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WHist · Progress Checks

AP World History Progress Check walkthroughs.

Unit-by-unit explanations of the MCQ and FRQ content on AP Classroom Progress Checks. Each unit page shows the topics tested, the most common student mistakes, and a tip from someone who scored a 5.

Updated July 2025 Written by Mahmudul Hasan Free · No signup
9 units

All units, expandable.

Click a unit to see MCQ topics, FRQ structure, common mistakes, and a tip from a student who scored a 5.

U01The Global Tapestry (c. 1200–1450)22 questions covered · MCQ + FRQ walkthroughs
MCQ guidance
  • Eurasian states
  • Africa
  • Americas
FRQ guidance
  • State-building comparison
Common mistake
Calling all medieval kingdoms “feudal.”
Tip from a 5-scorer
Reserve feudalism for Europe and Japan; describe others on their own terms.
U02Networks of Exchange (c. 1200–1450)24 questions covered · MCQ + FRQ walkthroughs
MCQ guidance
  • Silk Roads
  • Indian Ocean
  • Trans-Saharan
FRQ guidance
  • Trade-network analysis
Common mistake
Treating Silk Roads as one road.
Tip from a 5-scorer
Silk Roads = network. Plural. Always.
U03Land-Based Empires (c. 1450–1750)22 questions covered · MCQ + FRQ walkthroughs
MCQ guidance
  • Ottoman
  • Mughal
  • Russian
FRQ guidance
  • Empire administration
Common mistake
Conflating gunpowder empires.
Tip from a 5-scorer
Each one had distinct legitimation: Ottomans = sultanate, Mughals = mansabdar, Russians = autocracy.
U04Transoceanic Connections (c. 1450–1750)24 questions covered · MCQ + FRQ walkthroughs
MCQ guidance
  • Columbian Exchange
  • Slavery
  • Maritime empires
FRQ guidance
  • Columbian Exchange effects
Common mistake
Listing exchange items without ecological effects.
Tip from a 5-scorer
Always pair the item with its impact: potatoes → Irish population boom.
U05Revolutions (c. 1750–1900)22 questions covered · MCQ + FRQ walkthroughs
MCQ guidance
  • Enlightenment
  • Industrial
  • Political
FRQ guidance
  • Industrial Revolution causes
Common mistake
Treating Britain’s industrial lead as inevitable.
Tip from a 5-scorer
Cite specific factors: coal, capital, colonies, climate.
U06Industrialization (c. 1750–1900)22 questions covered · MCQ + FRQ walkthroughs
MCQ guidance
  • Industrial economics
  • Imperialism
  • Migration
FRQ guidance
  • Imperialism effects FRQ
Common mistake
Treating all colonies the same.
Tip from a 5-scorer
Settler vs. extractive vs. trading-post colonies behaved differently.
U07Global Conflict (c. 1900–1945)22 questions covered · MCQ + FRQ walkthroughs
MCQ guidance
  • WWI
  • WWII
  • Interwar
FRQ guidance
  • Causes of WWI
Common mistake
Listing MAIN without specifics.
Tip from a 5-scorer
MAIN works only if backed with specific examples.
U08Cold War and Decolonization (1945–present)22 questions covered · MCQ + FRQ walkthroughs
MCQ guidance
  • Cold War
  • Decolonization
  • Conflicts
FRQ guidance
  • Decolonization comparison
Common mistake
Treating decolonization as a single process.
Tip from a 5-scorer
Compare: India (partition), Algeria (war), Ghana (peaceful).
U09Globalization (1945–present)22 questions covered · MCQ + FRQ walkthroughs
MCQ guidance
  • Economic
  • Cultural
  • Environmental
FRQ guidance
  • Globalization tradeoffs
Common mistake
Listing globalization positives without negatives.
Tip from a 5-scorer
Always trade-off: cheaper goods vs. local-economy disruption.
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Practice loop
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Frequently asked questions

Quick answers — written by humans, not a chatbot.

What's the difference between WHist Progress Checks and the real AP exam?

Progress Checks are unscaled — they’re unit-by-unit MCQ + FRQ practice that AP Classroom assigns. The real AP exam uses a curve to map your raw composite to a 1–5. The walkthroughs above explain the reasoning; the calculator estimates your exam score.

Should I do every Progress Check or skip around?

Do them in order the first time — each one builds on the last. If you’re reviewing in May, target the units where you’re weakest using the unit summaries above.

Why don't you publish exact answer keys?

AP Classroom assignments are graded as your own work. Posting raw keys would help cheaters and harm the students using Curve for actual studying. Our walkthroughs explain reasoning, not letter answers.

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