FRQ 4 – Argument Essay

This guide organizes advice from past students who got 4s and 5s on their exams. We hope it gives you some new ideas and tools for your study sessions. But remember, everyone's different—what works for one student might not work for you. If you've got a study method that's doing the trick, stick with it. Think of this as extra help, not a must-do overhaul.

📌 Overview

• Develop an argument in the form of an essay, using evidence from required foundational documents and course concepts
• 12.5% of Exam Score
• Time to write: 25 minutes
• Scored on a 6 point rubric
  • Presents claim/thesis (1)
  • Uses specific evidence (3)
  • Analyzes evidence (1)
  • Refutes counter perspective (1)

💭 General Advice

Tips on mindset, strategy, structure, and any other high level things to know

• Coming into this section, you should go in with the mindset that you’re an expert in the topic and that the reader (AP Grader in this case) doesn’t know a single thing. Break everything down so it is easier for yourself, and easier for the AP grader to follow your argument.
• When breaking it down, do not be afraid to “keep it simple” in regard to language. It is 100% alright if your sentences are straight to the point. The graders do NOT care about tone, they care about seeing what arguments you are able to make based on the evidence provided to you.
• Knowing your required documents is a must! Whether it’s remembering them at the last minute or memorized for months now, having the required documents in mind before the exam will help you succeed in writing your argumentative essay. If you have enough background information on the documents, it’ll be easier to write.
• Take the time to review the required documents (relevant Federalist Papers, Brutus, MLK’s letter, etc.) months prior to the exam until they become second nature. It will be 1000% easier to recall during the exam. You also won’t know what the question will be on until test day, so it’s a good idea to be familiar with the potential documents.
• Additionally, take the time to think about how the court cases and the Federalist Papers, Brutus, etc. are related. Try to think deeper about their meaning and how both the required documents and court cases might correlate in a real-world situation.
• Especially for AP History/Government exams, the score relies almost completely on hitting each point of the rubric. Your writing format does not matter as much as you might think, but it’s crucial to have a coherent response. Make sure your line of reasoning and explanation is clear, and keep it as simple as possible.
• When it comes to knowing your foundational documents, try to come up with tricks and use association to remember the key points of each. Just memorizing the content won’t help, it’s better to put your focus onto understanding their message.
• Try your best to not stress about going into the test. Yes, there is going to be some anxiety, but you will get into the groove of the test. If you do not know a question, just SKIP it - you have only a short allotted amount of time before moving onto the next section.
  • If you skip five and have time to come back to them, review the questions; even if you do not know the answer, go with your ‘gut’ and choose the best answer possible. You are deducted points from NOT answering questions; so answer each question even if you’re truly unsure, just put an answer down.
  • As long as you’re feeling well throughout the majority of the test, five MC questions will not negatively impact your score.
• As mentioned above, it’s better to answer the questions you are 100% confident on first, and then go back for those you feel may take you more time. It’s better to get the points where you KNOW you can and then pick up any extra.
• Have a confident and positive mindset leading up to the exam! You are capable of preparing for the exam in areas you already know you may struggle. Taking the time to understand the content beyond just memorization will prepare you massively for questions requiring the application of the concepts. Make sure you eat well, sleep well, and plan in advance.
• To be successful in the argument essay portion of the test, you must be able to apply key concepts from the foundational documents to multiple scenarios.
• Before the exam, test your knowledge by attempting AP style practice problems. Then you’ll be able to know where your strengths and weaknesses are; thus, allowing you to hone in on your studies in certain topics. You will also become more comfortable with the AP style and be less stressed on the day of the exam.
• Before the exam, summarize each document you know. Just use bullets. Make a mind map sort of, and then connect which evidences from which documents tie together. This can be helpful since you can then show how you are knowledgeable by tying different documents together about similar topics.
• A few days before the test, start reviewing all the concepts and make a personal study guide with which you can review and add important information as you approach the exam.

🕛 Tips for time management

• Read the prompt, find the topic, and the argument so you know exactly what you have to write about.
• When crafting a response, get straight to the point. Colorful language doesn’t necessarily mean a better score.
  • An introduction paragraph isn’t necessary but it doesn’t deduct or add points.
  • Think it out in your head first. Although the AP exams don’t give you paper to write an outline, you are given space under the prompt to jot something down. Write out everything and anything that you might want to incorporate.
• Keep it simple, don’t over explain. These AP essays are about quality not quantity, use the time to answer the question to the best of your ability and hit all of the requirements. Don’t worry about anything else.
• When writing your thesis use the ACE method:
  • Answer: Write your argument.
  • Cite: cite your evidence for your argument.
  • Explain: explain how your evidence supports your argument. This method also works for the evidence portion of the rest of the argumentative essay.
• Make a quick outline of what you want to say using ACE and then start writing. In the outline make sure to include all the necessary parts that you need to get a 5 including the evidence and your thesis. Using ACE means to answer the question, Cite Evidence and then explain the evidence and how it supports the thesis or the argument being made.
• In other words, always plan out your essay beforehand to make sure that you can address all the points you need to. Plus a well organized plan makes everything quicker.
  • Once you start writing, you are more prone to forget certain details. Adding a counterclaim and conclusion can help a lot.
  • If you have a good idea of what you want to mention in your body paragraphs and which docs you’ll use where, you’ll be fine! A well organized plan makes everything quicker.
• Be sure to mention the counter perspective somewhere in your essay. It’s important to show advanced critical thinking by stating something about the counter perspective and how it relates to your argument.

🕐 Before you Write

What should a student do in the first few minutes, before they start writing?

• For document based questions, try to write the big ideas of each document on the side as a refresher for yourself
• Look at what the question is asking for and list all evidence (documents, key terms, etc) that you think could support your position for the prompt
  • For example: the prompt asks about the importance of interest groups. List out big supporting ideas, and then terms you can think of that relate to it (Lobbying, PACs, Iron Triangle, voting behavior)
• Always think of a counterargument and what the opposing side would say
• Take around 2 minutes to create a mind map or outline of your essay. When you do this, you give yourself a rough structure of the essay and then form a clear thesis the writing process will not only be quicker but the essay will be clearer. Plus, it’ll ensure you don’t forget anything that you wanted to write into your essay.
• Before starting to write, read the question multiple times and start thinking about ideas on what you should write. Your first priority should be finding a solid thesis and then focus on finding evidence that you can use to support your argument.
• Take a deep breath!
• Write neat! The test is already nerve wracking as it is, but make sure you're writing (with a good writing pen for first time text takers.) AP scorers have thousands of exams to grade, so make sure that they are reading your test. This ensures that you get all the points you can possibly get!
• Make sure you understand the prompt. If you answer the prompt incorrectly, you risk losing a lot of points.

💡Tips for Earning Each Point

Claim/Thesis

• Think of your thesis as the explanation to “what are you trying to do?”
• The thesis statement should honestly be the first thing you write. It’s crucial in keeping you and your thoughts coherent & organized.
• Make sure that you’ll actually defend what you write in your thesis later on. Cite some evidence, and support it by explaining, make sure you continually argue the thesis throughout the rest of your essay.
• Your thesis is the blueprint for your essay, make sure the content of the essay actually correlates with what the thesis is arguing. Also, work to make your thesis as clear and simple as possible! You don’t want the AP reader to be confused on what the core of your essay is.
  • Do you agree or disagree with the prompt AND why? It can be short and concise, just have the what and the why!
• Take the time to separate your thoughts into categories so your thesis is more coherent (financial, cultural, political, impact on society, etc)
  • Think about all the key roles: who is impacted?
• Ensure your thesis includes the word “because” without it, you will struggle proving a claim.
  • When using the word “because,” ensure to establish a line of reasoning with two pieces of evidence. However, that does not mean copying the prompt!
• Don’t say “I think” or “maybe” or words that show opinion and uncertainty. Assert your ideas through the thesis.

Using Specific Evidence

• The evidence should correlate with the question enough that you can write a solid analysis to defend your thesis and answer the question!
• Tip: It is a good idea to use flashcards and write a few keywords that relate to each foundational document.
  • For example, on one side you can write “Brutus No.1” and on the other, you include “privacy vs. national security.”
  • Review these flashcards before the exams and you will be able to make connections between the documents and their respective arguments quicker.
• When using required docs, give a few sentences that explain the position of the doc you’re going to analyze, you don’t need to go overboard and summarize everything or even include specific quotes - the AP graders don’t expect you to remember that! Just give the general idea of the doc so you can transition it into your analysis
• The specific evidence that the College Board is looking for is the purpose of the document & how you can apply what’s provided (in terms of purpose, argument, etc) into your writing!
  • If you are talking about Federalist 51 they are looking for you to talk about checks and balances, and the separation of powers within the new federal government. That is the specific evidence they are looking for, the purpose of whatever required doc you are talking about.
• Never assume that your reader knows any source you mention, so don’t just name drop and move on, provide a little bit of context when possible while keeping it as concise as you can.
• Try to tie common themes between the documents to help you know which ones you can connect for the essay.

Analyzing Evidence

• When analyzing evidence ask yourself: How would people who agree with the document use current evidence to back it up and how would people who disagree with the document use current evidence to attack it? To set yourself up for both the reasoning as well as alternative perspective points, as it helps to connect commentary from foundational documents to current events.
• The exam asks for two pieces of evidence, so the evidence you choose must be drawn back into your thesis. Any pieces of evidence must be important and strong enough to support your claim.
• When writing, it’s a good rule of thumb to have a little more analysis than evidence provided. This means picking out evidence you feel confident in writing about and something that is interesting.
• If you’re stuck thinking of things to say, think about the purpose, the message to the audience, who the audience of the document is, what kind of tone the document has, etc. Make sure that anything you comment on ultimately supports your thesis statement- that is the most important.
• This is your moment to show why your argument is impactful, so don’t be afraid to show your thought process. It’s important to remember that due to the circumstances, your essay cannot be perfect. So it’s important to do your best on the analytic portion of your essay because it is your place to show the AP graders why your thought process sets you apart from other test-takers.
• If you don’t explain something, it won’t make sense. The grader isn’t in your head: people view evidence differently, so make sure to explain your view of the evidence and why you think it’s relevant so the grader understands.
• Make sure to be intentional about what you choose to mention in your writing.

Refuting the Counter Perspective

• If the question allows you, use the other “side” as your counter perspective in case you get stuck. If a question is asking you to pick between two methods or two ideas and you choose one (which you should…), use the other choice as the basis for your counter.
• The AP exam says you can do a refutation, rebuttal, or concession, which all vary in how much you “accept” the other side - this means it’s okay to admit the other perspective has good points but you just have to show your points are more meaningful or impactful. Stay committed to your side all the way through the essay though, even if you do a concession rather than a full refutation!
• After concluding the rebuttal, reiterate your position by writing a short sentence that confirms your position. This will help to re-orient the reader of your position and show that the rebuttal has led to the conclusion that your initial argument makes sense.
• Present the counterargument as a valid position to be considered. After you consider its validity, elaborate your opposing position with arguments and evidence.
• It is a common mistake to state the other side's opinions without clearly addressing your own viewpoint. Make sure to directly address the opposing argument and explain why your opinions are more meaningful. Some measures to think about impact include scope, uniqueness, timeliness, etc.