AP United States History v. AP European History v. AP World History: Modern
The Basics
Think like a historian—that’s the challenge presented to any student of AP United States History (APUSH), AP European History (AP Euro), and AP World History: Modern (AP World). A historian is a storyteller, an investigator, an excavator, a tester of hypotheses, and so much more. These history courses ask students to consider more than just what has happened in a specific country or the world and to dig into why and how events, wars, and movements happen, exploring themes of cause and effect as well as continuity and change throughout different time periods and locations.
The obvious difference between APUSH, AP Euro, and AP World is the focus of the content. AP US History has a narrower focus: investigating the events and movements within the United States from its origins to the present. In contrast, AP Euro takes a broader look at the history of Europe as a whole, starting with the Renaissance. AP World covers an even larger range of material, looking across cultures, revolutions, and civilizations globally spanning from 1200 CE to the present.
The Exams
For the optional AP exam in the Spring, APUSH, AP Euro, and AP World exams all share the same format, which is as follows:
Section 1
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Part A / Multiple Choice: 55 Questions in 55 minutes. [40% of score]
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APUSH, AP Euro, and AP World multiple choice questions are typically stimulus-based (which means the questions have a corresponding quotation, map, table, or image).
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Part B / Short Answer Questions: 3 Questions in 40 minutes. [20% of score]
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The third SAQ gives you the choice between 2 prompts from different time periods.
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Section 2
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Part A / Document-Based Question: 1 Question integrating multiple primary sources in 60 minutes (15 minute reading period included). [25% of score]
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Part B / Long Essay Question: 1 Question in 40 minutes. [15% of score]
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The LEQ gives you the choice between 3 prompts from different time periods.
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Note: For the 2021 digital AP exams for APUSH, AP Euro, and AP World, the primary differences from the paper exams will be that
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students will not be given the option between different prompts in Section 1 Part B for the third SAQ.
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Additionally, for Section 2 Part B, the LEQ is going to be replaced by 2 additional SAQs.
The Statistics*
APUSH
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In 2019, 496,573 students took the APUSH course exam.
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The mean score was a 2.71, with 53.7% of test takers passing with a score of 3 or above. (2019)
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11.8% scored a 5! (2019)
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In 2020, during the unprecedented online FRQ AP exam, the passing rate rose to 58.8%, and 13% of test takers scored a 5.
AP Euro
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In 2019, 100,655 students took the AP Euro course exam.
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The mean score was a 2.90, with 58.1% of test takers passing with a score of 3 or above. (2019)
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11.7% scored a 5! (2019)
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In 2020, during the unprecedented online FRQ AP exam, the passing rate rose to 59.3%, and 13.7% of test takers scored a 5.
AP World
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In 2019, 313,317 students took the AP World course exam.
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The mean score was a 2.75, with 55.3% of test takers passing with a score of 3 or above. (2019)
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8.6% scored a 5! (2019)
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In 2020, during the unprecedented online FRQ AP exam, the passing rate rose to 60.2%, and 9.2% of test takers scored a 5.
*All statistics are sourced from College Board 2019 & 2020 score distributions.
Additional Course Facts
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At many high schools, students have the opportunity to take at least two of these three AP history courses. Typically, sophomores are given the chance to take either AP Euro or AP World, depending on their school’s offerings, while APUSH is offered students’ junior year.
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While memorization of names, movements, and key dates is beneficial in any of these history courses, students cannot rely solely on memorization to ace these exams and will develop analysis, synthesis, and critical thinking skills.
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Some colleges will accept a passing AP score as college credit, which can decrease college costs.
Which history courses are for you?
If you are lucky enough to attend a high school that offers all three AP history courses, then when deciding between AP Euro and AP World, consider which civilizations and time periods interest you the most. Additionally, when deciding whether to take AP or regular history, take into account the level of time and effort you’ll be able to commit to the course. APUSH, AP Euro, and AP World will challenge you and usually require a large amount of reading and writing (mostly timed). If you are up for the challenge, these classes can also be greatly rewarding and inform the way you view not just history but also the present moment.
Note: Additional courses delve into history as well and can complement these three AP history courses. Check out our Course Tours of AP Art History, AP US Gov., and AP Comp. Gov.