Why did the AP history exams change?

The changes provide clearer, more consistent expectations and better align each AP history exam with the skills students practice throughout the course. Updates to the questions give back time to students, allowing them to focus on demonstrating what they know rather than spending time deciding which question to answer. Updates to the long essay question give students the flexibility to use the evidence they know best and to shape their own line of reasoning, so their arguments better reflect their historical understanding.