AP African American Studies Exam Info

The questions in the multiple-choice section appear in sets of 3–4 questions based on a shared source or sources. These sources will be primary or secondary sources related to course content. Some of these sources will be from the required sources included in the course framework, and some will be sources that are new to you.  

You will be asked to: 

• Read and analyze the sources
• Analyze the developments, processes, and elements of African American Studies that are present in the sources 

This question will present you with the opportunity to respond in writing to one of the project oral defense questions. You’ll be asked to provide analysis, reflection, comparison, or evaluation of at least one of the sources you used for your course project.  

Short-Answer Questions  
3 Questions | 40 mins | 18% of Score  

In the short-answer section, you’ll respond to all parts of the questions in the provided field in the testing app. Some questions include texts, images, graphs, or maps. 

This section includes: 

• 1 short-answer question based on a text source
• 1 short-answer question based on a visual source
• 1 short-answer question focused on a broad course theme 

You'll be asked to: 

• Analyze the provided sources
• Analyze the developments, processes, and themes and put those developments and processes in context
• Make connections between those developments and processes 

Each question will include either three or four question parts and will assess your mastery of course content and skills. 

Document-Based Question  
1 Question | 45 mins | 12% of Score  

The 45-minute recommended time includes time for reading and analyzing the documents.  

• You’ll be presented with 5 documents, each of which will offer a different perspective on a historical development or process related to African American Studies.
• You’ll be asked to develop and support an argument based on these 5 documents in combination with other evidence from your own knowledge.
• The document-based question will be focused on a topic related to the required content of the AP African American Studies course. 

• You’ll complete a 3-week project where you’ll define a research topic and line of inquiry, conduct independent research to analyze authentic sources from multiple disciplines, and develop and deliver a presentation about your selected topic. 

• You’ll present the results of your project to your teacher and class, and will respond to questions from your teacher as part of an oral defense to demonstrate your understanding of how your sources and the information provided in those sources contributed to your understanding of your project topic.