Is AP U.S. History Hard? A Complete 2023 Guide

AP U.S. History ranks as a popular course. Almost half a million high school students took AP U.S. History in 2022, according to the College Board, making it the second-most popular AP subject for high school students that year.

But students aren’t enrolling in this course because it’s an easy A. AP U.S. History certainly comes with its challenges. In fact, it’s among the hardest AP classes based on exam pass rate. If you’re on the fence about enrolling in AP U.S. History— perhaps wondering “Is AP U.S. History hard?” — this guide breaks down everything you need to know.

AP U.S. History spans from approximately 1491 to the present. The course begins with Native American societies and the Europeans’ exploration of the New World.

The material then covers the European colonies in North America, the Revolutionary War, the early years of the Republic, and the Civil War, before eventually moving into the 20th century.

APUSH also emphasizes critical thinking skills, with students learning how to evaluate primary source documentation and how to consider events within their historical contexts.

Additionally, learners exercise their argumentation skills by making historically defensible claims with the appropriate evidence.

Here are the major time periods covered in AP U.S. History:

AP courses follow a more challenging curriculum than typical high school courses. The sections below dive into the difficulty of the course. If you’re feeling on the fence about AP U.S. History, read these five questions to ask yourself before taking AP classes.

Less than 50% of students pass the AP U.S. History exam with a score of 3 or higher. Compared to the average pass rate for all AP exams — about 66% — that’s a good bit lower.

Additionally, only 11% of AP U.S. History students pass the exam with a perfect score, compared to 17% of students on average across all AP exams.

That said, while most advanced placement courses challenge students, the AP U.S. History course is among the more difficult of the AP subjects.

Source: College Board

Keep in mind that while AP exam scores are a good way to glean how difficult the course is overall, each school is different. Some teachers may require heavier workloads or more challenging assignments than others.

Ask your teacher or an administrator if they can provide the pass rate for the U.S. History exam for your school.

The difficulty of a course depends in part on the amount of material it covers. With AP U.S. History spanning over several centuries, the pace of the course is often quick. Teachers frequently assign plenty of reading, essays, and other assignments to get through the full 500-odd years.

For students who struggle with time management or who dedicate their time to other courses and extracurricular activities, this workload may seem demanding.

Your subject skills also play into how difficult a course may seem. AP U.S. History requires critical thinking and essay writing skills. Students should be able to analyze historical evidence and sources, make historical connections, and put together (and support) a historical argument.

If you possess these skills, AP U.S. History will prove an engaging and rewarding challenge. But if you typically struggle in these areas, then the course may seem particularly difficult.

Learners typically take AP U.S. History as juniors or seniors. The course follows an advanced curriculum and includes a heavy workload. Therefore, having a couple of years of high school history under your belt can prepare you for this more challenging course.

Some students might choose to take the course their sophomore year. However, jumping into an AP course early in your high school years may be a difficult adjustment.

Students also sometimes take multiple AP courses at once. If you wish to take AP U.S. History along with another advanced course — or several courses —make sure you’re not overwhelming yourself with your course load.

The AP U.S. History exam evaluates your knowledge of the course material and your critical thinking skills. Learn about the exam, including how it’s structured and scored, in the sections below.

Source: College Board

The AP U.S. History exam consists of two parts: Sections 1 and 2. Section 1 is also further broken down into Part A (multiple choice questions) and Part B (four short answer questions). Section 2 requires writing, with students answering a document-based question and a long essay question.

Test-takers get 55 minutes to complete the 55 multiple choice questions, and 50 minutes to answer the four short answer questions. Section 2 takes 100 minutes in total.

Test-takers receive a score of 1-5, with 5 as the best score and 1 as the worst.

Section 1 accounts for 60% of the exam score, and it consists of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Multiple-choice questions make up 55 points, and short-answer questions account for nine points.

Section 2 accounts for 40% of the score. Test-takers must respond to one long essay question and answer a document-based question. The long essay and document-based essay make up seven and six points, respectively.

Then, all those points are converted to scaled scores out of 150.

Source: College Board

Different schools award college credit for different scores on the AP U.S. History exam. Many universities grant credit for scores of 4 or 5. Sometimes colleges offer credit for a score of 3 as well.

In addition, some schools may offer more credit for a higher score. You might earn six college credits if you score 4 or 5, but just three credits if you score 3 on the exam. Check with your prospective colleges for specific information.

Like all AP classes, the course offers a greater challenge than a typical high school course. Students who possess a keen interest in history often embrace that challenge.

But for students who might not feel as motivated about the topic, putting in the work in this course might lead to burnout.

If you’re concerned about the difficulty level or workload, ask teachers and past students about the course. That’s a great way to learn what to expect. Make sure you evaluate for yourself which AP classes you should take, considering your own interests and academic goals.

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