What Is the AP World History DBQ, and How Long Do You Have? The AP World History DBQ is one 7-point, document-based essay on the AP World: Modern exam, and it counts for 25% of your total exam score . You get one hour to complete it, including a reading period and a writing period. The best place to start practicing right now is AP Central’s exam questions page , which hosts free past prompts, scoring guidelines, and real sample responses you can grade yourself against. Here’s what you need to know before you download anything: The DBQ uses seven documents covering historical developments from roughly 1200 to 2001, according to College Board’s assessment overview . You earn points across six rubric categories: thesis, contextualization, evidence from documents, evidence beyond the documents, sourcing, and complexity. Official scoring guidelines and sample essays are free and updated every year on AP Central. Sixty minutes for a quarter of your score means every minute in the reading period should earn you points later. Key Takeaways Scoring well on the AP World History DBQ requires disciplined 15-minute reading-period planning, deliberate practice against real sample responses, and