AP US HISTORY RUBRICS
The DBQ Rubric
The 8-9 Essay
· Contains a well developed thesis that clearly addresses the question
· Effective analysis of the documents and outside knowledge is evident
· Effective use of documents
· Supports thesis with substantial and relevant outside information (outside knowledge goes beyond the documents)
· Is clearly organized and well-written
· May contain minor errors
The 5-7 Essay
· Contains a thesis which addresses the question
· Some analysis of the documents and outside knowledge is present
· Uses some documents effectively
· Supports thesis with some outside information
· Shows evidence of acceptable organization and writing; language errors do not interfere with the comprehension of the essay
· May contain errors that do not seriously detract from the quality of the essay
The 2-4 Essay
· Contains a limited, confused and/or poorly developed thesis
· Deals with the question in a general manner; simplistic explanation or answers only one part of the question
· “Laundry list of documents”; quotes or briefly cites some documents
· Contains little outside information or information that is generally inaccurate or irrelevant
· Has problems in organization
· May contain errors
The 0-1 Essay
· Contains no thesis or a thesis which does not address the question
· Exhibits inadequate or inaccurate understanding of the question
· Contains little or no understanding of the documents or ignores them completely
· Is so poorly organized or written that it inhibits understanding
· Contains numerous errors, both mayor and minor
The – Essay
· Is completely off topic or left blank
The Free-Response Rubric
The 8-9 Essay
· Contains a clear, well developed thesis addressing the question
· Provides effective analysis
· Develops the thesis with considerable, relevant information
· Is well-organized; excellent essay
· May contain minor errors that do not detract from the overall quality of the essay
The 5-7 Essay
· Contains a partially developed thesis
· Provides some analysis
· Supports the thesis with some accurate/less specific information
· Acceptable organization; very good essay
· May contain errors that do not seriously detract from the quality of the essay
The 2-4 Essay
· May lack a thesis or simply restate the question; may contain a confused or unfocused thesis
· Has little or no analysis; the essay is primarily a narrative
· Provides few relevant facts, or relies heavily on generalizations
· Weak organization; marginal essay
· May contain major errors
The 0-1 Essay
· May demonstrate an incompetent or inappropriate response
· Has little or no understanding of the question
· Poorly organized; incompetent essay
· Contains substantial factual errors or little or no factual information
The – Essay
· Is completely off topic or the test booklet is blank
