AP European History
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Learn all about the course and exam. Already enrolled? Join your class in My AP.
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Study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped Europe from c. 1450 to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments.
Evaluating primary and secondary sources
Analyzing the claims, evidence, and reasoning you find in sources
Putting historical developments in context and making connections between them
Coming up with a claim or thesis and explaining and supporting it in writing
An introductory college survey of modern European history
None
Fri, May 5, 2023,
8 AM Local
This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP European History Exam.
The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.
You’ll explore the rapid changes sparked in the Renaissance and trace their legacy through colonialism and a commercial revolution that changed the shape of European society.
Topics may include:
10%–15% of Score
You’ll chart the evolving strains of Christianity in Europe and the far-reaching effects of the Reformation on daily and political life.
Topics may include:
10%–15% of Score
You’ll study developments in political power and how they affected the relationships among states and between states and individuals. You’ll also learn about the social, political, and cultural conditions resulting from economic developments in Europe.
Topics may include:
10%–15% of Score
You’ll study how scientific thinking and new strains of political thought combined with technological advances transformed much of 18th-century life in Europe.
Topics may include:
10%–15% of Score
You’ll chart England’s increasing role in European matters and the reverberations of the French Revolution across Europe.
Topics may include:
10%–15% of Score
You’ll learn about the transformational effects of the Industrial Revolution, technology, and urbanization on European society and political thought.
Topics may include:
10%–15% of Score
You’ll explore how the political forces of nationalism and shifting alliances set the stage for World War I.
Topics may include:
10%–15% of Score
You’ll learn about the great upheavals of the 20th century, as well as cultural developments and changing political structures.
Topics may include:
10%–15% of Score
You’ll study how competing ideologies and global superpowers came to define much of the latter half of the 20th century.
Topics may include:
10%–15% of Score
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AP European History Course and Exam Description
This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and AP Program in general.
AP European History can lead to a wide range of careers and college majors