How to write a DBQ the seven-point formula.
The Document-Based Question appears on APUSH, AP World, and AP European History. It is worth seven points and about a quarter of your exam, with 60 minutes split into reading and writing. Here is the DBQ format and a point-by-point plan for earning all seven.
The DBQ format
Every AP history DBQ uses the same structure and the same rubric, so the plan transfers across subjects.
The seven points, one by one
Treat the rubric as a checklist and write to hit each line.
A plan for the 60 minutes
Spend the first 15 minutes reading, marking each document with a quick note on what it argues and how you could source it. Group the documents into two or three buckets that map to your argument. Write a thesis that names those buckets, open with a contextualization paragraph, then build body paragraphs that use documents and outside evidence together. Save two minutes to check that you sourced three documents and reached for complexity.
Where students lose points
The most common misses are quoting a document without explaining how it supports the argument, forgetting outside evidence entirely, and never sourcing. Sourcing is just answering why this author, writing for this audience, at this moment, makes the document more or less convincing. Practice it on every document and the point becomes routine. For the subject-specific version, see the APUSH DBQ and AP World History DBQ guides.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers — written by humans, not a chatbot.
How many points is the DBQ worth?
Seven points, scored against a public rubric, and the DBQ is worth about 25% of your AP history exam.
How many documents do you have to use?
There are seven documents. You need to use the content of at least six to support your argument to earn both evidence points.
What is sourcing on a DBQ?
For at least three documents, you explain how the author’s point of view, purpose, audience, or historical situation affects the document. It earns a full rubric point.