The following are three APUSH LEQ practice questions, which are part of our AP US History practice test. These long essay questions are designed to be similar to those found on the free-response section. While you only need to answer one of these questions on the exam, you may want to write an essay for all three of these APUSH LEQ prompts as part of your test prep.
1. Evaluate the extent to which European contact and colonization impacted the indigenous populations and cultures in the Americas between 1491 and 1800.
2. Evaluate the extent to which the Civil War was a turning point in the history of the United States in the period from 1800 to 1877.
3. Evaluate the extent to which technological advancements in the 20th century transformed American society.
Select one of the three questions above to answer. The suggested writing time is 40 minutes. In your response you should do the following:
- Respond to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis or claim that establishes a line of reasoning.
- Describe a broader historical context relevant to the prompt.
- Support an argument in response to the prompt using specific and relevant examples of evidence.
- Use historical reasoning (e.g., comparison, causation, continuity, or change) to frame or structure an argument that addresses the prompt.
- Use evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the prompt.
After you type your essay response, be sure to review the corresponding essay example. The LEQ examples provide essays that would receive a perfect score along with a detailed explanation of the scoring process.