Question 1
Dunmore's main purpose in issuing the proclamation was to
The AP US History exam in 2027: format, date and length
Three hours and fifteen minutes in two sections: 55 multiple-choice questions and 3 short-answer questions, then the document-based question and the long essay. From May 2027 every short answer is required, and so is the one long essay prompt.
| Multiple choice | 55 questions, 55 minutes, 40% of the score |
|---|---|
| Short answer | 3 questions, 40 minutes, 20% |
| DBQ and long essay | 2 essays, 1 hour 40 minutes, 40% |
| Date | Friday, May 7, 2027, Session 1 |
The four parts
- Section I, Part A: 55 multiple-choice questions in 55 minutes, 40% of the score. They come in sets of usually three or four questions on one source: a primary or secondary text, an image, a chart or a map.
- Section I, Part B: 3 short-answer questions in 40 minutes, 20%. All three are required. Question 1 has secondary text sources, question 2 a primary text source, and question 3 a non-text source.
- Section II: the document-based question, about 60 minutes including a 15-minute reading period, 25%, with seven documents on a topic from 1754 to 1980.
- Section II: the long essay question, about 40 minutes, 15%. One required prompt covering about half of the course.
- It is fully digital: you answer every part in the Bluebook app, and your responses are submitted automatically at the end.
What changed for May 2027
Every short-answer question now includes source material and all three are required, so there is no choice between questions. The long essay is a single required prompt with a short introductory statement; you may focus on any development in its range. The multiple choice and the scoring rubrics did not change.
The nine periods
The multiple choice is weighted by period. Periods 3 to 8 carry 10–17% each, so they make up most of the exam.
- Period 1: 1491–1607 (4–6%)
- Period 2: 1607–1754 (6–8%)
- Periods 3 to 8: 1754–1980 (10–17% each)
- Period 9: 1980–present (4–6%)
Pacing
Part A gives you one minute a question, reading time included, so read the source first and the questions second. Part B gives about 13 minutes per short answer.
Try 2 questions
Lord Dunmore, proclamation, 1775
I do, in virtue of the power and authority to me given by His Majesty, determine to execute martial law. . . . And I do hereby further declare all indentured servants, Negroes, or others (appertaining to rebels) free, that are able and willing to bear arms, they joining His Majesty's troops as soon as may be, for the more speedily reducing this colony to a proper sense of their duty to His Majesty's crown and dignity.
Source: John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, royal governor of Virginia, proclamation (November 7, 1775), adapted. Public domain.
Theodore Roosevelt, speech, 1906
There are, in the body politic, economic and social, many and grave evils, and there is urgent necessity for the sternest war upon them. There should be relentless exposure of and attack upon every evil man, whether politician or business man, every evil practice, whether in politics, business, or social life. I hail as a benefactor every writer or speaker, every man who, on the platform or in a book, magazine, or newspaper, with merciless severity makes such attack, provided always that he in his turn remembers that the attack is of use only if it is absolutely truthful.
Source: Theodore Roosevelt, "The Man with the Muck-Rake," speech in Washington, D.C., April 14, 1906, adapted. Public domain.
Question 2
The excerpt was a response to
Next step
Questions people ask
How long is the AP US History exam?
3 hours 15 minutes: 55 minutes of multiple choice, 40 minutes of short answers, and 1 hour 40 minutes for the document-based question and the long essay.
When is the AP US History exam in 2027?
Friday, May 7, 2027, in Session 1, the morning session. Your AP coordinator confirms the start time and place.
How many questions are on the AP US History exam?
60: 55 multiple-choice questions, 3 short-answer questions, 1 document-based question and 1 long essay question.
Is there a choice of long essay in 2027?
No. From May 2027 there is one required long essay prompt. It covers about half of the course, and you may focus on any development in its range.