APUSH Tips & Guides – Get a 5 on AP U.S. History

Explore APUSH Tips by Topic

These articles are designed to sit on top of the core scoring pages: the APUSH scoring explanation, DBQ rubric, and LEQ rubric. Start with the topic that matches your biggest weakness.

Score Goals

APUSH Tips for Getting a 5

Concrete strategies to move from a 3–4 range into the 5 range: how to use practice tests, what to focus on in DBQ/LEQ writing, and how to use the calculator to plan your target scores.

Best for students already around a 3–4 who want to push to a 5.

DBQ Writing

APUSH DBQ Examples & Tips

Walk through sample DBQ structures, example thesis statements, document grouping, and how to earn sourcing and complexity using the official 7-point DBQ rubric.

Use together with the DBQ rubric and the calculator’s DBQ input.

LEQ Writing

APUSH LEQ Examples & Tips

Learn how to structure long essays for causation, comparison, and continuity/change prompts, with example outlines and ways to show complexity for the 6-point LEQ rubric.

Great if your LEQ score is much lower than MCQ/SAQ in the calculator.

Practice Resources

APUSH Resources & Practice Tests

A curated list of trustworthy APUSH practice tests, question banks, review videos, and textbook-style resources – with suggestions on how to combine them into a weekly routine.

Pair this with the 3-month study plan for a complete prep system.

About These Guides

All APUSH tips and guides on this site are written to match the same scoring logic used in the APUSH Score Calculator and the detailed rubric pages. The goal is simple: show you exactly how specific study actions change your predicted score.