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Where to Find the Best DBQ Examples

Advanced Placement (AP)

One of the best ways to prepare for the DBQ (the "document-based question" on the AP European History, AP US History, and AP World History exams) is to look over sample questions and example essays. Doing this will help you to get a sense of what makes a good (and what makes a bad) DBQ response.

That said, not all DBQ essay examples are created equal. We'll briefly cover what makes a good DBQ example and then provide a list of example essays by course. Lastly, we'll give you some helpful tips on how to best use sample essays in your own preparation process.

What's a Good DBQ Example?

Without a doubt, the best sample resources come from the College Board . This is because they are the ones who design and administer the AP exams . This means the following:

Any DBQ essay example that the College Board provides will include a real DBQ prompt

All samples are real student responses from previous years , so you know they were written under the same conditions you'll have when you write your DBQ—in other words, they're authentic!

They not only have scores but also explanations of each essay's score , in accordance with the rubric

Each prompt includes several sample essays with a variety of scores

Some DBQ examples outside those available from the College Board might be worth looking at, particularly if they highlight how a particular essay could be improved. In general, though, a superior example will do the following:

Include the prompt and documents: It will be much easier for you to see how the information from the documents is integrated into the essay if you can actually look at the documents themselves!

Have a score: Seems simple, but you'd be surprised how many DBQ examples out there in the uncharted internet don't have one. Without a real, official score, it's hard to gauge how trustworthy a sample actually is.

With that in mind, I have compiled lists, organized by exam, of high-quality example DBQs below.

Don't spend all your study time on false starts with your practice DBQs. 

Every DBQ Example Essay You Could Ever Need, by Exam

Here are your example essays! We'll start with AP US History, then move to AP European History, and finally wrap up with AP World History.

AP US History: Official College Board Examples

The APUSH test was redesigned in 2015 and again in 2018, so right now there are eight  official College Board sets of sample essays you can use in your studies . Make sure to give yourself a 15-minute reading period and 45 minutes to write your answer. In addition, don't forget to use the current scoring guidelines when grading your own practice responses.

• 2023 Free-Response Questions | Scoring Guidelines 2023
• 2022 Free-Response Questions | Sample DBQ Responses 2022
• 2021 Free-Response Questions | Sample DBQ Responses 2021
• 2019 Free-Response Questions | Sample DBQ Responses 2019
• 2018 Free-Response Questions | Sample DBQ Responses 2018
• 2017 Free-Response Questions | Sample DBQ Responses 2017
• 2016 Free-Response Questions | Sample DBQ Responses 2016
• 2015 Free-Response Questions | Sample DBQ Responses 2015

If you want additional sample question sets, you can look at older College Board US History DBQ example response sets . To look at these, click "Free-Response Questions" for a given year. For the corresponding DBQ examples and scoring guidelines, click "Sample Responses Q1."

Note that these examples use the old rubric (which is integrated into the Scoring Guidelines for a given free-response section). General comments on the quality of the essay, outside information, and document analysis still apply, but the score is on a 9-point scale instead of the current 7-point scale, and some of the particulars will be different. Older DBQs had up to 12 documents, while the current format has seven documents.

If you do look at older DBQ examples, I recommend using the current rubric to re-grade the essays in the sample according to the 7-point scale. I'll also give more advice on how to use all these samples in your prep later on.

Mr. Bald Eagle is an AP US History DBQ grader in his spare time.

AP European History: Official College Board Examples

Unfortunately, there aren't as many sample resources for the AP Euro DBQ compared to the other AP history tests because 2016 was the first year the AP Euro test was administered in the new format . Since then, more minor changes have been made in terms of time (you now have an hour on the DBQ) and individual parts of the rubric (you can view the current scoring guidelines here ).

This means there are seven sets of official samples graded with the current 7-point rubric:

The rest of the existing available samples were graded in the old 9-point format instead of the 7-point format implemented in 2016.

In the old format, there were 6 "core" points and 3 additional points possible. The old rubric is integrated with the sample responses for each question, but we'll highlight some key differences between the old and current formats :

With the old format, you were given a brief "historical background" section before the documents

There were more documents—up to 12—but the current format has seven

There was an emphasis on "grouping" the documents that is not present in the current rubric

There was also explicit emphasis on correctly interpreting the documents that is not found in the current rubric

While the essential components of the DBQ are still the same between the two test formats, you should definitely refer to the current rubric if you decide to look at any old AP European History samples . You might find it useful to look at old essays and score them in accordance with the current rubric.

Here are the old sample DBQ questions and essays, organized by year:

• 2014 Free-Response Questions | Sample DBQ Responses 2014
• 2013 Free-Response Questions | Sample DBQ Responses 2013
• 2012 Free-Response Questions | Sample DBQ Responses 2012
• 2011 Free-Response Questions | Sample DBQ Responses 2011

You can get samples in the old format all the way back to 1999 from the College Board . (Click "Free -Response Questions" for the questions and "Sample Response Q1" for the samples.)

Consider how you might integrate this castle into the DBQ that is your life.

AP World History: Official College Board Examples

The World History AP exam transitioned to a new format to more closely resemble AP US History and AP European History for the 2017 test. This means that there are six past exams available that use the current DBQ format:

Note that starting with the 2020 exam, AP World History will only cover the years 1200 to the present instead of thousands of years of history. As a result, both the course and exam have been renamed AP World History: Modern (a World History: Ancient course is in the works). What this means for you is that previous DBQs might have to do with time periods you're no longer required to study, so just keep this in mind.

In the old format, there were 7 "core" points and 2 additional points possible. The old rubric is integrated with the sample responses for each question, but we'll highlight some key differences between the old and current formats :

There were more documents—up to 10—but the current format has seven

There was an emphasis on "grouping" the documents on the old rubric that is not present in the current rubric

• In the old rubric, you needed to identify one additional document that would aid in your analysis; the new rubric does not have this requirement

The essential components of the DBQ are still the same between the two formats, though you should definitely look at the current rubric if you study with any old AP World History questions and samples. You might find it useful to look at the old essays and score them according to the current rubric.

Here are old AP World History questions and DBQ sample responses , organized by year:

Don't worry, the old format isn't as old as this guy right here.

How Should I Use DBQ Examples to Prepare?

Now that you have all these examples, what should you do with them? In this section, we'll give you some tips on how to use example DBQs in your own AP history prep , including when to start using them and how many you should plan to review.

What Should I Do With These DBQs?

Official sample essay sets are a great way to test how well you understand the rubric. This is why we recommend that you grade a sample set early on in your study process—maybe even before you've written a practice DBQ .

Then, when you compare the scores you gave to the official scores and scoring notes given to the samples, you'll have a better idea of what parts of the rubric you don't really understand . If there are points you are consistently awarding differently than the graders, you’ll know those are skills you'll need to work on.

Keep giving points for the thesis and then finding out the sample didn't get those points? This tells you to work more on your thesis skills. Not giving points for historical context and then finding out the AP grader gave full credit? You need to work on recognizing what constitutes historical context according to the AP.

Check out my tips on building specific rubric-based skills in our guide on how to write a DBQ .

Once you've worked on some of those rubric skills you're weaker in, such as evaluating a good thesis or keeping track of how many documents were used, grade another sample set. This way you can see how your ability to grade the essays like an AP grader improves over time!

Obviously, grading sample exams is a much more difficult process if you're looking at examples in an old format. The old scores as awarded by the College Board will be helpful in establishing a ballpark —a 9 is still going to be a good essay using the current 7-point scale—but there may be some modest differences in grades between the two scales. (For example, maybe that perfect 9 is now more like a 6 out of 7 due to rubric changes.)

For practice grading with old samples, you might want to pull out two copies of the current rubric, recruit a trusted study buddy or academic advisor (or even two study buddies!), and have each of you re-grade the samples .

You can then discuss any major differences in the grades each of you awarded. Having multiple sets of eyes will help you determine whether the scores you're giving are reasonable, since you won’t have an official 7-point College Board score for comparison.

How Many Example DBQs Should I Be Using?

The answer to this question depends on your study plans.

If it's six months before the exam and you plan on transforming yourself into a hard diamond of DBQ excellence, you might do practice grading on a sample set every few weeks to a month to check your progress to being able to think like an AP grader. In this case, you would probably use six to nine official sample sets.

If, on the other hand, the exam is in a month and you're just trying to get in some extra skill-polishing, you might do a sample set every week to 10 days . It makes sense to check your skills more often when you have less time to study because you want to be sure that you are focusing your time on the skills that need the most work. For a short time frame, expect to use somewhere in the range of three to four official sample sets.

Either way, you should be integrating your sample essay grading with skills practice and doing some practice DBQ writing of your own .

Toward the end of your study time, you could even integrate DBQ writing practice with sample grading. Read and complete a timed prompt and then grade the sample set for that prompt, including yours! The other essays will help give you a sense of what score your essay might have received that year and any areas you might have overlooked.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to using sample sets, but in general they are a useful tool for making sure you have a good idea what the DBQ graders will be looking for when you write your own DBQ on test day.

Hey, where can we find a good DBQ around here?

Closing Thoughts: Example DBQs for AP History Tests

Example DBQ essays are a valuable resource in your arsenal of study strategies for the AP history exams. Grading samples carefully will help you get a sense of your own blind spots so you'll know what skills to focus on in your prep.

That said, sample essays will be most useful when integrated with your own targeted skills prep . Grading 100 sample essays won't help you if you aren't practicing your skills; rather, you'll just keep making the same mistakes over and over again.

Make sure you aren't using sample essays to avoid writing practice DBQs either—you'll want to do at least a couple, even if you only have a month to practice.

And there you have it, folks. With this list of DBQ examples and tips on how to use them, you are all prepared to integrate samples into your study strategy!

What's Next?

Still not sure what a DBQ is? Check out my explanation of the DBQ to learn the basics.

Want tips on how to really dig in and study for AP history tests? We've got a complete how-to guide on preparing for and writing the DBQ .

If you're still studying for AP World History, check out our top AP World History study guide , or get more practice tests from our complete list .

Want more study material for AP US History? Look into this article on the best notes to use for studying from one of our experts. Also, read our review of the best AP US History textbooks !

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Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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• Social Studies Resources

A Lesson Plan for Teachers

How to teach the dbq writing process.

Teaching the DBQ Process can be as overwhelming for teachers as it is for students.  Facing the challenge with a set step-by-step guide can help to overcome the obstacles for introducing this task in any grade level. Having a plan can also reduce the stress felt by you and your students, and can help lead you and your students to DBQ writing success !

FIRST: Reminders for Teaching DBQ Writing

• Teach the steps independently. Do not try to teach the entire process in a day, week, or even month. It is a process and should be built up as the school year progresses.
• Allow students the time, resources, and encouragement to master each step before you move on to the next. If students are stuck on primary source analysis, they will never be able to move on to inference or corroboration. 
• Be confident for your students and help them build confidence in themselves. Do not tell your students you are working on the DBQ Process or even on a writing process. Too many students are easily spooked by these types of writing, and will turn off before you can introduce the lesson. Instead, teach the independent steps, and then tell them they have mastered the DBQ!
• Plan time for practice. Primary source analysis, categorization, corroboration, and all of the other skills required for DBQ writing should not be isolated for a writing task. Analyze primary sources as bellringers. Categorize with a simple acronym every time you read text or examine a source. Practice the steps in everything you do. Then putting them together will be a breeze!
• Teach students to be observant.  Observation is the key skill in DBQ writing. And even better, observation is an incredible skill in navigating life! If they can master it for your writing task, they can master it for anything. 

Steps for Teaching the DBQ Writing Process

Again, remember that these are steps you will do one at a time with practice built in for mastery of each before moving on to the actual writing of the DBQ. Do them one at a time, or each in different activities you do within your class lessons, but do not introduce them all together for the purpose of DBQ writing. It would overwhelm any student and turn many off to the lesson altogether.

1. Teach Analysis

Teach the basic skill of analysis. Do this in every lesson you teach. Whether students are reading from a text or using a map for a Geography lesson, they are analyzing the information found within the document. Explain this to students and help them follow key steps for thorough analysis.

• Encourage students to value what they see. This first step is vital for students to get to the overall significance of any document or source. 
• What is in the document? 
• Who is involved? 
• Who created the document? 
• What biases may they have had? 
• Did they have a purpose in creating the document or in participating in the event? 
• When did it happen? 
• What historical setting may have played a role in the document creation?  
• Where did the event occur? 
• Is the location important?  
• Where was the document created? 
• Does the creation location play a role in creating bias?  
• Why did the event take place? 
• Why was the document created? 
• What is the significance of the event and the document? 
• What is the big picture?
• Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice analysis orally. Practice with documents. Practice with maps and images and charts and graphs. Analyze advertisements, brochures, videos, news articles, notes you catch them passing in class. Analyze everything!  Read more on analysis strategies here!

 2. Teach Categorization

Teach the skill of categorization.  Do this in every lesson you teach. Make it simple and make it memorable. Provide students guides for categorization or use acronyms to help with recall and processing. And teach it as a skill we do in everyday life.

• S – Social
• P – Political
• R – Religious
• I – Intellectual
• T – Technological
• E – Economic
• Practice grouping items in a variety of ways.  Use comparison diagrams to help students see the individual categories AND how they correlate with other categories. Create color codes for class specific categories and be methodical in your delivery and practice of these categories. 
• Practice. Practice. Practice. Like with analysis, categorization is a step that should be done with every source utilized in the classroom. Make it a habit for all students, and when it is needed for assessment, they will practice it will ease.

3. Teach Historical Thinking

Teach Historical Thinking for every topic introduced in your Social Studies classroom. For younger students, make it simple by asking how the topic is important in time. Why does it matter now?  For older students, push further to help them make connection to the cycle of historic events and peoples. Help them evaluate trends over time and change as a result of those trends. Using historical thinking will help to guide them to a better understanding of then and now.

• Teach students to recall what they already know on the topic. Encourage them to examine what they learned in the previous lesson or last unit. 
• Help students visualize history as a timeline. Create a classroom timeline as you move from unit to unit to help students create this visual representation of history.
• Teach students to ask the question: How does that time and place in history impact this topic?  If they can make those connections, they are thinking historically!
• In DBQ writing, this historical thinking will be the flow of their piece. The background information, the theme, the era in history… will set the premise for writing the response. 

4. Teach Opinion Versus Position

Many students are quick to give opinions about topics in history, but they are unsure how to develop a position. And there is a difference. You must remind them that a position is supported by their historical thinking.  If it doesn’t pass the time test, it is not an appropriate response position.

• Start with right versus wrong. Most students can understand this comparison quite quickly. Be sure to stress the historical thinking again, and reiterate that what is right now may not have been then!
• Practice writing opinion pieces. Use these as your daily bellringers or for exit writing. There is nothing wrong with writing opinions. However, there is an appropriate time and place for them, and in DBQ Writing, they must know the difference. 
• Practice writing position statements. I assigned position statement writing on the very first day of school in my AP classes. We discussed a simple, familiar topic, examined current events or other sources to beef up the discussion, and then students had to write a clear position statement in the last five minutes of class. And time is important. This position statement will eventually form their complete thesis statement, and being able to come up with a thesis statement quickly will help them to jump through the rest of the hoops toward task completion easier with less stress. 

5. Teach Thesis Statement Writing

I taught thesis writing in collaboration with my ELA teachers. There are many strategies for teaching this skill, but in choosing your strategy, be sure to consider your students and the age appropriateness for each strategy.

• Write a clear position.
• Include your categories for follow-up and further discussion in your paragraphs.
• Check for historical accuracy. 
• Evaluate the statement for optional conclusions. 
• Make sure it is clear and concise.
• Teach students to double check that their documents and the categories they created will fit their thesis statement.  
• Reiterate the importance of being concise in the thesis writing process. They are not using the documents in their thesis, but will introduce them appropriately in the final steps.

6. Teach the DBQ Writing Process

This is just the burger of the meal!  Once students are confident in the creation steps of the DBQ Writing Process, they can easily put it all together as they write their final piece.

• Historical setting or context introduction
• Thesis Statement with category inclusion
• Body paragraphs with individual thesis statements for each category following the same introduction from the overall thesis statement
• Inclusion of documents into each paragraph based on appropriate fit with category, including appropriate citations and comparisons with other documents
• Addition of other relevant knowledge, including primary sources that are missing from the provided DBQ set.
• Check that bias and point of view from document analysis has been included in paragraphs
• Write a clear and concise conclusion that wraps up the thesis statement and a potential call to action or declaration of potential resolution appropriate for the historical period.

Need Ready-to use resources that practice these skills? Find them here!

And find no-prep DBQ and other writing resources here!

Happy Teaching!