AP® European History 2025 - Document-Based Question Scoring Guidelines

Sep 30, 2026

AP® European History 2025 scoring guidelines for the Document-Based Question evaluate a student’s essay on whether the French government upheld the ideals of the Revolution from 1789 to 1794. The materials define how points are earned across rubric rows, including thesis/claim with a historically defensible line of reasoning and contextualization grounded in relevant revolutionary principles. Decision rules clarify accuracy, clarity, and acceptable drafting-level grammar errors, emphasizing defensible historical content knowledge.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Document-Based Question

Scoring Guidelines

General Scoring Notes

Question 1: French Revolutionary Government (1789–1794)

Row A Thesis/Claim

Row B Contextualization

2025 AP® European History Sample Student Responsesand Scoring Commentary Set 1 Inside: Document-Based Question ☑ Scoring Guidelines ☑ Student Samples ☑ Scoring Commentary © 2025 College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of [College Board. Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard.org](College Board. Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard.org). AP Central is the official online home for [the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org](the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org). AP® European History 2025 Scoring Guidelines Question 1: Document-Based Question, French Revolutionary Government 7 points General Scoring Notes • Except where otherwise noted, each point of these rubrics is earned independently; for example, a student could earn a point for evidence without earning a point for thesis/claim. • Accuracy: The components of these rubrics require that students demonstrate historically defensible content knowledge. Given the timed nature of the exam, essays may contain errors that do not detract from their overall quality, as long as the historical content used to advance the argument is accurate. • Clarity: Exam essays should be considered first drafts and thus may contain grammatical errors. Those errors will not be counted against a student unless they obscure the successful demonstration of the content knowledge, skills, and practices described below. Evaluate whether or not the French government upheld the ideals of the Revolution during the period 1789 to 1794. © 2025 College Board AP® European History 2025 Scoring Guidelines | Reporting Category | Scoring Criteria | | | --- | --- | --- | | Row A
Thesis/Claim
(0–1 points) | 0 points
Does not meet the criteria for one point. | 1 point
Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim that establishes aline of reasoning. | | | Decision Rules and Scoring Notes | | | | Responses that do not earn this point:
• Are not historically defensible.
• Only restate or rephrase the prompt.
• Do not respond to the prompt.
• Do not establish a line of reasoning.
• Are overgeneralized. | Responses that earn this point:
• Provide a historically defensible thesis or claim about whether or not the French government upheld the ideals of the Revolution in the period 1789 to 1794. The thesis or claim must either provide some indication of the reason for making that claim OR establish categories of the argument. | | | Examples that do not earn this point:
Provide a restatement of the prompt
• “In the years immediately following the Revolution, the revolutionary forces achieved their ideals.”
Do not respond to the prompt
• “The Reign of Terror during the French Revolution killed thousands of people.”
Provide a historically defensible claim, but do not establish a line of reasoning
• “The Revolution completely failed to match its ideals.” | Examples that earn this point:
Establish a line of reasoning that evaluates the topic of the prompt
• “The French Revolutionary government upheld some important ideals ofthe Revolution, such as ending arbitrary social distinctions, but it abandoned others when the Jacobins tried to impose their revolutionary principles by force.”
Establish a line of reasoning that evaluates the topic of the prompt with analytic categories
• “The French government upheld the early ideals of the revolution by writing a constitution, protecting natural rights, and establishing a representative government.”
Establish a line of reasoning
• “The French revolutionary government succeeded in achieving the most important ideal—ending a corrupt monarchy.” [Minimally acceptable thesis/claim] | | | Additional Notes:
• The thesis or claim must consist of one or more sentences located in one place, either in the introduction or the conclusion (which may not be limited to the first or last

FAQs

What does the DBQ prompt ask students to evaluate for Question 1?

Students evaluate whether the French government upheld the ideals of the Revolution during 1789 to 1794.

What qualifies for the thesis/claim point (Row A)?

A historically defensible thesis/claim that responds to the prompt and either provides a reason or establishes categories of the argument.

What kinds of information count as relevant contextualization for Row B?

Context that accurately describes broader historical circumstances connected to the principles of the French Revolution in 1789–1794, such as Enlightenment ideas, political discontent, or financial crisis factors.

Sep 30, 2026

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