The AP European History Exam is three hours and five minutes in length. The multiple choice section consists of 80 questions and is designed to measure the student's knowledge of European history from the High Renaissance to the present. Of course, many questions draw on a knowledge of more then one period or theme.
Students choose one essay from each of two groups of three essays.
The thematic questions are grouped to ensure that students consider a range of historical periods and approaches. Within the free-response section, the DBQ essay will be weighted 45 percent and the two thematic essays together the other 55 percent. Preparing for the DBQ and the Essay Questions . Also, more extensive information on each document's author and source appears above the document to encourage students to make interpretative use of this information. Teachers should emphasize to students the need for careful time management when they write the essays for this examination.