AP+Essay

The AP Exam essays count for 50% of your grade **__The DBQ __** The DBQ is **required** and is allotted 60 minutes for reading and writing (weight of 45) Beginning with a MANDATORY 15 minute reading period during which you are to read the documents and take notes You then will have 45 minutes to write your DBQ response in the essay booklet The DBQ is designed to test your analytical skills as well as your ability to relate material to the major issues of the time period covered by the DBQ **__The Free Response Questions __** The free response questions are allotted 35 minutes each (weight of 27.5 each) Recommended 5 minutes of planning and 30 minutes of writing for each free response essay 4 free response or standard essay questions 2 questions from the period preceding the civil war 2 questions from the period following it You must answer 1 question from each group You should choose the questions about which you know the most and pick your facts carefully to support your opinion on the particular subject “Answers to the standard essay questions will be judged on the strength of the thesis developed, the quality of the historical argument, and the evidence offered in support of the thesis, rather than on the factual information per se” **__Keys to a successful essay response __** Answer the question--Focus on the phrasing of the question <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Begin with a thesis <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Follow a reasonable outline <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">(Questions usually suggest a basic thesis statement and a logical outline look for them and follow them) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Express good ideas and presenting valid evidence in support of those ideas