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Decoding the Updated AP U.S. History Rubric

AP U.S. History is one of the most popular AP classes offered by the College Board. It also has a reputation for being a tough test to get a 5 on.

Why? The test expects a daunting amount of memorization and on test day requires you to contextualize an assortment of historical documents. Additionally, the exam concludes with the infamous Document-Based Question (DBQ) and Long Essay Question (LEQ) responses, which together account for 40% of the total exam score.

Thankfully for students this year, the College Board has updated the rubric for the 2023-24 school year to make obtaining all 7 available DBQ points much easier than it used to be. Even better, as with free-response questions (FRQs) on all AP exams, scoring follows a very clear rubric. If you know the points available and what they require, you can simply structure your responses to check off each and every point.

APUSH FRQ Rubric

The key to a top-notch FRQ response in APUSH is understanding how the connection between the  different parts of the rubric relate to each other. The italic text below explains these connections.

Thesis (1 point)

You must make a defensible claim that establishes a line of reasoning , which means:

1. Take a position mentioning at least two different interpretations of the question. Offer a judgment about which part of your argument is most significant. The thesis is the cornerstone of your response, and other points rely on it. You will not get the second EVIDENCE point or the ANALYTICAL COMPLEXITY point without making a judgment that you can back up with evidence.

2. Explain how you will support that position. This will likely mean briefly summarizing what evidence you will use in your body.

Context (1 point)

You must connect your response to broader historical events, developments or processes (more on that below). When in doubt, frame your argument in terms of continuity and change .

Your introduction should justify why you are making your argument. Explain what happened before that ead to the topic and else was happening simultaneously to the topic. The HISTORICAL REASONING and ANALYTICAL COMPLEXITY points depend on demonstrating a strong understanding of context. Gaining those points will also secure this point.

Evidence (2 points)

Your evidence must support your argument . The DBQ requires use of 4 documents , and the LEQ requires as much evidence as it takes (likely 3-4 specific pieces of evidence). You will earn only 1 point if you use fewer than 4 documents or if you simply state evidence and do not explain how it supports your argument.

To support an argument you must explicitly write how your evidence relates to your claim. The graders know that when students struggle, they’ll just describe each document in the order given. Be sure not to fall into that trap. You will struggle to support an argument without a THESIS that contains a line of reasoning. In the DBQ, particular attention to the HISTORICAL REASONING point will secure the second EVIDENCE point.

Outside Evidence (1 point, DBQ only)

This point is straightforward. You must simply incorporate one historical event or development not mentioned in the documents. When in doubt, it’s better to include anything factually true rather than to include nothing.

Historical Reasoning (1 point)

The way you obtain this point differs between the DBQ and LEQ.

On the DBQ, explain how or why at least two documents’ points of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience are relevant to your argument. This is how you make your evidence actually support your argument and, thus, secure the second EVIDENCE point.

On the LEQ, frame your argument using comparison, causation, or continuity/change . Consciously focusing on CONTEXTUALIZATION will guarantee you do this.

Analytical Reasoning (1 point)

This point is the one that has gotten much easier to obtain with the recent update to the APUSH rubric. Broadly, there are now two ways:

• Demonstrate nuance. Your evidence should prove more than one point throughout the essay. This might mean highlighting contradictions, making connections across periods, explaining both cause and effect, etc.
• Do more! Use all seven documents to support your argument or complete the Historical Reasoning explanation for four documents instead of two and you will automatically receive the point.

Note: Although it might be tempting to rely heavily on the new second option, it is in your best interest to practice the “nuance” skill that has always been used for this point. Not only will it still help get you the 4 or 5 you’re shooting for, it will also make you a stronger writer as you head into college!

What is a historical development or process?

The AP History rubrics constantly reference developments and processes for a reason. Rarely are the important parts of history that you’ll be discussing in your DBQs and LEQs simply events.

An event is something that happens relatively quickly, and then is finished—think The Boston Tea Party or the secession of some Southern states. However, it is much more likely that you’ll be asked to analyze how a set of ideas, values, or philosophies came to dominate a historical period, or how a series of events led to a major development.

Developments and processes help us explain relationships.

Thus, The Boston Tea Party ends up being the result of the post-1763 process of Britain exerting increased control over its colonies in the America, while secession is one of many other events (including the end of the Mexican-American War, Bleeding Kansas, and Lincoln’s election) which led to the Civil War.

You should think about developments and processes as the effects and impacts of many events over a longer time period. Or, you can look at the developments and processes that led to a big event. Either way, only by explaining the way that events relate to each other can we really analyze history in an effective and argumentative way.

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AP U.S. History LEQ rubric

Rubric for the long essay free-response question of the AP U.S. History exam.

Rubric aligned to the 2023-2024 scoring guidelines for the Long Essay Question of the AP United States History exam.

This rubric is available and ready to use in your Feedback Studio account. However, if you would like to customize its criteria, you can "Duplicate this rubric: in your Feedback Studio account and then edit the rubric as needed. Or you can download this .rbc file and then import to your account to begin editing the content.

APUSH 2023 DBQ Rubric Changes

1 min read • june 18, 2024

Elias McEaneney

The AP US History DBQ just got simpler and easier to digest! Let’s dive in.

The document-based question (DBQ) on the APUSH exam is the first of two essays in Section II. It’s suggested you spend an hour preparing and writing. It is 25% of your total exam score. Don’t worry, you’ll do great! ☘️

✏️ 2023 DBQ Rubric Changes

In previous years, students fought against the clock to fit six documents and thoroughly analyze three of them. College Board has finally noticed!

Starting this year (for those of you from the future, the 2023-2024 academic year 😉), the APUSH DBQ has gone through a major shift. Let’s take a few minutes and work through the changes made to the rubric. But first, a quick rundown of what’s staying the same and what’s changed.

Okay…now let’s break it down! ⬇️

📖 Evidence and Support

Up until now, students had to support their argument using at least six documents to earn two evidence points. Worry no more; you don’t have to panic about fitting six documents into your argument in the hour you have! 👏🏽

A snapshot of section C in the rubric that covers evidence from the documents and evidence beyond the documents.

Rubric from College Board— APUSH Course & Exam Description

Instead, College Board is requiring you to connect the content of four documents to your argument. By describing content from four documents, you can get 2/3 points in the evidence category (the other point is outside evidence, which has not changed).

🧐 Explaining and Analyzing

Okay, now that we’ve got the changes made to “Evidence” covered, let’s move onto “Analysis and Reasoning.” This is the even harder version of supporting your argument (because, for real, isn’t the “explain” point just a more in-depth “support” point?).

For this category, you are required to analyze a set of documents using h istorical situation, i ntended audience, p urpose, or p oint of view arguments (HIPP for short). This is often a dreaded part of the essay, as College Board required you to source at least three documents in the past.

Guess what? Now, you only have to source (use HIPP) for two documents to get the full point.

A snapshot of section D in the rubric that covers document sourcing requirements.

✨ Complexity and Sophistication

Last but not least, the “unicorn point.” 🦄

Veterans of the AP Exams know this concept well (especially fans of the humanities), and it has certainly earned its name for a reason. This is the complexity part of the rubric, but luckily, it’s changed.

Rather than broadly asking students to add nuance through the essay, there are now two ways to get the full complexity point:

• You can do this by explaining multiple causes or effects, multiple similarities or differences, or multiple continuities or changes. These are your historical thinking skills!
• 🤔 Effective Use of Evidence , which can be earned by using all seven documents or using HIPP analysis for four documents.

This point is now easier for students to understand and achieve. You’ve got options when approaching this point and can choose what route is best for you.

🪄 What Do All These DBQ Changes Mean for Me?

These changes to the rubric should serve to make the DBQ a less stressful part of the APUSH exam for students going forward. Practice is still key, and knowing how to effectively analyze the documents will serve you well, but if you’ve been terrified of the DBQ, take a deep breath! All is well in the US History world! 📜

To reference the updated DBQ rubric, check out the AP US History Course and Exam Description (page 524) linked here.

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AP United States History

Learn all about the course and exam. Already enrolled? Join your class in My AP.

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About the Course

Study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the United States from c. 1491 to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments.

Skills You'll Learn

Evaluating primary and secondary sources

Analyzing the claims, evidence, and reasoning you find in sources

Putting historical developments in context and making connections between them

Coming up with a claim or thesis and explaining and supporting it in writing

Equivalency and Prerequisites

College course equivalent.

A two-semester introductory college course in U.S. history

Recommended Prerequisites

Fri, May 9, 2025

AP U.S. History Exam

This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP United States History Exam.

About the Units

The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.

Course Content

Unit 1: period 1: 1491–1607.

You’ll learn about Native American societies as well as how and why Europeans first explored, and then began to colonize, the Americas.

Topics may include:

• Native American societies before European contact
• European exploration in the New World
• The Columbian Exchange
• Labor, slavery, and caste in the Spanish colonial system
• Cultural interactions between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans

On The Exam

4%–6% of score

Unit 2: Period 2: 1607–1754

You'll study the colonies established in the New World by the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British.

• How different European colonies developed and expanded
• Transatlantic trade
• Interactions between American Indians and Europeans
• Slavery in the British colonies
• Colonial society and culture

6%–8% of score

Unit 3: Period 3: 1754–1800

You'll explore the events that led to the American Revolution and the formation of the United States and examine the early years of the republic.

• The Seven Years’ War
• The American Revolution
• The Articles of Confederation
• The creation and ratification of the Constitution
• Developing an American identity
• Immigration to and migration within America

10%–17% of score

Unit 4: Period 4: 1800–1848

You’ll examine how the young nation developed politically, culturally, and economically in this period.

• The rise of political parties
• American foreign policy
• Innovations in technology, agriculture, and business
• Debates about federal power
• The Second Great Awakening
• Reform movements
• The experience of African Americans

Unit 5: Period 5: 1844–1877

You’ll learn how the nation expanded and you’ll explore the events that led to the secession of Southern states and the Civil War.

• Manifest Destiny
• The Mexican–American War
• Attempts to resolve conflicts over the spread of slavery
• The election of 1860 and Southern secession
• The Civil War
• Reconstruction

Unit 6: Period 6: 1865–1898

You’ll examine the nation’s economic and demographic shifts in this period and their links to cultural and political changes.

• The settlement of the West
• The "New South"
• The rise of industrial capitalism
• Immigration and migration
• Debates about the role of government

Unit 7: Period 7: 1890–1945

You’ll examine America’s changing society and culture and the causes and effects of the global wars and economic meltdown of this period.

• Debates over imperialism
• The Progressive movement
• World War I
• Innovations in communications and technology in the 1920s
• The Great Depression and the New Deal
• World War II
• Postwar diplomacy

Unit 8: Period 8: 1945–1980

You’ll learn about the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States, the growth of various civil rights movements, and the economic, cultural, and political transformations of this period.

• The Cold War and the Red Scare
• America as a world power
• The Vietnam War
• The Great Society
• The African American civil rights movement
• Youth culture of the 1960s

Unit 9: Period 9: 1980–Present

You’ll learn about the advance of political conservatism, developments in science and technology, and demographic shifts that had major cultural and political consequences in this period.

• Reagan and conservatism
• The end of the Cold War
• Shifts in the economy
• Migration and immigration
• Challenges of the 21st century

Credit and Placement

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Course Resources

Ap classroom resources.

Once you join your AP class section online, you’ll be able to access AP Daily videos, any assignments from your teacher, and your assignment results in AP Classroom. Sign in to access them.

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United States History Reading Study Skills

Review these tips to help you better understand and analyze the material you’ll read in this course.

United States History Writing Study Skills

Read these suggestions for writing a good essay, such as one you’d write as a response to a document-based question or other free-response question on the exam.

AP U.S. History Course and Exam Description

This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and the AP Program in general.

See Where AP Can Take You

AP United States History can lead to a wide range of careers and college majors

Additional Information

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The Ultimate Guide to the AP US History Exam

Advanced Placement (AP)

The AP US History exam involves critical reading, writing, and in-depth analysis. It's not just about memorizing names and dates, but rather interpreting historical evidence quickly and accurately, recalling outside information on a topic, and synthesizing your ideas into a coherent argument.

In this guide, we'll give you a rundown of the format and structure of the AP US History test along with a brief content outline, sample questions, and some tips for a great score .

How Is the AP US History Exam Structured?

The next AP US History test will be administered on Friday, May 5, 2023, at 8 AM . This AP exam is three hours and 15 minutes long and consists of two main sections, each of which is divided into a Part A and a Part B.

Before we get into the details of each part, here's an overview of the US History test as a whole:

Section 1, Part A: Multiple Choice

The first section on the test is the multiple-choice section, which is worth 40% of your score and lasts for 55 minutes. You'll get 55 questions, each with four possible answer choices (labeled A-D); this means that you'll have about a minute per question on this part of the exam.

Most US History multiple-choice questions come in sets of three to four questions that require you to respond to certain stimuli, or sources, such as historical texts, graphs, and maps.

Section 1, Part B: Short Answer

Part B of Section 1 on the US History test requires you to answer three short-answer questions in 40 minutes , giving you about 13 minutes per question. It's worth 20% of your overall score.

The first two questions are required, but you get to choose between question 3 and question 4 for your third short answer . Here's what you can expect with each question:

Section 2, Part A: Document-Based Question

The Document-Based Question, or DBQ , is worth 25% of your final score and requires you to write an essay based on a prompt that's accompanied by seven historical documents . You'll get a 15-minute reading period followed by 45 minutes to write your response.

The DBQ will focus on a historical development in the years 1754-1980.

Section 2, Part B: Long Essay

The final part of the AP US History test is the Long Essay, for which you must choose one of three possible prompts and write an essay on the topic. You'll have 40 minutes to write your response, which will count for 15% of your overall AP score.

To earn full credit here, you must develop a clear and logical argument and support it with relevant historical evidence (which won't be directly provided to you as it will be on the DBQ).

Each of the three essay prompts revolves around a different time period in US history:

• Essay Prompt 1: 1491-1800
• Essay Prompt 2: 1800-1898
• Essay Prompt 3: 1890-2001

Content Background for the AP US History Exam

There are eight themes addressed in the AP US History course , and all of them show up in one form or another on the exam across the nine units, or time periods . Each represents a subset of learning objectives that students are expected to master. You can read more about these learning objectives in the AP US History Course and Exam Description .

Before I give you a broad overview of the eight themes, let's take a look at how the major units are weighted on the AP US History exam :

Below, we give you the definition of each course theme as described in the AP US History Course Description.

Theme 1: American and National Identity

Focuses on how and why definitions of American and national identity and values have developed among the diverse and changing population of North America as well as on related topics, such as citizenship, constitutionalism, foreign policy, assimilation, and American exceptionalism.

Theme 2: Work, Exchange, and Technology

Focuses on the factors behind the development of systems of economic exchange, particularly the role of technology, economic markets, and government.

Theme 3: Geography and the Environment

Focuses on the role of geography and both the natural and human-made environments in the social and political developments in what would become the United States.

Theme 4: Migration and Settlement

Focuses on why and how the various people who moved to and within the United States both adapted to and transformed their new social and physical environments.

Theme 5: Politics and Power

Focuses on how different social and political groups have influenced society and government in the United States as well as how political beliefs and institutions have changed over time.

Theme 6: America in the World

Focuses on the interactions between nations that affected North American history in the colonial period and on the influence of the United States on world affairs.

Theme 7: American and Regional Culture

Focuses on how and why national, regional, and group cultures developed and changed as well as how culture has shaped government policy and the economy.

Theme 8: Social Structures

Focuses on how and why systems of social organization develop and change as well as the impact that these systems have on the broader society.

Sample AP US History Questions

Now that you have a sense of the test content, I'll present you with sample questions to give you a better idea of what the AP US History exam actually looks like. All sample questions come from the official US History Course and Exam Description .

Sample Multiple-Choice Question

For multiple choice, you're given one or two pieces of historical evidence followed by a set of questions that ask you to do some analysis . The US History exam is less about knowing specific dates and names and more about being able to draw conclusions and connect themes based on materials provided by the test.

To answer this question, you don't even really need to know much about US history, as long as you pay attention to exactly what's written in the passage, or the secondary source you've been given. The passage here is mainly focused on the increase in commerce in New York as a result of the opening of the Erie Canal.

Answer choice A mentions commerce—that's a good sign—but specifically commerce with Native Americans, who are not mentioned at all in the passage, so this is unlikely to be the right answer.

Answer choice B discusses increased access to markets in the United States, which seems to echo what the passage says about commerce in New York. We'll hold onto this as a potential answer.

Answer choice C is all about the internal slave trade, which isn't mentioned at all in the secondary source, so we can assume this is wrong.

Answer choice D talks about agricultural production, which, again, isn't the focus of the passage—that's commerce. As a result, we can cross this off our list.

This means that the only logical answer to choose is answer choice B .

Sample Short-Answer Question

The short-answer questions are technically considered part of the multiple-choice section because they're less involved than the essay questions. Alt hough they do have multiple parts, you don't have to come up with a thesis—one-sentence answers are OK. These questions are about succinctly connecting themes and reference materials to specific events or trends.

Here's an example:

This short-answer question is an example of question 1, which comes with two secondary sources. As you can see, you'll have to answer three separate parts (A, B, and C), each of which is worth 1 point ; this means you can earn up to 3 points for each short-answer question.

Here's how you could earn full credit for this sample question, per the official scoring guidelines .

(A) Sample Answers

• Peiss argues that pursuits of entertainment in dance halls by working class women created new, legitimate social spaces for women, however Enstand argues that working women's participation in labor politics gave them a new voice and place in the public sphere.
• Peiss links the growth of women in public social life to a commercial culture that provided opportunities for women to enter the public sphere while Enstand argues that women became political actors who demanded a public voice.

(B) Sample Answers

• Like the dance halls, department stores and amusement parks became aspects of the commercial culture that represented new opportunities for women to enjoy public places as legitimate participants.
• The concept of the New Woman became a cultural phenomenon, as the older idea of separate spheres diminished. The idea of the New Woman supported a more public role for women in the early 1900s.
• The growth of cities and urban America gave young women more opportunities to leave rural America and participate in the developments described by Peiss.
• New technologies such as electric lighting made possible new public spaces for personal freedom for women.

(C) Sample Answers

• Women's participation in the suffrage movement, settlement house work, temperance organizing, and the Progressive movement all contributed to modern attitudes about women and increased their roles in the public sphere.
• The ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution gave women the vote and a voice in politics.
• Women were the main participants in the New York shirtwaist strike of 1909. During this strike women made public demands like those described by Enstad.
• Women organized or participated in labor unions such as the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) which is an example of their growing voice in the public sphere.
• Working-class women had key public roles in the successful Lawrence (Massachusetts) textile strike of 1912, this demonstrates that women became active political voices through labor movements.

Sample Document-Based Question

With the DBQ , you'll have seven different historical documents to examine . To earn full credit, you must use at least six documents as evidence in your answer. These documents range from transcripts of folk songs, to excerpts from letters and newspapers, to demographic maps.

Here's an example of a DBQ (with one document shown):

There are several components of a solid response to this question. The DBQ is worth a total of 7 raw points . Here's how you could earn full credit, according to the scoring guidelines .

Sample Long Essay Question

For the Long Essay, you must choose between three prompts . Here's an example of a potential prompt:

Your essay should include many of the same elements as your answer to the DBQ, but there are no documents to analyze and reference , so you'll have less time to write. The essay is worth 6 raw points .

Here's how you could earn full credit for the sample question above, per the scoring guidelines .

How Is the AP US History Exam Scored?

Here, we'll go over how each section on the AP US History exam is scored, scaled, and combined to give you your final AP score on the 1-5 scale .

On the multiple-choice section, you earn 1 raw point for each question you answer correctly; this means that the max score you can earn here is 55 points. No points are taken off for incorrect answers.

Each of the three short-answer questions is worth 3 points, so there are 9 points possible in this section.

The DBQ is scored out of 7 points and is based on the following criteria, per the scoring guide :

• Thesis/claim: 1 point
• Contextualization: 1 point
• Evidence from the documents: 2 points
• Evidence beyond the documents: 1 point
• Sourcing: 1 point
• Complexity: 1 point

Lastly, the Long Essay is out of 6 raw points and is scored using the following criteria:

• Evidence: 2 points
• Analysis and reasoning: 2 points

On essay questions, points are taken off for errors only if they detract from the quality of the argument being made (in other words, don't go making up historical facts to support your argument). Grammatical and other technical errors aren't a big deal as long as they don't inhibit the grader's ability to understand what your essay is saying.

The total number of raw points you can earn on the AP US History test is 77:

• 55 points for the Multiple Choice questions
• 9 points for the Short Answer questions
• 7 points for the DBQ
• 6 points for the Long Essay

Raw scores can be converted to scaled scores out of 150 . Here's how to do that for each section:

• Multiple Choice: Multiply your raw multiple-choice section score out of 55 by 1.09
• Short Answer: Multiply your raw short-answer score out of 9 by 3.33
• DBQ: Multiply your raw DBQ score out of 7 by 5.36
• Long Essay: Multiply your raw Long Essay score out of 6 by 3.75

Finally, add all the scores together to get your final scaled AP score for US History! Here is a chart to show you approximately how these scaled scores translate to final AP scores:

Source: The College Board

I made my best estimates based on other AP score conversion charts because there was no official scaled-to-AP-score conversion chart online for US History. Your AP teacher or review book might have a more accurate score conversion system you can use for official practice tests.

4 Essential Tips for Acing the AP US History Exam

AP US History is a grueling test that requires intense critical thinking and analytical skills. Here are some helpful tips to remember if you hope to do well on test day.

#1: Don't Confuse Accurate Facts for Correct Answers

Many multiple-choice questions will list answers that are accurate representations of historical events or trends but that don't directly respond to the question being asked . Be wary of these answers on the test so you don't accidentally choose them over more relevant responses.

In the multiple-choice question I gave above as an example, one incorrect choice was "The growth in the internal slave trade." At the time referenced in the question, this was a real trend that occurred, but because it doesn't relate directly to the passage given, it's still the wrong answer .

Don't let these types of answer choices confuse you; adhere to the particulars of the question and the evidence presented to you!

#2: Pay Attention to Details—Read Excerpts Carefully

Most of this AP exam is based on historical reference materials, meaning that you won't be able to answer questions correctly without reading carefully. Even if you know everything there is to know about US History, that knowledge will mostly just serve to contextualize the evidence presented on the test. The specific details found in the writings and images will ultimately reveal the best answer choice.

#3: Plan Before You Write

It's critical to write well-organized, focused essays on the AP US History test. A clear thesis is the first thing on the agenda. You then need to make sure that the rest of your essay ties back into your thesis and provides relevant evidence throughout. If you jump into writing an essay without taking the time to organize your thoughts, you're more likely to ramble or get off-topic from the main focus of the question.

For the DBQ, you should spend 15 of the 60 minutes planning how to organize your thoughts and how to use the different documents as evidence. While you will have less time for the Long Essay, you should still spend five minutes or so writing a brief outline before starting your final draft.

#4: Use Outside Evidence Wisely

It's a smart idea to incorporate additional background knowledge into your DBQ and Long Essay responses on the AP US History test. It shows that you've mastered the material and can connect themes to what you learned in class and not just what was presented to you in the question.

That said, don't include outside knowledge unless it really bolsters your argument . If you're just sticking it in there to prove how much you know, your essay will lack focus and you might lose points.

This is why it's so important to plan ahead. In the planning stage, you can think of examples that tie into your thesis and strategically place them throughout your essay in ways that contribute to your point.

Conclusion: Getting a Great Score on the AP US History Exam

The AP US History exam is one of the longer AP tests, and it has four different types of questions: Multiple Choice, Short Answer, Document-Based Question (DBQ), and Long Essay.

The main thread running through this test is an emphasis on analyzing historical evidence and applying outside knowledge in context. In your studying, you will need to learn to connect the themes of the course to events spanning 500 years of US history.

Here are some study tips to heed as you prep for the AP US History test:

• Don't mistake accurate facts for correct answers
• Always read excerpts carefully
• Plan before writing your essays
• Use outside evidence strategically

Make sure that you practice all the different types of exam questions with official materials before you sit down to take the real test . If you get used to thinking about history in an analytical, evidence-based context, you should have no problem earning a high US History score!

What's Next?

Looking for more practice materials? Check out our article on the best online quizzes you can take to prepare for the AP US History test !

Review books can be extremely helpful tools in preparing for AP exams. If you can't decide which one to get, take a look at this list of the best review books for the AP US History test .

Did you lose some of your notes? Feel free to use these links to AP US History notes for every section of the course .

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Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

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AP US History (APUSH) Score Calculator – 2024

November 14, 2023

Thinking about how you’ll score on the APUSH exam? There are many AP US History score calculators that can be confusing to navigate. Through our own APUSH Score Calculator, you’ll be able to calculate ahead of time just how well you’ll do. You may already know how challenging APUSH can be as a subject. So this fun fact probably isn’t a surprise: APUSH is listed not as one of the easiest AP classes but as one of the hardest AP classes .

With our APUSH Score Calculator and the right preparation, you’ll be sure to set yourself up for success. Often students will want to know how they will score on the APUSH exam before they’ve even done it. We can’t recommend it enough to practice as much as you can. Our APUSH Score Calculator is an excellent motivational tool for you to improve your study habits before the exam. By using the APUSH Score Calculator, see which APUSH areas you can spend more time studying. It’s an efficient way to get ready for a 3, 4 or 5 on the APUSH exam, which are all good scores.

AP US History (APUSH) Score Calculator

Enter scores, total composite score:, predicted ap ® score:.

Looking for extra help? Consider signing up for Edison Prep’s amazing in-person or virtual APUSH bootcamp . These run on 4/20/24 and 4/21/24.

If you haven’t begun doing so, familiarize yourself with the layout of the APUSH exam. This will only help you by the time the exam date rolls around. Early preparation is the key here. Knowing what type of questions and writing sections ahead of time will only help you in the long run. The AP US History score calculator can help you with just that.

But what does it exactly entail? What can you expect? The APUSH exam lasts for 3 hours and 15 minutes, and is divided into two sections. The first section lasts for 95 minutes and consists of 55 multiple-choice questions and 3 short answer questions. The second section lasts for 100 minutes and includes 1 document-based question (DBQ) and 1 long essay question. It’s absolutely important to be informed about these specific questions and know what to expect.

When reviewing the APUSH exam, you will see that the longest part of the APUSH exam is the APUSH DBQ. The APUSH DBQ lasts for 60 minutes, including a 15-minute reading section, and it makes up 25% of the exam. So it’s no wonder that many students can get intimidated by the APUSH DBQ. However, it often comes down to really understanding what types of questions and materials you’ll be reviewing on the big day.

When you’re about to answer the APUSH DBQ during the APUSH exam, you’ll come across seven documents that describe different views of a historical event or development. These documents will come in visual, numerical or written form. They are there for you to use as evidence to your written argument. You’ll be asked to demonstrate the depth of your knowledge of the prompt’s subject and the time period in question. The time periods can range from any historical event or development from 1491 until present day. Be sure to write a well-supported, thoroughly analytical and argumentative response in your written response. Having a strong grasp of historical developments and the surrounding relevant events will only help elevate your APUSH DBQ. You might see that this is one area you need to improve on, which an AP US History score calculator can show you.

APUSH Score Calculator/AP US History Score Calculator 

Some examples of the APUSH DBQ are:

• – Evaluate the extent to which commercial development changed United States society from 1800 to 1855.
• – Evaluate the extent to which the definitions of United States citizenship changed from 1865 to 1920.
• – Evaluate the extent of change in United States political parties in the period 1791 to 1833.
• – Evaluate the extent to which economic growth led to changes in United States society in the period from 1940 to 1970.

See those words “evaluate the extent”? The more strongly you can support your answer, the better. Oftentimes this is the section that students can struggle with the most. Once you use our APUSH Score Calculator, take a look at any rooms for improvement here.

APUSH DBQ Rubric

According to the APUSH DBQ rubric , the highest score you can get is 7 points. The following is how the APUSH DBQ rubric is determined:

Thesis/Claim – 1 point

The thesis/claim is usually one or two sentences, either in the introduction or conclusion. You must answer the prompt with a thesis/claim that is historically supported and relays your perspective on the topic. It is important here to make sure to answer the prompt fully, rather than reiterating and rewording the prompt. The exam reviewers will want to see a clear, thoroughly supported answer.

Contextualization – 1 point

With contextualization, you want to be able to write about the larger historical context that relates to the prompt. Think about what other historical factors are at play here. Focus on how the wider historical events taking place at the time of the prompt affected the subject you are addressing. But make sure not to focus too much on any events that don’t directly support your stance and have you veer off track.

Evidence – 3 points

How you analyze and use the evidence depends on how far you can go with them. You can score 1 or 2 points through the way you use the evidence from the documents. This corresponds to whether you used at least three or four documents to answer the prompt. To earn 1 point here, you’ll need to specifically describe the evidence you are using, instead of just quoting it or restating what the reviewer can see. Then to earn 2 points, you’ll need to do the same, but also carefully explain the evidence in four documents. The more you can provide a fuller picture using the evidence at hand, the better chance you have of attaining a higher score.

To then score 1 more point, be sure to provide evidence that goes beyond the documents. This means if you use at least one form of evidence, not already in any of the documents provided, to support your argument. Be as detailed as you can when mentioning this piece of evidence because you’re referring to something the reviewers won’t be able to refer to in the documents. The 1 point here will only be granted if the evidence differs from what you provided in the contextualization part, mentioned above. Just remember, don’t repeat any points you’ve already made. Think, what else could I mention that I haven’t done yet?

Analysis and Reasoning – 2 points

This part of the APUSH DBQ rubric is divided into 2 points because the first point will be given if you write about two documents. For each document you choose, you’ll then need to write out exactly how or why it answers the prompt in question. Consider if there is a specific point of view, historical outlook, or intended audience for the documents.

You can get the other point if you show a thorough, complex understanding of the historical development relevant to the prompt. The APUSH DBQ reviewers will be looking for an intelligent, sophisticated answer that shows how well you understand the question. Think of ways to explain multiple points of view, various similarities, or differences that can strongly support your argument. You can also analyze four or all seven documents in your response to the prompt. The ultimate key here is to write with well-informed nuance and acute awareness to help demonstrate your level of understanding.

Keep in mind: It’s important to not just write one or two sentences here, but to create a strongly supported, reasonable argument.

What is the average APUSH score?

Many students think about how many APs they should take and what the average scores for AP exams are, in order to gauge how well they’ll do. Though the average often changes every year, there is most times an even distribution for each subject. Often, as a result, you’ll end up noticing a trend in how students perform when looking at a timespan of several years. Referring to the APUSH score distributions, the average APUSH score was 2.83 in 2020, 2.71 in 2019, 2.66 in 2018, 2.65 in 2017, 2.70 in 2016, 2.64 in 2015. From the data gathered over those six years, the average APUSH score is around 2.70.

How can knowing this help you in your APUSH exam? Instead of viewing this data as a daunting block, it’s another reminder to help inform how exactly you’ll need to approach your exam preparation. By using our APUSH score calculator, you can continue practicing to ensure that you’re on top of it before the big exam day. The more you use our APUSH Score Calculator, you’ll have a stronger grasp on how you’ll fare on the APUSH exam, compared to the average APUSH score.

And in case you’re wondering when to expect the APUSH exam results, this year’s AP scores came out on July 5, 2023. AP scores are usually published in July, but as the exact date can sometimes change, it’s best to always keep yourself updated.

Overall, here are some statistics on how students did for the APUSH score in 2023:

• 11% of students received a 5
• 15% of students received a 4
• 22% of students received a 3
• 23% of students received a 2
• 29% of students received a 1

Knowing all this, it’ll be helpful to be aware of how to realistically prepare for the APUSH exam and interpret the average APUSH score.

How to get a 5 on APUSH

It’s a question that many students ask themselves. How can I get a 5 on APUSH? What can I do to increase my chances of getting a 5? As most of us would love to get that score, the data above shows that it’s evidently harder to achieve. There’s sadly no clear-cut answer as to how you can score a 5, but through constant practice and well-informed preparation, like using our APUSH Score Calculator, it’s still very possible.

It will be incredibly rewarding for you to get a head start. Start practicing how to reason well, form a strong, sophisticated argument with relevant historical evidence, and gather information with differing points of view to support your written answer.

One thing to understand is that achieving a 3, 4, or 5 are all good scores. There are a plethora of colleges and universities that will offer you college credit if you get a 3, 4 or 5, which you can find more about through the AP credit policy .

Joanna Hong

With a BA from Pitzer College and an MA from University College London, Joanna has worked in London, Berlin, and Los Angeles covering many cultural and political issues with organizations such as Byline Media, NK News, and Free Turkey Media. A freelancer for The New York Times, her work has also appeared in Newsweek, Dazed and Confused Magazine, and The Guardian, among others. In addition, Joanna was the recipient of the 2021 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship in Fiction and is currently completing her first novel.

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AP United States Government and Politics

Review the free-response questions from the 2024 ap exam., updates for 2023-24.

Starting in the 2023-24 school year, AP U.S. Government and Politics will have an updated course framework and instructional materials.

Exam Overview

Exam questions assess the course concepts and skills outlined in the course framework. For more information, download the  AP U.S. Government and Politics Course and Exam Description  (CED).

Encourage your students to visit the  AP U.S. Government and Politics student page  for exam information.

Tue, May 6, 2025

12 PM Local

AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam

Exam format.

The AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam has consistent question types, weighting, and scoring guidelines every year, so you and your students know what to expect on exam day.

Section I: Multiple Choice

55 Questions | 1 Hour 20 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

• Individual questions (no stimulus): ~30
• Quantitative Analysis : Analysis and application of quantitative-based source material
• Qualitative Analysis : Analysis and application of text-based (primary and secondary) sources
• Visual Analysis : Analysis and application of qualitative visual information

Section II: Free Response

4 Questions | 1 Hour 40 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

• Concept Application : Respond to a political scenario, describe and explain the effects of a political institution, behavior, or process
• Quantitative Analysis : Analyze quantitative data, identify a trend or pattern, or draw a conclusion from a visual representation and explain how it relates to a political principle, institution, process, policy, or behavior
• SCOTUS Comparison : Compare a nonrequired Supreme Court case with a required Supreme Court case, explaining how information from the required case is relevant to the nonrequired one
• Argument Essay : Develop an argument in the form of an essay, using evidence from required foundational documents and course concepts

Exam Questions and Scoring Information

Ap u.s. government and politics: exam questions and scoring information.

View free-response questions and scoring information from this year's exam and past exams.

Score Reporting

Ap score reports for educators.

Access your score reports.

Here’s Why More Students Have Passed AP Exams in Recent Years

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Some Advanced Placement teachers might have noticed that a higher percentage of their students received passing scores on the program’s year-end exams in the last few years.

This year , 72 percent of students who took the AP U.S. History exam earned scores of 3, 4, or 5—scores that often allow exam takers to claim college credit—up from 48.3 percent in 2022 . On the AP Macroeconomics exam, 62 percent of students this year earned passing grades, up from 51.8 percent two years earlier, according to College Board data.

It’s not that the exams that determine whether students can receive college credit have become easier, or that there was a sudden shift in how students prepared—or in how AP teachers taught. It’s more of a course correction in exam scoring, according to the College Board, the nonprofit organization that runs the AP program.

Between 2022 and this spring, the nonprofit adjusted how it scores AP subject exams using a new, data- and numbers-based approach aimed at eliminating some of the subjectivity and inconsistency that had previously been part of AP exam scoring. This “recalibration” resulted in a higher percentage of students getting the 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s that qualify them for college credit in nine subjects.

The move by the College Board comes at a time when researchers have documented accelerating grade inflation, in particular since the start of the pandemic, at both the K-12 and college levels. In addition, dual credit programs , in which students don’t rely on an exam score to earn college credit, are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to AP courses.

In that context, the College Board’s move led some educators and researchers to question whether AP exams have become easier , or whether the College Board purposefully sought to boost the percentage of students receiving passing scores to compete against dual credit programs.

But neither one of those scenarios is true, said Trevor Packer, the head of the AP program.

Instead, he said, the adjustments came about because the use of a new data-based approach to setting cutoff scores led the AP program to find more students have actually been demonstrating the proficiencies required for college credit.

“We don’t have an agenda for AP scores to be harder or easier. Our objective is to reflect what the evidence shows,” Packer said.

Though experts don’t see an immediate need for AP teachers to change how they teach as a result of the scoring changes, there are some key takeaways from this recalibration for teachers.

How the AP program determines what’s a passing score and what changed

Every five to 10 years, the College Board reviews how to determine cutoff scores for each exam.

AP exams are scored on a 5-point scale, and students who score a 3 or higher qualify for cost-saving college credit depending on the college or university they ultimately attend.

For years, the College Board relied on panels of 10 to 18 higher education faculty members for each AP subject to determine what a student had to do to earn a 3 instead of a 2, or a 5 instead of a 4. These panels also estimated what percentage of students should get each score.

It’s a standard approach and the best methodology the College Board had on hand, Packer said. Historically, these panels estimated that about 60 to 80 percent of students should score a 3 or higher on most AP exams. But in some subjects, especially in the humanities, the passing rate had recently been lower than 60 percent.

College Board officials wanted to make sure the lower passing rates in those subject areas were fair and accurately reflected students’ understanding of the course material, Packer said.

In 2013, new research emerged on a methodology known as evidence-based standard setting that relies on exam data to determine score cutoffs.

For instance, on a U.S. History AP exam, a student earns a certain number of points on an open-ended essay response that becomes part of a composite score that is then converted to a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. The College Board uses its standard-setting methodology to determine which composite scores become which exam grades.

The new methodology also involves a detailed rubric that outlines how many points a student should earn for meeting the requirements of the open response question.

For example, in responding to an essay question on the American Revolution, did a student meet all the requirements, including explaining four causes of the war, crafting a thesis statement, and providing appropriate context?

College Board officials began developing those detailed rubrics for all AP exams in 2019.

Due to delays tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t until 2022 that the College Board officially began using the new approach to assess data from AP exams across the country, Packer said.

As a result of the analysis and switch to the new scoring methodology, the College Board determined that the 60- to 80-percent passing rate in most subjects should stay the same. It also found that the passing rates in nine subjects needed to rise:

• AP World History
• AP English Literature
• AP Macroeconomics
• AP Microeconomics
• AP Chemistry
• AP U.S. Government and Politics
• AP U.S. History
• AP European History

“The goal was not set up to say, ‘we’re going to set out to make AP scores better.’ Our goal was to use the largest evidence set possible to determine, are there reasons some of these subjects, the humanities subjects, should have lower success rates than the others?,” Packer said.

“When we did the evidence-based process, we didn’t find a reason for that. We found that they should have success rates very similar to the other APs.”

The College Board has been making these adjustments over the last three years and plans to rely on the new methodology, alongside college faculty expertise, moving forward.

What this means for teachers and school leaders

Some teachers have called for adjustments to passing rates in the past. Some felt, for instance, that students scoring a 2 should have qualified for a 3.

“These students were clearly outperforming students at the college level, and yet weren’t being given the credit of passing the exam,” said Noah Lipman, who teaches AP U.S. History, AP U.S. Government and Politics, and AP Macroeconomics at Highlands High School in San Antonio, Texas.

The College Board needed data to prove this hunch, he added, which the new methodology has provided.

As a result of the College Board’s adjustments this year, Lipman saw the passing rate for his AP U.S. History students rise from the typical rate of about 50 percent to about 70 percent this year.

He saw no change to the passing rate for his AP U.S. Government and Politics students.

Lipman, who consults for the College Board on history courses and is an AP exam grader, has changed nothing about how he teaches the courses nor has he noticed major changes to the rigor of the course curriculum. He hasn’t noticed a change on the student side, either, he added.

“All that’s changed is that more students are now passing the exam with a 3 or 4 than previously had,” he said.

An additional immediate benefit for some teachers—beyond the gratitude that more of their students are eligible for college credit—is potentially more pay.

Some districts pay bonuses to teachers with high AP exam passing rates, said John Moscatiello, founder and chief executive of Marco Learning, a consulting group that helps schools design AP programs.

Moving forward, Moscatiello recommends AP teachers and school leaders take the College Board’s new approach to scoring into account when analyzing their students’ performance.

For instance, if a school implemented a program in the 2023-24 school year to help raise students’ AP scores, and they saw a bump, how much of the growth can they attribute to their new program versus the scoring change?

And if the scoring for a subject changed, but the percent of students passing didn’t go up, what additional support can their school offer?

“This adjustment of AP scores, and more transparency, will give clarity to school leaders to make the right decisions about what’s working and what’s not for their AP programs,” Moscatiello said.

More students could be inspired to take AP courses

AP exams and dual-credit programs are two of the most popular pathways for students to earn college credit while in high school.

Now, given a statistically better chance of earning credit through an AP exam, Moscatiello and others say the College Board’s score adjustments could lead more students to choose AP courses.

On college applications, AP scores on a transcript are still one way students can distinguish themselves, said Christoph Guttentag, the dean of undergraduate admissions at Duke University, who is also a trustee of the College Board.

At Duke, individual university departments determine how much credit to award students for AP scores. It will take some time to see how these departments react to the AP adjustments, Guttentag said, though he suspects faculty may be encouraged by how the College Board relied on data to support these changes and set cutoff scores.

Guttentag also sees the potential for these changes to boost student participation in AP courses.

“If this change encourages more students to take AP courses, if it gives students the confidence that they can succeed in these courses, I think that’s a great thing,” Guttentag said. “I think that I worry more about not enough students taking APs than I do about too many students taking APs.”

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APUSH - Understanding the DBQ - PPT, Rubric, Analysis & Outlines - 2023 Updates!

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Description

This is a great resource for guiding your students in AP U.S. History (APUSH) through the DBQ (Document Based Question).

Updated & aligned with the Fall 2023 Rubric Updates!!

This resource includes the following:

• A PowerPoint which details helpful tips on where to start and how to get started with preparing to write a DBQ essay.
• DBQ Document Analysis Handout that students can use for document analysis when breaking down the 7 documents with any DBQ prompt. (HIPP Analysis)
• DBQ Outline Handout to help your students with understanding the key information they will need to include in their DBQ essays.
• DBQ Rubric to help you with grading and identifying the specifics of what students are required to explain in their DBQ essays. This Rubric aligns with the 7 Point scoring guide that students will be assessed on at the end of the school year.
• Each of these handouts can be used with any DBQ prompt throughout the school year.

Please let me know if you have questions about any of my products. You can email me at [email protected] , and I am more than happy to help!

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UPDATES & DEALS!

--You can follow my store by clicking HERE for all new products, activities, and all things Social Studies!

--Want to earn TPT credits on future purchases?

Here's how...Go to your " My Purchases " page on TPT. You will see a " Leave a Review " link next to your purchases. Just click the link, and it will take you to the product ratings and reviews page. For each product that you provide feedback for, you will earn TPT credits that you are able to use on future purchases.

Keywords: APUSH DBQ, 7 Point Rubric, essay tool kit, essay prep, HIPP

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Initial-boundary value problem for transport equations driven by rough paths

Abstract | References | Similar Articles | Additional Information

Abstract: In this paper, we are interested in the initial Dirichlet boundary value problem for a transport equation driven by weak geometric Hölder $p$-rough paths. We introduce a notion of solutions to rough partial differential equations with boundary conditions. Consequently, we will establish a well-posedness for such a solution under some assumptions stated below. Moreover, the solution is given explicitly.

References [Enhancements On Off] ( What's this? )

• Herbert Amann , Ordinary differential equations , De Gruyter Studies in Mathematics, vol. 13, Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin, 1990. An introduction to nonlinear analysis; Translated from the German by Gerhard Metzen. MR 1071170 , DOI 10.1515/9783110853698
• Luigi Ambrosio , Transport equation and Cauchy problem for $BV$ vector fields , Invent. Math. 158 (2004), no. 2, 227–260. MR 2096794 , DOI 10.1007/s00222-004-0367-2
• Claude Bardos , Problèmes aux limites pour les équations aux dérivées partielles du premier ordre à coefficients réels; théorèmes d’approximation; application à l’équation de transport , Ann. Sci. École Norm. Sup. (4) 3 (1970), 185–233 (French). MR 274925 , DOI 10.24033/asens.1190
• Franck Boyer , Trace theorems and spatial continuity properties for the solutions of the transport equation , Differential Integral Equations 18 (2005), no. 8, 891–934. MR 2150445
• Michael Caruana and Peter Friz , Partial differential equations driven by rough paths , J. Differential Equations 247 (2009), no. 1, 140–173. MR 2510132 , DOI 10.1016/j.jde.2009.01.026
• Gianluca Crippa , Carlotta Donadello , and Laura V. Spinolo , Initial-boundary value problems for continuity equations with $BV$ coefficients , J. Math. Pures Appl. (9) 102 (2014), no. 1, 79–98 (English, with English and French summaries). MR 3212249 , DOI 10.1016/j.matpur.2013.11.002
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Additional Information Dai Noboriguchi Affiliation: Waseda University Senior High School, 3-31-1 Kamishakujii, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, 177-0044, Japan Email: [email protected] Keywords: Initial-boundary value problem, transport equation, rough paths Received by editor(s): August 5, 2022 Accepted for publication: March 7, 2023 Published electronically: May 10, 2024 Additional Notes: The author was supported by Waseda University Grant for Special Research Projects (No. 2021C-361 and No. 2022C-286). Article copyright: © Copyright 2024 Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

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Competing for two: Pregnant Olympians push the boundaries of possibility in Paris

FILE - Egypt’s Nada Hafez competes with United States’ Elizabeth Tartakovsky in the women’s individual Sabre round of 32 competition during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

FILE - Serena Williams holds her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., and the ASB trophy after winning her singles finals match against Jessica Pegula at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, Sunday, Jan 12, 2020. (Chris Symes/Photosport via AP, File)

FILE _ Miss May Treanor, left, and Kerri Walsh Jennings celebrate a win over April Ross and Jennifer Kessy during the women’s Gold Medal beach volleyball match between two United States teams at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)

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PARIS (AP) — Many Olympic athletes take to Instagram to share news of their exploits, trials, victories and heartbreaks. After her fencing event ended last week, Egypt’s Nada Hafez shared a little bit more.

She’d been fencing for two, the athlete revealed — and in fact had been pregnant for seven months.

“What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three!” Hafez wrote, under an emotional picture of her during the match. “It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby!” Mom (and baby) finished the competition ranked 16th, Hafez’s best result in three Olympics.

Catch up on the latest from Day 10 of the 2024 Paris Olympics:

• Gymnastics: Simone Biles finishes off her return to the Olympics with a silver medal in the women’s floor final. Follow live updates here.
• Boxer backlash: Imane Khelif called for an end to bullying athletes after facing a wave of hateful scrutiny over misconceptions about her gender.
• Keep up : Follow along with our Olympics medal tracker and list of winners. Check out the Olympic schedule of events.

A day later, an Azerbaijani archer was also revealed on Instagram to have competed while six-and-a-half months pregnant. Yaylagul Ramazanova told Xinhua News she’d felt her baby kick before she took a shot — and then shot a 10, the maximum number of points.

There have been pregnant Olympians and Paralympians before, though the phenomenon is rare for obvious reasons. Still, most stories have been of athletes competing far earlier in their pregnancies — or not even far enough along to know they were expecting.

Like U.S. beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh Jennings, who won her third gold medal while unknowingly five weeks pregnant with her third child.

“When I was throwing my body around fearlessly, and going for gold for our country, I was pregnant,” she said on “Today” after the London Games in 2012. She and husband Casey (also a beach volleyball player) had only started trying to conceive right before the Olympics, she said, figuring it would take time. But she felt different, and volleyball partner Misty May-Treanor said to her — presciently, it turned out — “You’re probably pregnant.”

It makes sense that pregnant athletes are pushing boundaries now, one expert says, as both attitudes and knowledge develop about what women can do deep into pregnancy.

“This is something we’re seeing more and more of,” says Dr. Kathryn Ackerman, a sports medicine physician and co-chair of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s women’s health task force, “as women are dispelling the myth that you can’t exercise at a high level when you’re pregnant.”

Ackerman notes there’s been little data, and so past decisions on the matter have often been arbitrary. But, she says, “doctors now recommend that if an athlete is in good condition going into pregnancy, and there are no complications, then it’s safe to work out, train, and compete at a very high level.” An exception, she says, might be something like ski racing, where the risk of a bad fall is great.

But in fencing, says the Boston-based Ackerman, there is clearly protective padding for athletes, and in less physically strenuous sports like archery or shooting, there’s absolutely no reason a woman can’t compete.

It’s not just an issue of physical fitness, of course. It is deeply emotional. Deciding whether and how to compete while trying to also grow a family is a thorny calculus that male athletes simply don’t have to consider — at least in anywhere near the same way.

Just ask Serena Williams, who famously won the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant with her first child. When, some five years later, she wanted to try for a second, she stepped back from tennis — an excruciating decision.

“Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family,” Williams — who won four Olympic golds — wrote in a Vogue essay. “I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family. Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity.”

Williams welcomed Adira River Ohanian in 2023, joining older sister Olympia. And Olympia was the name that U.S. softball player Michele Granger’s mother reportedly suggested for the baby Granger was carrying when she pitched the gold-medal winning game in Atlanta in 1996. Her husband suggested the name Athena. Granger preferred neither.

“I didn’t want to make that connection with her name,” said Granger to Gold Country Media in 2011. The baby was named Kady.

The choice to combine motherhood and a sports career involves many factors, to be sure, which vary by sport and by country. Franchina Martinez, 24, who competes in track for the Dominican Republic, says more female athletes retire early than male athletes in her country, and one reason is pregnancy.

“When they get pregnant, they believe they won’t be able to return, unlike in more developed countries where they might be able to,” said Martinez. “So they quit the sport, they don’t return to compete, or they aren’t the same.”

For the sake of her career, she said, she doesn’t plan to have children in the near future: “As long as I can avoid it for the sake of my sport, I will postpone it because I am not ready for that yet.”

At the Paris fencing venue over the weekend, fans were mixed between admiration for the bravery and determination of Hafez, a 26-year-old former gymnast with a degree in medicine, and speculation about whether it was risky.

“There are certainly sports that are less violent,” said Pauline Dutertre, 29, sitting outside the elegant Grand Palais during a break in action alongside her father, Christian. Dutertre had competed herself on the international circuit in saber until 2013. “It is, after all, a combat sport.”

“In any case,” she noted, “it is courageous. Even without making it to the podium, what she did was brave.”

Marilyne Barbey, attending the fencing from Annecy in southeastern France with her family, wondered about safety too, but added: “You can fall anywhere, at any time. And, in the end, it is her choice.”

Ramazanova, who was visibly pregnant when competing, also earned admiration, including from her peers. She reached the final 32 in her event.

Casey Kaufhold, an American who earned bronze in the mixed team category, said it was “really cool” to see her Azerbaijani colleague achieving what she did.

“I think it’s awesome that we see more expecting mothers shooting in the Olympic Games and it’s great to have one in the sport of archery,” she said in comments to The Associated Press. “She shot really well, and I think it’s really cool because my coach is also a mother and she’s been doing so much to support her kids even while she’s away.”

Kaufhold said she hoped Ramazanova’s run would inspire more mothers and expectant mothers to compete. And she had a more personal thought for the mom-to-be:

“I think it’s awesome for this archer that one day, she can tell her kid, ‘Hey, I went to the Olympic Games and you were there, too.’”

Associated Press journalists Cliff Brunt and Hanna Arhirova contributed from Paris.

For more coverage of the Paris Olympics, visit https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games .

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Who Are the Far-Right Groups Behind the U.K. Riots?

After a deadly stabbing at a children’s event in northwestern England, an array of online influencers, anti-Muslim extremists and fascist groups have stoked unrest, experts say.

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By Esther Bintliff and Eve Sampson

Esther Bintliff reported from London, and Eve Sampson from New York.

Violent unrest has erupted in several towns and cities in Britain in recent days, and further disorder broke out on Saturday as far-right agitators gathered in demonstrations around the country.

The violence has been driven by online disinformation and extremist right-wing groups intent on creating disorder after a deadly knife attack on a children’s event in northwestern England, experts said.

A range of far-right factions and individuals, including neo-Nazis, violent soccer fans and anti-Muslim campaigners, have promoted and taken part in the unrest, which has also been stoked by online influencers .

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to deploy additional police officers to crack down on the disorder. “This is not a protest that has got out of hand,” he said on Thursday. “It is a group of individuals who are absolutely bent on violence.”

Here is what we know about the unrest and some of those involved.

Where have riots taken place?

The first riot took place on Tuesday evening in Southport, a town in northwestern England, after a deadly stabbing attack the previous day at a children’s dance and yoga class. Three girls died of their injuries, and eight other children and two adults were wounded.

The suspect, Axel Rudakubana , was born in Britain, but in the hours after the attack, disinformation about his identity — including the false claim that he was an undocumented migrant — spread rapidly online . Far-right activists used messaging apps including Telegram and X to urge people to take to the streets.

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