AP History LEQ Rubric Overview
The Long Essay Question (LEQ) is a free-response essay that appears on the AP U.S. History, AP European History, and AP World History: Modern exams. All three AP History courses use the same official College Board LEQ rubric, which awards up to 6 points across four scoring categories: Thesis/Claim, Contextualization, Evidence, and Analysis & Reasoning.
Key Details:
- Applicable Courses: AP U.S. History (APUSH), AP European History (AP Euro), AP World History: Modern
- Total Points: 6 points maximum
- Scoring Categories: Thesis/Claim (1 point), Contextualization (1 point), Evidence (2 points), Analysis & Reasoning (2 points)
- Prompt Structure: Students choose 1 of 3 essay prompts, each aligned to a different historical reasoning skill (comparison, causation, or continuity and change)
- Updated: Post-2023 rubric (current scoring framework)
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Official College Board LEQ Rubrics and Scoring Guidelines (PDF Download)
The College Board provides comprehensive LEQ scoring guidelines that show exactly how the 6-point rubric is applied. These documents include the complete rubric framework, detailed scoring criteria for each category, and decision rules that explain what earns or doesn't earn points.
AP U.S. History (APUSH) LEQ Resources
- 2025 APUSH Scoring Guidelines Set 1 (PDF) - Complete rubric and all FRQ scoring guidelines
- 2025 APUSH Scoring Guidelines Set 2 (PDF) - Complete rubric and all FRQ scoring guidelines
AP European History LEQ Resources
- 2025 AP European History Scoring Guidelines Set 1 (PDF) - Complete rubric and all FRQ scoring guidelines
- 2025 AP European History Scoring Guidelines Set 2 (PDF) - Complete rubric and all FRQ scoring guidelines
AP World History: Modern LEQ Resources
- 2025 AP World History: Modern Scoring Guidelines Set 1 (PDF) - Complete rubric and all FRQ scoring guidelines
- 2025 AP World History: Modern Scoring Guidelines Set 2 (PDF) - Complete rubric and all FRQ scoring guidelines
These official materials provide the LEQ rubric framework and scoring criteria. Teachers can download these PDFs for classroom use and reference during instruction.
How the LEQ Rubric Scoring Works
The AP History LEQ rubric uses a 6-point scoring system across four categories. Points are earned independently—a strong thesis earns credit even if other areas are weak.
Scoring Categories:
Thesis/Claim (0–1 point):
Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis that establishes a line of reasoning, and is located in one place (introduction or conclusion).
Does NOT earn the point: restating the prompt, overgeneralized claims, or claims without reasoning.
Contextualization (0–1 point):
Describes broader historical context relevant to the prompt. Context must be more than a passing phrase—typically 2-3 sentences describing events, developments, or processes before, during, or after the time frame that are relevant to the prompt.
Evidence (0–2 points):
- 1 point: Provides at least two specific historical examples relevant to the topic.
- 2 points: Uses at least two specific examples to support an argument in response to the prompt.
Analysis & Reasoning (0–2 points):
- 1 point: Uses historical reasoning (comparison, causation, or continuity and change) to frame or structure an argument.
- 2 points (Complexity): Demonstrates complex understanding by explaining nuance, corroborating/qualifying an argument, or making connections across periods, using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify the argument.
LEQ Rubric Scoring Breakdown
Important Note: The LEQ rubric expects at least two pieces of specific and relevant evidence. More evidence can help, but only if it clearly supports the line of reasoning.
LEQ Rubric by AP History Course
All three AP History courses—APUSH, AP European History, and AP World History: Modern—use the same 6-point LEQ rubric. The scoring criteria are identical across all courses.
APUSH LEQ Rubric
Teaching tip: Early U.S. history prompts (pre-1800) require broader contextualization—European developments, Indigenous nations, and colonial precedents count as valid context, not just events within the 13 colonies.
AP European History LEQ Rubric
Teaching tip: European history prompts often benefit from cross-regional comparison for complexity. Essays on industrialization or nationalism should reference multiple countries (Britain vs. France, Germany vs. Italy).
AP World History: Modern LEQ Rubric
Teaching tip: World History prompts typically require examples from multiple regions or civilizations. Students should use at least two distinct geographic areas (Ottoman Empire vs. Qing China, Latin America vs. Africa) for evidence and complexity.
What Earns vs. Does Not Earn LEQ Points
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