APUSH Writing • LEQ Rubric

APUSH LEQ Rubric (2025) – Long Essay Question Breakdown

The Long Essay Question (LEQ) is worth 15% of your APUSH exam score and tests your ability to build a historical argument without documents. This guide explains each part of the 6-point LEQ rubric and how to earn more points.

See LEQ Impact in Calculator Jump to LEQ Rubric

Based on the official AP U.S. History rubric • For practice and study only • Not affiliated with the College Board

How Important Is the APUSH LEQ?

The APUSH LEQ is worth 15% of your total exam score. You choose one of three prompts (usually from different time periods or themes) and write a full argumentative essay with no documents provided.

Because the LEQ uses a similar rubric to the APUSH DBQ, improvements here often transfer directly to your document-based writing. You can see how a higher LEQ score affects your composite using the APUSH score calculator.

APUSH LEQ Rubric – 6 Points Total

The LEQ rubric has six total points. It looks a lot like the DBQ rubric, but without document-specific evidence and sourcing.

Category Points What Readers Look For
Thesis / Claim 0–1 pt A clear, defensible thesis that makes a historically accurate argument and answers the prompt.
Contextualization 0–1 pt Broader historical context that sets up the time period, theme, or development addressed in the prompt.
Evidence 0–2 pts Specific, relevant historical evidence that goes beyond naming and is used to support your argument.
Analysis & Reasoning 0–1 pt Organized argument with clear reasoning that explains relationships (cause/effect, comparison, change over time, etc.).
Complexity 0–1 pt Demonstrates a complex understanding of the topic with nuance, qualifications, or multiple perspectives.

When you enter an LEQ score out of 6 into the APUSH score calculator, it converts that into the LEQ part of your composite score (15% of the exam), alongside MCQ, SAQ, and DBQ.

Thesis & Contextualization (2 Points)

Thesis / Claim – 1 Point

To earn the thesis point, your LEQ must:

  • Directly answer the prompt (all parts)
  • Make a historically defensible claim
  • Set up a clear line of reasoning (how/why)
  • Be located in the introduction or conclusion

Avoid vague or purely descriptive statements. A strong thesis takes a stand and hints at the structure of your body paragraphs.

Contextualization – 1 Point

To earn the context point, you need to:

  • Describe a broader historical setting or process related to the prompt
  • Develop the context in multiple sentences (not just 1 line)
  • Connect that context back to your main argument

Think of context as zooming out: what was happening in the region, nation, or world that makes this prompt important?

If you always start your LEQ with 3–4 sentences of context followed by a clear, argumentative thesis, you are consistently hitting 2 out of 6 points from the very beginning of the essay.

Evidence (2 Points)

Unlike the DBQ, the LEQ has no provided documents. All evidence must come from your own knowledge of APUSH content.

Using Evidence – 1 Point

To earn the first evidence point, your essay must:

  • Provide at least some specific, relevant historical examples
  • Show that you know key events, people, policies, or movements
  • Avoid being vague or only general (“there were many reforms”)

This point is about basic factual support. If you only speak in generalities, you risk losing it.

Supporting an Argument – 1 Point

To earn the second evidence point, you must:

  • Use multiple specific pieces of evidence throughout your essay
  • Explain how each piece of evidence supports your thesis
  • Integrate evidence into your reasoning, not just list it

Think: “claim → evidence → explanation.” That pattern should appear in most body paragraphs.

Many students can earn at least 1 out of 2 evidence points quickly with a bit of content review. Pushing to 2/2 requires you to deliberately connect each example to your argument. This also strengthens your scores on practice DBQs when used with the DBQ rubric.

Analysis, Reasoning, and Complexity (2 Points)

These points test whether you’re just listing facts or actually building a sophisticated historical argument.

Analysis & Reasoning – 1 Point

To earn the analysis & reasoning point, you should:

  • Organize your essay into focused, argumentative body paragraphs
  • Use historical reasoning appropriate to the prompt:
    • Cause and effect
    • Continuity and change over time
    • Comparison
  • Explain relationships, not just describe events

For example, a causation prompt should clearly show primary causes, secondary causes, and relative importance.

Complexity – 1 Point

The complexity point is earned when you:

  • Demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the topic
  • Address multiple perspectives or contradictory evidence
  • Qualify your argument (e.g., “to a large extent, but with important exceptions”)
  • Show connections across time, themes, or regions when appropriate

Complexity is not a separate paragraph; it’s a pattern across your essay, especially in your argument and conclusion.

Targeting these points helps you stand out in both the LEQ and DBQ. Once you start naturally using nuance and structured reasoning, your essays will begin to look like 4s and 5s when run through scoring models like the one behind our APUSH calculator.

Simple LEQ Writing Framework (Target the Rubric)

You don’t need a fancy structure. You need a repeatable framework that hits thesis, context, evidence, and reasoning every time.

  1. Planning (8–10 minutes) – Read the prompt, identify its skill (causation, comparison, CCOT), brainstorm 2–3 main arguments, and list specific evidence.
  2. Introduction – Start with 3–4 sentences of broader context, then end with a clear thesis that answers the prompt and previews your line of reasoning.
  3. Body Paragraphs (2–3) – For each:
    • Topic sentence that supports your thesis
    • 2–3 specific pieces of evidence (laws, events, people, movements)
    • Analysis explaining how the evidence supports the claim
    • When possible, a sentence or two showing nuance or a counterpoint
  4. Conclusion – Restate your argument in a slightly different way and, if possible, show broader significance or connections to other periods/themes.
  5. Self-check – After writing, quickly check:
    • Do I clearly have thesis + context?
    • Did I use specific evidence, not just generalities?
    • Did I show reasoning (cause/effect, comparison, or CCOT)?
    • Is there any nuance that could earn complexity?

After scoring your LEQ with this rubric (0–6), plug the score into the APUSH score calculator together with your MCQ, SAQ, and DBQ results to see your estimated AP score.

For a structured way to add LEQ practice into your weekly routine, check out the 3-month APUSH study plan .

LEQ vs DBQ – How Are the Rubrics Similar?

The LEQ and DBQ rubrics share many categories (thesis, context, evidence, analysis, complexity). The main difference is that the DBQ includes document-based evidence and sourcing, while the LEQ is entirely based on your own recall of historical knowledge.

What They Share

  • Need a clear thesis and context
  • Require specific, relevant evidence
  • Reward structured reasoning and argument
  • Include a complexity point for nuanced understanding

Key Differences

  • DBQ uses documents; LEQ does not
  • DBQ rubric has more points for document evidence and sourcing
  • LEQ evidence is entirely your own content knowledge
  • DBQ is 25% of the exam; LEQ is 15%

Practicing one naturally improves the other. If you understand how to earn points on the DBQ rubric, you’re already halfway to mastering the LEQ rubric.

APUSH LEQ Rubric – Common Questions

What is a good LEQ score for APUSH? ⌄

A score of 3–4 out of 6 is a solid baseline that can support a passing overall score if your MCQ, SAQ, and DBQ are decent. Scores of 5–6 are strong and help push your composite toward a 4 or 5. Use the score calculator to see what LEQ score you should target for your goal AP score.

How often should I practice LEQs before the exam? ⌄

Many students aim to write one full LEQ every 1–2 weeks in the months leading up to the exam, plus shorter practice on thesis statements or paragraphs. The 3-month APUSH study plan includes a simple way to schedule LEQ and DBQ practice together.

Should I write more than 3 body paragraphs on the LEQ? ⌄

You can, but it’s not required. Many high-scoring LEQs use 2–3 strong body paragraphs with clear claims, multiple pieces of evidence, and solid reasoning. Quality and clarity matter more than the number of paragraphs.

Rubric Disclaimer

This LEQ rubric guide is based on the official AP U.S. History scoring guidelines but is simplified and adapted for students. It does not replace the official rubric used by AP readers.

Always review the most recent official materials from the College Board and use teacher feedback. Combine this rubric with the APUSH score calculator and scoring explanation to understand how LEQ performance fits into your overall exam score.

RC

About the Author

This APUSH LEQ rubric guide and calculator are created and maintained by Rohit Chauhan, focused on turning complex AP scoring rules into clear, practical strategies for students.

Last updated: February 2025 • Have suggestions or corrections? Visit our Contact Us page.