade network, technology, policy or movement with an approximate date. AP World scorers look for specificity just as APUSH scorers do.
Explain when the verb asks
For explain tasks, add a sentence connecting the example to the claim, using words such as because, which allowed or as a result.
Choose the optional question carefully
Test what you know about each option's time period for thirty seconds and choose the one where you have specific evidence.
Watch the clock
With about 40 minutes for three questions, aim for roughly 13 minutes each. Each part is scored separately, so a quick, specific answer beats an unfinished long one.
Common mistakes
Region-free answers
Answers that do not name a place or society are usually too vague for world history SAQs.
Summarizing the source
When asked for supporting evidence, bring in a new example from outside the source.
Answering a different verb
Describing when the task says explain, or identifying when it says describe, often costs the point.
Same evidence in two parts
Use different evidence when parts ask for different examples.
Wrong era
Check the time frame for each part; examples outside it usually do not count.
Leaving a part blank
Each part is scored on its own, so always give your best specific answer.
Example: answers that do and do not earn the point
Invented question for illustration: (a) Identify one way Indian Ocean trade changed from 1200 to 1450. (b) Describe one effect of Indian Ocean trade on East African city-states in this period. (c) Explain one way states attempted to benefit from Indian Ocean trade in this period.
Part A, does not earn the point
Trade in the Indian Ocean grew a lot.
Part A, earns the point
The volume of Indian Ocean trade increased as improved knowledge of monsoon wind patterns and technologies such as the lateen sail and the astrolabe made regular long-distance voyages more predictable.
Part B, earns the point
Swahili city-states such as Kilwa grew wealthy as intermediaries in the gold and ivory trade, and the spread of Islam through Muslim merchants shaped their architecture, law and the Swahili language, which blended Bantu and Arabic elements.
Part C, earns the point
The Ming dynasty sponsored the voyages of Zheng He in the early fifteenth century, sending large fleets across the Indian Ocean to display Chinese power and draw distant rulers into the tribute system, which brought prestige and trade goods to the Ming court.
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) Identify one way the spread of Buddhism changed East Asian societies from 1200 to 1450. (b) Describe one way states used religion to legitimize power in this period. (c) Explain one effect of trade on the spread of religion.
- (a) Identify one reason European states sponsored maritime exploration after 1450. (b) Describe one effect of the Columbian Exchange on the Americas. (c) Explain one way Indigenous peoples responded to colonization.
- (a) Identify one cause of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. (b) Describe one effect of industrialization on family life. (c) Explain one way workers responded to industrial conditions.
- (a) Identify one cause of the Cold War. (b) Describe one way newly independent states responded to Cold War pressures. (c) Explain one effect of the Cold War on a region outside Europe.
How to practice the SAQ
Practice SAQs in sets of three with a 40-minute timer. Review each part against its verb and check that each answer names a specific society, place or development.
Keep a list of high-value specific examples for each period, especially trade networks, empires and technologies, so you can answer no-source questions quickly.
Free practice prompt
Lessons in the AP World History course
Related guides and terms
SAQ: frequently asked questions
How long should AP World SAQ answers be?
Usually two to four sentences per part: a direct answer, a specific example and, for explain tasks, a connecting explanation.
Do AP World SAQs need a thesis?
No. Answer each part directly in complete sentences.
How much are the SAQs worth on AP World?
The three SAQs together are worth 20% of the AP World History: Modern exam score.
What if the source is about a region I have not studied?
Use the information in the source and the question's time period, then add a specific example you do know from the same period that supports or challenges the source's claim.