Writing Practice
SAQ, DBQ & LEQ
Real AP exam prompts from the official College Board scoring materials. Write your response and get instant feedback scored against the actual rubric.
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2024 AP Exam — Short Answer Question 2 (Primary Source)
Source — 1932 German Election Poster
National Socialist (Nazi) Party election poster, Germany, 1932. Text reads: “Men! Women! Millions of men without work. Millions of children without a future. Save the German family. Vote Adolf Hitler!”
A. Identify ONE likely political purpose of this image. (1 point)
B. Explain ONE way the image illustrates the economic situation of the period after the First World War. (1 point)
C. Explain ONE way the rise of the German National Socialist Party led to the Second World War. (1 point)
B. Explain ONE way the image illustrates the economic situation of the period after the First World War. (1 point)
C. Explain ONE way the rise of the German National Socialist Party led to the Second World War. (1 point)
SAQ Tips from Mr. T Label each part (A, B, C). Identify = 1 sentence. Explain = 2–3 sentences with “because.” No full paragraphs — answer only what is asked.
2024 AP Exam — Document-Based Question 1
Evaluate the extent to which economic motives were the leading cause of Japanese imperialism in the period circa 1900–1945.
Doc 1“Why do Japan’s businessmen insist on war against Russia?” — Tokyo Economist editorial, 1903. Russian taxes on non-Russian ships at Port Arthur threaten Japanese trade; businessmen push for war.
Doc 2Fumimaro Konoe, “Reject the Anglo-American-Centered Peace” — Essay, 1918. Resource-poor Japan is unfairly denied colonies by England and America and may need to challenge the Western-dominated world order.
Doc 3Allied Korean Organizations of New York, Manifesto against the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, 1931. Japan has violated Korean sovereignty, broken treaties, and continues imperial conquest despite promises of “Asia for Asians.”
Doc 4Kanji Ishiwara, “Personal Opinion on the Manchuria-Mongolia Problem”, 1931. Seizing Manchuria and Mongolia would give Japan resources, regional leadership, and allow it to contain Russia and challenge Anglo-American power.
Doc 5Eliot Janeway, New York Times article, 1937. Japan’s invasion of China is about controlling key economic resources — Shaanxi iron mines, coal, steel — and preventing China from industrializing.
Doc 6Toichi Nawa, The Japanese Cotton Spinning Industry and Raw Cotton, 1937. Argues Japan cannot profitably control North China; notes Japan’s growing dependence on world markets for raw cotton.
Doc 7Photograph: Japanese language class at a Singaporean school, 1943. Published in a Japanese daily newspaper.
DBQ Formula from Mr. T ¶1: Thesis + Contextualization (pre-1900 Japan). ¶2–3: Group documents by theme (economic vs. non-economic motives). Apply HAPP to 2 docs. Include 1 piece of outside evidence not in the documents. Aim for 4+ documents used.
2019 AP Exam — Long Essay Question 4
“In the period after 1900, the role of the state in the economy varied, with many states adopting policies to control or manage their economies.
Develop an argument that evaluates the extent to which one or more states controlled their economies in this time period.”
LEQ Formula from Mr. T No documents — all from memory. ¶1: Thesis (evaluative adverb + line of reasoning) + Contextualization (pre-1900 context). ¶2: Evidence 1 — describe AND explain how it supports your argument. ¶3: Evidence 2. Frame around causation, CCOT, or comparison.
0 words
Rubric Feedback—
🏋 Skill Drills
Practice One Skill at a Time
Isolate each rubric point, see what earns it, and get targeted feedback on just that skill.
What earns the point — official rubric language
- Makes a historically defensible claim — does not merely restate or rephrase the prompt
- Establishes a line of reasoning: gives a reason for the claim OR sets up analytic categories
- Use an evaluative adverb: significantly, primarily, largely, fundamentally, to a great extent, to a limited extent
- Can appear in the intro OR conclusion
Choose prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which one or more states controlled their economies in the period after 1900.
What earns the point — official rubric language
- Describes a broader historical context — more than a phrase or one-sentence mention
- Relates to events/developments/processes before, during, or after the time frame of the prompt
- Must be relevant to the prompt — not just any historical background
- Must include elaboration connecting the context to the topic
Choose prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which one or more states controlled their economies in the period after 1900.
What earns the point — official rubric language
- 1 pt: Provide at least two specific historical examples relevant to the prompt
- 2 pts: Use those examples to support an argument — each piece connects to a claim with explanation
- Evidence must be specific: names, dates, policies, events — not vague generalizations
- Must be described AND explained — don’t just list facts
Choose prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which one or more states controlled their economies in the period after 1900.
What earns the point — official rubric language (DBQ only)
- For at least 2 documents, explain how the document’s Historical situation, Audience, Purpose, or Point of View is relevant to an argument
- Must explain HOW or WHY — not just identify. Say “This is significant because…”
- The explanation must connect to your argument about the prompt
Write HAPP analysis for two different documents from the DBQ above. Label each (e.g. “Doc 1:” and “Doc 4:”).
What earns the point — official rubric language
- Qualify or modify your argument — acknowledge nuance, exceptions, or counterevidence
- Analyze multiple causes/effects, multiple variables, or diverse perspectives
- Make insightful connections across time or geography linked to your argument
- Must be part of the argument, not just a closing phrase
Choose prompt:
Evaluate the extent to which one or more states controlled their economies in the period after 1900.
SAQ rubric — 1 point each, earned independently
- Part A — Identify: 1–2 sentences. State a specific political purpose of the Nazi poster.
- Part B — Explain: 2–3 sentences with causal language. HOW does the image illustrate post-WWI economic conditions?
- Part C — Explain: 2–3 sentences with causal language. ONE way the Nazi Party’s rise led to WWII.
2024 SAQ Source — 1932 German Election Poster
Text reads: “Men! Women! Millions of men without work. Millions of children without a future. Save the German family. Vote Adolf Hitler!” — Nazi Party, 1932
A. Identify ONE likely political purpose of this image.
B. Explain ONE way the image illustrates the economic situation of the period after the First World War.
C. Explain ONE way the rise of the German National Socialist Party led to the Second World War.