AP European History SAQ Practice
1656 Short Answer Questions written in the AP format. Pick one, read the source and all three parts, and write a short answer to each.
Your first scored response is included. A plan unlocks unlimited scoring.
1656 questions
sorted by unit
Italian merchant letters on art and commerce
Unit 1: Renaissance and Exploration
Source: Letters to and from Italian merchants in the fourteenth-century.
A. Letters ordering religious paintings for sale. A panel of Our Lady on a background of fine gold with two doors, making a fine show with good and handsome figures by the best painter. Let there be in the center Our Lord on the Cross, or Our Lady, whomsoever you find — I care not, so that the figures be handsome and large, the best and finest you can purvey, and the cost no more than 5 ½ or 6 ½ florins. You tell me you can find no pictures for the money we will pay, for there are none so cheap, and therefore we bid you, if you find no good things at a fair cost, leave them, for here there is no great demand. They should be bought when the master artist who makes them is in need. B. Letter from a merchant's mother. You know God has granted you to acquire great riches in this world, may He be praised; and you have borne, and are bearing, great burdens. Pray toil not so hard, only for the good of strangers; let some remembrance of you remain here and someone to pray God on your behalf. Crave not for all; you have already enough to suffice you! C. Letter placing an order for English wool. You say you have writ to Venice to remit us 1000 ducats with which, in the name of God and profit, you would have us buy Cotswold wool. With God always before us, we will carry out your bidding.
Answer all parts of the question that follows.
Describe the relationship between art production and market demand as reflected in excerpt A.
Explain one way the letters illustrate the development of commercial capitalism in fourteenth-century Italy.
Explain one way the economic activities described in the letters reflect continuities in European commercial development from the medieval period through the Renaissance.
What the SAQ asks
Short-answer questions make up Section I, Part B of the AP European History exam, with three required questions in 40 minutes. Each one starts from a source, such as one or two historians’ arguments, a primary text, or an image, and asks three short parts about it and the history around it.
- 13 min
- suggested time per SAQ
- 3 points
- one for each part, A to C
- 20%
- of your exam score, for all three SAQs
Part A: Describe
A claim, argument, or detail in the source
1 pt
Part B: Explain
A development tied to the source, often its broader context
1 pt
Part C: Explain
How one development relates to another, with evidence you know
1 pt
How SAQ practice works
Each question follows the exam’s format, from the full prompt to a score on every part.
Read the source and question
The source and all three parts, A through C, laid out the way the exam shows them.
Write on a 13-minute timer
About the time each SAQ gets on exam day. Pause it or turn it off, and your response saves as you go.
Submit for a score out of 3
Your response is scored against the scoring guidelines written for that question. Your first score is included.
Questions about the SAQ
How many responses can I get scored?
You can read every question without a plan. Your first scored response is included. A plan unlocks unlimited scoring.
Do I still choose between Questions 3 and 4?
No. Beginning with the May 2027 exam, all three SAQs are required and each one has a source. Question 1 uses one or two secondary texts, Question 2 a primary text, and Question 3 a non-text source. Every question here comes with a source.
How is the SAQ different from the DBQ?
The SAQ asks three short parts about a source, with about 13 minutes per question. The DBQ asks for a full essay built on seven documents, and the exam gives it 60 minutes.
How long should each answer be?
Two to four sentences per part. You don’t need a thesis, an introduction, or a conclusion.
Is each part scored on its own?
Yes. Each part is worth 1 point and is scored separately, so a strong answer to part A still counts if part C misses.
More AP European History practice
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Every FRQ type for AP European History, with practice for each.
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