AP European History
Encyclopedia
Advanced Placement European History (commonly known as AP Modern European History, AP Euro, AP HoE, APE, MEHAP, EHAP, AP MEH, or simply Euro) is a course and examination offered by the College Board
through the Advanced Placement Program
. This course is for high school
students who are interested in a first year university
level course in European history. The course surveys European history from the year 1450 to 2001, focusing on religious, social, economic, and political themes.
for European History is composed of two sections comprising 80 multiple-choice questions and 3 essay responses. Section I, the multiple-choice portion, is to be completed in 55 minutes. Section II, the written response portion, is to be completed in 130 minutes (including the mandated 15 minute reading period) and includes three essays, two of them thematic Free Response Questions (FRQ) and one a Document Based Question. The DBQ is provided a mandated 15-minute reading period prior to beginning the response. Each essay is graded on a scale of nine possible points.
The exam grade is weighted evenly between the multiple-choice and free-response sections. The DBQ is weighted 45 percent of the Free Response Question score, leaving the thematic essays weighted 55 percent, 27.5 percent each.
Approximately half of the multiple-choice questions cover the period from 1450 to the French Revolution and Napoleonic era, and half cover the period from the French Revolution and Napoleonic era to the present, evenly divided between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. About one-third of the questions focus on cultural and intellectual themes, one-third on political and diplomatic themes, and one-third on social and economic themes. Many questions draw on knowledge of more than one chronological period or theme.
The grade distributions for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 were:
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
through the Advanced Placement Program
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
. This course is for high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students who are interested in a first year university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
level course in European history. The course surveys European history from the year 1450 to 2001, focusing on religious, social, economic, and political themes.
The exam
The AP examAdvanced Placement Exams
Advanced Placement examinations are taken each May by students at participating American, Canadian, and international educational institutions. The tests are the culmination of year-long Advanced Placement courses. All but one of the AP exams combine multiple-choice questions with a...
for European History is composed of two sections comprising 80 multiple-choice questions and 3 essay responses. Section I, the multiple-choice portion, is to be completed in 55 minutes. Section II, the written response portion, is to be completed in 130 minutes (including the mandated 15 minute reading period) and includes three essays, two of them thematic Free Response Questions (FRQ) and one a Document Based Question. The DBQ is provided a mandated 15-minute reading period prior to beginning the response. Each essay is graded on a scale of nine possible points.
The exam grade is weighted evenly between the multiple-choice and free-response sections. The DBQ is weighted 45 percent of the Free Response Question score, leaving the thematic essays weighted 55 percent, 27.5 percent each.
Approximately half of the multiple-choice questions cover the period from 1450 to the French Revolution and Napoleonic era, and half cover the period from the French Revolution and Napoleonic era to the present, evenly divided between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. About one-third of the questions focus on cultural and intellectual themes, one-third on political and diplomatic themes, and one-third on social and economic themes. Many questions draw on knowledge of more than one chronological period or theme.
Grade distributions
The AP European History exam is curved on the standard AP Bell Curve; however, due to the difficult nature of the examination, the percentages tend to be skewed to the bottom.The grade distributions for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 were:
| Score | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 11.1% | 9.2% | 13.9% | 12.7% | 10.6% |
| 4 | 18.9% | 17.2% | 19.2% | 18.4% | 18.7% |
| 3 | 35.9% | 34.9% | 33.9% | 34.5% | 35.5% |
| 2 | 11.2% | 12.1% | 11.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 1 | 22.9% | 26.6% | 21.7% | 23.2% | 23.6% |
| Mean | 2.84 | 2.70 | 2.92 | 2.86 | 2.81 |