The 2026 exam is fully digital and lasts 3 hours 15 minutes: 55 multiple-choice questions, 3 short answers, one DBQ, and one LEQ.
The 2026 AP World History: Modern exam covers historical developments from c. 1200 to the present. It is administered fully digitally in Bluebook, so students read sources, select answers, and type written responses in the app.
The AP World History: Modern exam is divided into two sections: Section I (multiple-choice and short-answer questions) and Section II (free-response questions). All answers are entered in the digital testing app.
| Section & Part | Time | Questions | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section I Part A: Multiple-Choice | 55 minutes | 55 multiple-choice questions | 40% |
| Section I Part B: Short-Answer | 40 minutes | 3 short-answer questions (SAQs) | 20% |
| Section II Part A: Document-Based | 60 minutes (15 min reading) | 1 document-based question (DBQ) | 25% |
| Section II Part B: Long Essay | 40 minutes | 1 long essay question (LEQ) | 15% |
Section I lasts 95 minutes in total and is split into Part A (multiple-choice) and Part B (short-answer). This section accounts for 60% of your exam score (40% from Part A and 20% from Part B).
Format: 55 multiple-choice questions in 55 minutes. Questions are grouped in sets of usually 3-4 questions that all relate to a given stimulus or source. Each stimulus could be a primary/secondary text excerpt, image, map, or chart, accompanied by several questions.
What is Tested: These questions assess your ability to analyze historical sources and apply your knowledge of world history. You will need to interpret the provided sources and understand the historical developments or processes illustrated by them.
Scoring: Each MCQ is worth one raw point, and only correct answers count (there is no penalty for guessing). The total from this section makes up 40% of your exam score. It is essential to answer all 55 questions.
Format: Answer all 3 short-answer questions in 40 minutes. Question 1 includes a secondary source, Question 2 includes a primary source, and Question 3 includes a primary or secondary non-text source. Each question has three parts, so direct answers supported by specific historical evidence are more useful than a long introduction.
Scoring: Each SAQ is scored on a 0-3 point scale. Across the three SAQs, you can earn up to 9 raw points total, which corresponds to 20% of the exam score.
Format: 1 DBQ in 60 minutes (including a recommended 15-minute reading period). The DBQ provides seven historical documents with different perspectives on a development between c. 1200 and c. 2001. Your essay must use the documents and relevant historical evidence beyond them to support an argument.
The DBQ evaluates your ability to analyze and synthesize historical evidence and formulate a coherent argument. You will need to examine each document's content and context (who wrote it, when and why) and use them to support an original thesis responding to the prompt.
Format: 1 long essay in 40 minutes. The broad prompt covers approximately half of the course period, allowing you to focus the argument on the strongest relevant evidence rather than address the entire chronology.
Scoring (6-point rubric): The rubric awards points for a clear thesis, contextualization, use of evidence (specific facts), analysis and reasoning, and demonstrating complexity. The LEQ score makes up 15% of the exam score.
The LEQ assesses your ability to craft a historical argument in essay form, using evidence from your knowledge (no documents provided). You must develop a thesis and support it with specific examples.
The questions combine factual knowledge with historical thinking skills:
Use an official Bluebook test preview before exam day. Practice moving between a source and its questions, annotating digitally, and typing an outline and response without switching to another application.
Since the DBQ and many Section I questions involve documents, work on your ability to quickly analyze written and visual sources. Take practice DBQs from previous exams and examine each document's historical context, author's point of view, purpose, and audience.
Use the recommended reading time to group the documents around two or three defensible claims. Draft a thesis, identify the documents that support each paragraph, and note relevant evidence not supplied by the documents before you begin writing.
Practice outlining comparison, causation, and continuity-and-change prompts. Choose the option for which you can name the strongest evidence, then organize body paragraphs around claims that directly answer the prompt.
The multiple-choice section allows roughly 1 minute per question. For the SAQs, reserve about 12–13 minutes per question. Keep the full 40 minutes available for the LEQ and use the recommended DBQ reading time to sort evidence before drafting.