APUSH 2023 DBQ Rubric Changes

The AP US History DBQ just got simpler and easier to digest! Let’s dive in.

✏️ 2023 DBQ Rubric Changes

In previous years, students fought against the clock to fit six documents and thoroughly analyze three of them. College Board has finally noticed!

Starting this year (for those of you from the future, the 2023-2024 academic year 😉), the APUSH DBQ has gone through a major shift. Let’s take a few minutes and work through the changes made to the rubric. But first, a quick rundown of what’s staying the same and what’s changed.

Okay…now let’s break it down! ⬇️

📖 Evidence and Support

Up until now, students had to support their argument using at least six documents to earn two evidence points. Worry no more; you don’t have to panic about fitting six documents into your argument in the hour you have! 👏🏽

Rubric from College Board—APUSH Course & Exam Description

Instead, College Board is requiring you to connect the content of four documents to your argument. By describing content from four documents, you can get 2/3 points in the evidence category (the other point is outside evidence, which has not changed).

🧐 Explaining and Analyzing

Okay, now that we’ve got the changes made to “Evidence” covered, let’s move onto “Analysis and Reasoning.” This is the even harder version of supporting your argument (because, for real, isn’t the “explain” point just a more in-depth “support” point?).

For this category, you are required to analyze a set of documents using historical situation, intended audience, purpose, or point of view arguments (HIPP for short). This is often a dreaded part of the essay, as College Board required you to source at least three documents in the past.

Guess what? Now, you only have to source (use HIPP) for two documents to get the full point.

Rubric from College Board—APUSH Course & Exam Description

✨ Complexity and Sophistication

Last but not least, the “unicorn point.” 🦄

Veterans of the AP Exams know this concept well (especially fans of the humanities), and it has certainly earned its name for a reason. This is the complexity part of the rubric, but luckily, it’s changed.

Rather than broadly asking students to add nuance through the essay, there are now two ways to get the full complexity point:

1. 🤓 Sophisticated Argumentation, which is understanding and demonstrating the nuance between perspectives, relationships between events, or forming connections.
   1. You can do this by explaining multiple causes or effects, multiple similarities or differences, or multiple continuities or changes. These are your historical thinking skills!
2. 🤔 Effective Use of Evidence, which can be earned by using all seven documents or using HIPP analysis for four documents.

This point is now easier for students to understand and achieve. You’ve got options when approaching this point and can choose what route is best for you.

🪄 What Do All These DBQ Changes Mean for Me?

These changes to the rubric should serve to make the DBQ a less stressful part of the APUSH exam for students going forward. Practice is still key, and knowing how to effectively analyze the documents will serve you well, but if you’ve been terrified of the DBQ, take a deep breath! All is well in the US History world! 📜