Advanced Placement (AP) European History (also known as AP Euro, APEH, or EHAP), is a course and examination offered by the

College Board The College Board, styled as CollegeBoard, is an American not-for-profit organization that was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education. While the College Board is not an asso ...

through the

Advanced Placement Program Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board. AP offers undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Colleges and universities in the US and elsewh ...

. This course is for

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

students who are interested in a first year

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

level course in

European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD 500), the Middle Ages (AD 500–1500), and the modern era (since AD 1500). The first early Eu ...

. The course surveys European history from between 1450 to the present, focusing on

religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives fro ...

economic An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

, and

political Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...

themes.

Course

The AP European History course covers historical events and processes across nine different units. Each unit is weighted equally on the exam, approximately 10–15%. The course units and sub-topics are as follows: *Unit 1:

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

and

Exploration Exploration is the process of exploring, an activity which has some Expectation (epistemic), expectation of Discovery (observation), discovery. Organised exploration is largely a human activity, but exploratory activity is common to most organis ...

(1450–1648) **Contextualizing Renaissance and Discovery **

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...

Northern Renaissance The Northern Renaissance was the Renaissance that occurred in Europe north of the Alps, developing later than the Italian Renaissance, and in most respects only beginning in the last years of the 15th century. It took different forms in the vari ...

**Printing **New Monarchies **Technological Advances and the Age of Exploration **Rivals on the World Stage **Colonial Expansion and the

Columbian Exchange The Columbian exchange, also known as the Columbian interchange, was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the New World (the Americas) in the Western Hemisphere, and the Old World (Afro-Eurasia) in the Eastern Hemis ...

**The

Slave Trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...

**The

Commercial Revolution In European history, the commercial revolution saw the development of a European economy – based on trade – which began in the 11th century AD and operated until the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century. Beginning wit ...

**Causation in the Renaissance and Age of Discovery *Unit 2: Age of Reformation (1450–1648) **Contextualizing 16th- and 17th-Century Challenges and Developments ** Luther and the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

**Protestant Reform Continues ** Wars of Religion **The Catholic Reformation **16th-Century Society and Politics **Art of the 16th Century:

Mannerism Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

and

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

Art **Causation in the Age of Reformation and the Wars of Religion *Unit 3: Absolutism and

Constitutionalism Constitutionalism is "a compound of ideas, attitudes, and patterns of behavior elaborating the principle that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law". Political organizations are constitutional to ...

(1648–1815) **Contextualizing State Building **The

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

and the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...

**Continuities and Changes to Economic Practice and Development **Economic Development and

Mercantilism Mercantilism is a economic nationalism, nationalist economic policy that is designed to maximize the exports and minimize the imports of an economy. It seeks to maximize the accumulation of resources within the country and use those resources ...

**The

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...

**Balance of Power **Absolutist Approaches to Power **Comparison in the Age of Absolutism and Constitutionalism *Unit 4: Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Developments (1648–1815) **Contextualizing the

Scientific Revolution The Scientific Revolution was a series of events that marked the emergence of History of science, modern science during the early modern period, when developments in History of mathematics#Mathematics during the Scientific Revolution, mathemati ...

and the

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

**The Scientific Revolution **The Enlightenment **18th-Century Society and Demographics **18th-Century Culture and Arts **Enlightened and Other Approaches to Power **Causation in the Age of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment *Unit 5: Conflict, Crisis, and Reaction in the Late 18th Century (1648–1815) **Contextualizing 18th-Century States **The Rise of Global Markets **Britain's Acendency **The French Revolution **The French Revolution's Effects **

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

's Rise, Dominance, and Defeat **The

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

**Continuity and Change in 18th-Century States *Unit 6: Industrialization and Its Effects (1815–1914) **Contextualizing Industrialization and Its Origins and Effects **The Spread of Industry Throughout Europe ** Second Wave Industrialization and Its Effects **Social Effects of Industrialization **The

Concert of Europe The Concert of Europe was a general agreement among the great powers of 19th-century Europe to maintain the European balance of power, political boundaries, and spheres of influence. Never a perfect unity and subject to disputes and jockeying ...

and European Conservatism **Reactions and Revolutions **Ideologies of Change and Reform Movements **19th-Century Social Reform **Institutional Responses and Reform **Causation in the Age of Industrialization *Unit 7: 19th-Century Perspective and Political Developments (1815–1914) **Contextualizing 19th-Century Perspectives and Political Developments **

Nationalism Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...

**National Unification and Diplomatic Treaties **

Darwinism ''Darwinism'' is a term used to describe a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others. The theory states that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural sel ...

Social Darwinism Charles Darwin, after whom social Darwinism is named Social Darwinism is a body of pseudoscientific theories and societal practices that purport to apply biological concepts of natural selection and survival of the fittest to sociology, economi ...

**The Age of Progress and Modernity **New

Imperialism Imperialism is the maintaining and extending of Power (international relations), power over foreign nations, particularly through expansionism, employing both hard power (military and economic power) and soft power (diplomatic power and cultura ...

: Motivations and Methods **Imperialism's Global Effects **19th-Century Culture and Arts **Causation in 19th-Century Perspectives and Political Development *Unit 8: 20th-Century Global Conflicts (1914 – present) **Contextualizing 20th-Century Global Conflicts **

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

**The

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

and Its Effects **

Versailles Conference The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

and Peace Settlement ** Global Economic Crisis **

Fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

and

Totalitarianism Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public s ...

**Europe During the

Interwar Period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

**The

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

**20th-Century Cultural, Intellectual, and Artistic Developments **Continuity and Changes in an Age of Global Conflict *Unit 9:

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

and Contemporary Europe **Contextualizing Cold War and Contemporary Europe (1914 – present) **Rebuilding Europe **The Cold War **Two Super Powers Emerge **Postwar Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict, and Atrocities **Contemporary Western Democracies **The Fall of

Communism Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...

**20th-Century

Feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

Decolonization Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby Imperialism, imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. The meanings and applications of the term are disputed. Some scholar ...

**The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

**Migration and Immigration **Technology **Globalization **20th- and 21st-Century Culture, Arts, and Demographic Trends **Continuity and Change in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Exam

The AP exam for European History is divided into two sections, comprising 55 multiple-choice questions (with four answer choices), three short-answer questions, and two essay responses (one thematic Long Essay Question (LEQ) and one Document Based Question (DBQ)). The multiple-choice and short-answer sections are to be completed in 55 minutes and 40 minutes respectively. The essay section is to be completed in 100 minutes (including the 15-minute reading period). The DBQ is graded out of 7 points and the LEQ is graded out of 6 points. This new structure went into effect beginning Fall 2017. The DBQ is weighted at 25 percent while the FRQ/LEQ is weighted at 15 percent. The Short Answer is weighted 20 percent, with the multiple-choice accounting for the final 40 percent. Approximately half of the multiple-choice questions cover the period from 1450 to the French Revolution and

Napoleonic era The Napoleonic era is a period in the history of France and history of Europe, Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly (French Revoluti ...

, and half cover the period from the French Revolution and Napoleonic era to the present, evenly divided between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. About one-third of the questions focus on

cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

and

intellectual An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and Human self-reflection, reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society and proposed solutions for its normative problems. Coming from the wor ...

themes, one-third on

and diplomatic themes, and one-third on

and

themes. Many questions draw on knowledge of more than one chronological period or theme. Although this is the general trend based on past AP Exams, it is not mandated that the exam follow this format. In recent years and present, the multiple choice portion is Stimulus Based, meaning the students are given an excerpt of a speech or writing, photograph, or painting, to analyze and answer questions and/or give presentations on the given info.

Free Response sections

The Free Response sections of the test offer some choice. * Short Answer Question (SAQ): (complete 3 of 4) ** Two questions spanning 1600–2001 (''both mandatory'') ** Choice between questions Q3 (periods 1 and 2) and Q4 (periods 3 and 4) * Long Essay Question (LEQ): (complete 1 of 3) ** Choice between questions Q1 (period 1), Q2 (periods 2 and 3) and Q3 (periods 3 and 4)

Grade distributions

The grade distributions as of 2023 are as follows:

References

{{reflist

External links

AP European History at CollegeBoard.com
History education in the United States Advanced Placement