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The Complete Guide to AP US Government FRQs

Advanced Placement (AP)

Free-response questions, or FRQs, on the AP US Government exam are more straightforward than those on some other AP tests, but they can still be tough if you're not ready for them. In this guide, we will lay out a simple step-by-step method for answering AP Government FRQs , go through a real example, and tell you where you can find additional practice resources.

AP Government Free-Response Section Format

The free-response section lasts one hour and 40 minutes and consists of four questions , each of which is worth 12.5% of your total score. So as a whole, the free-response section accounts for half your total AP Gov score (the other 50% comes from the multiple-choice section). Each FRQ is worth 3-6 raw points.

Here are the four types of FRQs you'll get on the AP Government exam:

• Concept Application (3 raw points)
• Quantitative Analysis (4 raw points)
• SCOTUS Comparison (4 raw points)
• Argument Essay (6 raw points)

The free-response questions will ask you to integrate your knowledge of the various content areas covered by the course. This includes analyzing political events in the US, discussing examples, and demonstrating your understanding of general principles of US government and politics. You'll also be asked to examine data from charts, define key terms, and explain the roles that different parts of our government play in the political system.

The following chart shows specifically what you must do for each FRQ on the AP Government test. All info below comes from the 2020 AP US Government and Politics Course and Exam Description .

AP Government FRQs: 5-Step Solution Process

This section provides a step-by-step process for answering any question on the AP US Government exam. Here's a sample question from the 2020 AP Gov Course and Exam Description that I'll reference throughout so you can see how these steps might work in practice:

Step 1: Read the Introductory and Concluding Sentences

Free-response questions #1 and #3 will include passages, while question #2 will have an image or a chart with data. Skim the first and final sentences of the passage (or title of the graphic for #2) before you get to the tasks (labeled A-C or A-D). This will help you get a rough sense of what to expect in the rest of the question.

It's a good idea to read the intros and conclusions to all the FRQs before choosing which one to begin with. Doing this might help build up your confidence and improve your efficiency to start with a question that's easier for you.

In the sample question above, you would read the title of the graphic ("Public Education Spending: Amount Spent per Pupil by State in 2014") and then skim the image itself to get a sense of what it's asking you to analyze.

Step 2: Identify (and Underline, If You Want) the Command Verb

For each task in each FRQ, you're given specific instructions on the type of answer that is expected; these instructions include command verbs that tell you what to do. It's important to be aware of exactly what the question is asking so you can earn full points.

These command verbs are the first words you should zero in on as you approach a question. If you think it'll help keep you focused, you can underline these verbs .

Here are the most commonly used task verbs, as described in the AP Gov Exam Description :

Compare: Provide a description or explanation of similarities and/or differences.

Define: Provide a specific meaning for a word or concept.

Describe: Provide the relevant characteristics of a specified topic.

Develop an argument: Articulate a claim and support it with evidence.

Draw a conclusion: Use available information to formulate an accurate statement that demonstrates understanding based on evidence.

Explain: Provide information about how or why a relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome occurs, using evidence and/or reasoning. Explain "how" typically requires analyzing the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome, whereas explain "why" typically requires analysis of motivations or reasons for the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome.

Identify: Indicate or provide information about a specified topic, without elaboration or explanation.

In part A of the sample question, the command verb is "identify," indicating that you need to correctly interpret the data in the image. In part B, the command verb changes to "describe," which means you'll need to go one step further and interpret and analyze data in the graphic that you have found.

Part C starts with "draw a conclusion," meaning that you will need to tie together the evidence you found in part B to come up with a final (accurate) statement on what this means. Finally, part D begins with the task verb "explain," showing that you must make a clear connection between the data in this graphic as a whole and the principle of federalism.

Step 3: Know Where You'll Earn Your Raw Points

In general, each part in a question (A, B, C, and D) will correspond to 1 raw point , but not all questions are like this.

After finding the task verb in the part of the question you're answering, take note of how many examples or descriptions you need to provide , as each will likely correspond to a point in your raw score for the question. There might also be more than one task verb in a question, in which case you'll likely get at least 2 raw points for it.

As a reminder, here is the maximum number of raw points you can earn for each question (don't forget that each question is still worth the same percentage of your score: 12.5%):

Take care to answer the question thoroughly but directly , addressing all points in a way that will make it easy for graders to assess your response. Remember that you don't need to write an essay for the first three FRQs, so just go straight for the answer to avoid any ambiguity.

In the sample question, we know there will be 4 raw points you can earn. And since the tasks are divided into four parts (labeled A-D), we can assume that each part will be worth 1 raw point .

You can see more sample FRQs and how they're graded with the official scoring guidelines here .

Step 4: Reread Your Answer

Once you've come up with an answer, reread what you wrote to ensure it makes sense and addresses the question completely . Did you give the correct number of descriptions or examples asked of you? Does your answer directly respond to what the question is asking?

If you're satisfied, move on to the next part of the question and return to step 2!

Step 5: Pace Yourself

The final step is to keep track of time so you can be sure you're pacing yourself effectively and are not spending too much time on any one question. As a reminder, you'll have one hour and 40 minutes for the entire free-response section of the AP Government exam.

It's suggested that you spend the following amounts of time on each FRQ:

As you can see, you should spend about an equal amount of time on the first three FRQs and save most of your time for your essay , which will likely require the most effort of the four.

A Real AP Government FRQ Example + Analysis

Now, let's go through the answers to a real AP Government free-response question from the 2019 released questions to show you what your responses should look like. This question is an example of a Concept Application question on the exam, meaning it's worth 3 raw points (1 point each for parts A, B, and C).

This question is all about the Johnson Amendment, which does not allow religious organizations to engage in political activities and contribute money to political campaigns. As this passage explains, the Alliance Defending Freedom, a religious group, encourages pastors to challenge this law by participating in an annual event called Pulpit Freedom Sunday.

Below, we go through how to answer each of the three parts correctly using the scoring guidelines .

Part A—1 Point

Part A asks you to come up with an example of a specific action Congress could take to address the concerns of the Alliance Defending Freedom. In other words, what could Congress do to allow groups such as the Alliance Defending Freedom to speak freely about political campaigns?

Note that the command verb used here is "describe," meaning you must "provide the relevant characteristics of a specified topic," or elaborate on what you're proposing and why it would work.

There are two possible answers you could put down here, according to the scoring guidelines:

• Congress could pass a law that would reverse the Johnson Amendment.
• Congress could pass a law to allow religious organizations to participate more directly in politics.

Part B—1 Point

Part B asks you to go into more detail about what you proposed in part A . You must talk about how partisan divisions (i.e., differences in political parties among politicians) could stop whatever you proposed in part A from going into effect (whether that's a new law altogether or a reversal of the original Johnson Amendment).

The task verb used here is "explain," so you must use evidence to show how the action you wrote down in part A could be blocked or reversed.

Here are two possible answers , according to the scoring guidelines:

• Partisan divisions make it more difficult to pass a law because parties adhere to different ideological points of view.
• If Congress and the president are from different political parties, the president might threaten to veto the legislation.

Part C—1 Point

The final part of this free-response question asks you to examine the scenario again, this time from the perspective of the Alliance Defending Freedom , or the religious group in question.

How might the Alliance argue that the Johnson Amendment, which prevents them from speaking on political issues and contributing money to political campaigns, is taking away their rights?

The key here is to first think about what rights these could be . Perhaps freedom of speech or freedom of religion? As you probably noticed, the task verb is "explain," so once again you must use plenty of evidence to show why this contentious relationship exists between the Alliance and the Johnson Amendment/the US government as a whole.

Here are examples of answers you could write, according to the official scoring guidelines:

• The Alliance Defending Freedom and other religious groups might argue that their First Amendment rights are being violated.
• The Alliance Defending Freedom and other religious groups might argue that their freedom of speech/religion is being violated.

Essential Resources for Practicing AP US Government FRQs

There are several resources you can use to hone your skills for answering AP Government FRQs.

Official College Board Resources

The College Board website hosts free-response questions from previous tests that you can use for practice. I recommend starting with the 2019 FRQs (unfortunately, they don't come with sample student responses), as these will look the most like the questions you'll get on test day.

Once you've used those, you can look at FRQs from the 2018 test and earlier; most of these come with sample student responses so you can see what a good response looks like.

If you're hoping to practice FRQs in the context of a full-length test, here are some links to past AP Government exams you can download (as always, prioritize the most recent tests):

• 2018 Practice Test
• 2013 Practice Test
• 2012 Practice Test
• 2009 Practice Test
• 2005 Practice Test
• 1999 Practice Test

These are by far the best sample AP US Government free-response questions you can get because they most accurately represent what you'll see on the real test.

AP Government Review Books

AP Government review books are also solid resources for free-response practice, though they vary a lot in quality.

The Princeton Review's prep book for AP Gov includes five full-length practice tests , so there should be tons of free-response questions you can use to hone your skills. Barron's AP US Gov review book also has some useful practice tests and free-response questions.

If you use these unofficial free-response questions for practice, just be sure to intersperse them with official questions from the College Board so that you maintain an accurate sense of what to expect on the real test.

Recap: Everything to Know About AP US Government FRQs

The four free-response questions on the AP US Government and Politics exam can be approached methodically to earn the maximum number of points.

Read the intro and conclusion to the question first so you can get your bearings. Then, for each of the separate parts, identify the task verb, figure out where you'll earn your raw points, and double-check your answer for any missing pieces or careless errors.

You should also pace yourself so that you're spending no more than 20 minutes each on the first three questions and 40 minutes on the essay.

I suggest practicing at least a few free-response questions before heading into the AP exam. The best resource to use is the College Board website, which contains an archive of past questions accompanied by scoring guidelines and sample student responses. These questions are pretty simple compared to the free-response questions on other AP tests once you get the hang of them!

What's Next?

Not sure where to begin in your AP prep? Our five-step plan will prepare you to take on any AP test .

If you're missing some of your notes that you need to study for AP Gov, check out this article with links to all the content you need to know for the test . You can also learn about the test as a whole with our comprehensive AP Government and Politics review guide .

Do you have a target score in mind for this exam? Learn more about what it takes to earn a 5 on an AP test and whether you should aim for one yourself.

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

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Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

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AP US Government FRQ

Ap government free response.

Check out the following resources for the AP Gov FRQ. Be sure to watch these strategy videos and work through all of the free response practice questions.

Official Sample FRQ

Frq strategy videos, how to write ap gov frqs, argumentative essay.

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Lesson Plan: AP Government: Quantitative Analysis Question Practice

Think less, ink more.

AP Gov teacher Daniel Larsen discusses strategic approaches to free response answers.

Description

This is intended as an end-of-course review activity for practice with the Quantitative Analysis Question format included on the AP United States Government and Politics exam since the 2018 redesign. Five practice prompts are provided.

QAQ OVERVIEW:

Students read the five provided QAQ prompts , either in a jigsaw or an individual format.

Students use the provided overview table to plan what they would answer if assigned each question.

Students discuss and compare their planned answers, augmenting their initial notes with new ideas stemming from the discussion.

• As needed, students use the C-SPAN Classroom featured resources to review content pertaining to concepts/topics for which they struggled to discern answers.

QAQ WRITING:

• Students use what they have learned from the above exploration to create a full response to one or more of the provided QAQ prompts , as assigned by their instructor.
• Branches Of Government
• House Of Representatives
• Separation Of Powers
• Supreme Court

How To Answer the AP® United States Government And Politics Free Response Questions (FRQs)

The AP® U.S. Government and Politics exam consists of two sections: Section I: multiple-choice questions (MCQs), and Section II: free-response questions (FRQs). In this guide, we will look at the FRQ section of the exam.

We will start by examining the format of the writing section of the AP U.S. Gov exam, giving you tips to score well on the FRQs. In the following sections, we have also included a few examples of AP U.S. Gov FRQ writing prompts that have been used on past exams. By the end of this article, you’ll know how to confidently prepare for the FRQ portion of the AP U.S. Gov exam.

Format of the AP U.S. Government FRQ section

Section II consists of four FRQs you need to answer in 100 minutes (1 hour and 40 minutes) and is worth 50% of your overall exam score (1 FRQ is worth 12.5%). Each FRQ in this section tests you on specific practices and skills you’re expected to master by the end of AP U.S. Gov.

Remember to plan your time wisely when practicing for the FRQ section. You’ll need time to read and understand what the question is asking, analyze the information given, then provide your answer with evidence, as-needed. It's important to create a plan for each FRQ that allows for enough time to read the question, plan your response, write it down, and then review it.

The table below describes each type of FRQ and what is required in each response. To make time management easier for you, we’ve also included the approximate time you should allot for planning, writing, and reviewing each FRQ.

How to Answer AP U.S. Government and Politics Free-Response Questions

Here are some general tips for how to answer AP Gov FRQs:

Start with the prompt that seems easiest

Starting with the easiest question can boost your confidence on the exam. Quantitative Analysis is the easiest for some students because it does not require them to read documents to answer the question. The Concept Application is easier for other students because it is less complex. Many students choose to answer the Argument FRQ last because it is the only one that requires an essay format.

Use evidence from the stimulus to support your interpretation

To score well on the FRQs, ensure you include paraphrased references to evidence from the stimulus materials. Focus on specific words and details that support what you have to say. For the Concept Application and SCOTUS comparison FRQs, refer to details from the provided scenario and Supreme Court case, respectively. For the Quantitative Analysis, identify specific data points and/or trends. Lastly, incorporate specific evidence from a foundational document and your course knowledge for the argument essay. For each FRQ, explain how the evidence supports your response

You do not need to earn every point to score well

Each FRQ is worth multiple points. Simpler tasks, like identifying, earn points, just as more complex tasks, like refuting opposing claims, earn points. Even if you have difficulty completing a FRQ, you can score well by completing as many parts as possible.

Don’t worry too much about making spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes

The scorers understand that you are writing under a time limit and that your FRQ is more like a rough draft. If you make a mistake or change your mind, simply draw a line through the mistake and keep going.

AP United States Government and Politics FRQ examples

Here are some examples of AP U.S. Gov FRQs from past exams to give you an idea of the kinds of questions you’ll see on the test. These questions come directly from the College Board Course site, an excellent source of course materials. Each tab explains one type of FRQ with an example and discusses the key points you need to consider while approaching them.

For FRQ 1, you will be given a brief account of a real-life scenario. You will demonstrate your understanding of the scenario by describing some aspects in the context of a course concept. You will then demonstrate a more expansive understanding of the course concept by explaining it further and applying it in a hypothetical situation.

FRQ Example 1

In April of 2018, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of the social media company Facebook, was called to testify before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation about, among other things, a data leak that led to 87 million Facebook users’ private information being sold without their consent.

Senators questioned Zuckerberg about whether Facebook could adequately regulate itself and protect personal information or whether Congress should intervene. Zuckerberg defended the company, emphasizing its mission to better connect the world. In response, Zuckerberg stated, “My position is not that there should be no regulation. I think the real question, as the Internet becomes more important in people’s lives, is what is the right regulation, not whether there should be or not.”

After reading the scenario, respond to A, B, and C below.

• A) Referencing the scenario, describe the enumerated power in Article I of the Constitution that gives Congress the authority to regulate a business like the one above.
• B) Explain how the two-chamber structure of the legislature affects the ability of Congress to exercise the power described in Part A.
• C) If Congress decides to regulate how social media companies gather and use the data of their users, explain how these companies could use the political process to ensure that the new regulation does not negatively affect them.

Source : College Board

For FRQ 2, you will be given relatively current data to interpret. You will be asked to draw conclusions based on patterns or trends you identify in the data and then apply your interpretation of the data in the context of a course concept.

FRQ Example 2

Use the bar graphs to answer the following questions.

• A) Identify the president who had the highest percentage of women and racial/ethnic minorities serving in the Cabinet
• B) Describe a pattern in the percentage of racial and ethnic minorities serving in Cabinet positions.
• C) Draw a conclusion about the political parties and the diversity of Cabinet appointments as shown in the bar graphs.
• D) Explain how interest groups can influence presidential Cabinet appointments as shown in the bar graphs.

For FRQ 3, you will be given a description of a non-required Supreme Court case. The description includes relevant case background information along with some details about the Court’s holding. First, you will identify and describe a course-relevant similarity or difference between the non-required case and a specified required SCOTUS case. Then you will explain the similarity or difference in terms of how it is applied in both cases—this is essentially an exercise in comparing/contrasting. Finally, you will apply a relevant aspect of the non-required case in the context of an essential course concept.

FRQ Example 3

This question requires you to compare a Supreme Court case you studied in class with one you have not studied in class. A summary of the Supreme Court case you did not study in class is presented below and provides all of the information you need to know about this case to answer the prompt.

McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (2013)

Alabama businessman Shaun McCutcheon contributed $33,088 to sixteen different candidates running for federal office in 2012. His donations exceeded the aggregate (total) campaign finance limit established by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002. This law limited the total amount of political contributions that an individual could make in a given two-year election period to federal candidates, federal political action committees, and political parties.

In the subsequent case, McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (2013), the Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that limits on the amount of political contributions established by the BCRA are unconstitutional. The Court held that contributing money to a candidate is an exercise of an individual’s right to participate in the electoral process…. A restriction on how many candidates and committees an individual may support is hardly a modest restraint on those rights. The government may no more restrict how many candidates or causes a donor may support than it may tell a newspaper how many candidates it may endorse.”

• A) Identify the civil liberty that is common in both Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) and McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (2013).
• B) Explain how the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission relates to the reasoning in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission.
• C) Explain how the decision in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission can be used to support the participatory, pluralist, or elite model of democracy.

FRQ 4 is the only FRQ that you must write as an essay, with its successive parts flowing in a logically coherent order. For FRQ 4, you will be given a contextual statement that frames the main issue or topic of your argument, and then you will assert and defend a definitive stance on the topic. Defending your stance requires two pieces of evidence: one must come from a foundational document out of the three options you are given, and the other can come from a different foundational document (even if it’s not one of the listed options) or from a course concept. You must establish a line of reasoning by explaining how your evidence supports your stance, and then you must respond to an opposing or alternate stance you provide.

FRQ Example 4

Environmental regulation is a complex policy area that involves both the states and the federal government. Develop an argument that takes a position on whether the federal government should be primarily responsible for managing environmental policy or if it should be the responsibility of the states.

Use at least one piece of evidence from one of the following foundational documents:

• The Federalist 10
• The Preamble of the United States Constitution

In your response, you should do the following:

• Respond to the prompt with a defensible claim or thesis that establishes a line of reasoning.
• One piece of evidence must come from one of the foundational documents listed above.
• A second piece of evidence can come from any other foundational document not used as your first piece of evidence, or it may be from your knowledge of course concepts.
• Use reasoning to explain why your evidence supports your claim or thesis.
• Respond to an opposing or alternate perspective using refutation, concession, or rebuttal.

How can I practice AP United States Government and Politics free-response questions?

Practicing AP U.S. Gov FRQs is important before the exam, which is usually scheduled on the first day of every AP testing cycle. The more you practice, the more you understand the expectations required to perform well on the FRQs. The College Board site has past-released exams that you can use for AP U.S. Gov FRQ practice with scoring guidelines, student samples, and scoring distributions. Students who understand how to score according to the scoring guidelines tend to perform better on the FRQ portion of the AP exam. To understand how to use the scoring guidelines with your own work, try using them to score a pre-graded student sample, then see if your score matches the one it was actually given. If your score does not match, ask your teacher for support with understanding the scoring guidelines better.

Using an online prep that tests your content knowledge is also a great way to increase your understanding of content and perform better on both sections of the AP Gov exam. UWorld’s AP U.S. Gov question bank can help you learn and review materials effortlessly, so you retain more of what you learn! For each question, there is a mini-lesson that provides content you are expected to understand for the AP exam. Each question has explanations for the correct answer choice, rationales for the wrong answer choice, and a summary of the most important content you need to remember for the exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the ap u.s. gov frq graded.

Section II is graded by high school AP U.S. Gov teachers and college professors who teach intro-level government and politics courses. The College Board provides rubrics that tell scorers what a response must contain in order to earn a point. FRQs are graded on the quality of their ideas and not on the accuracy of grammar, punctuation, or spelling. Handwriting is not factored into the score, and there are specially designated readers available to help read and score essays with challenging handwriting.

How long is the FRQ section on the AP United States Government and Politics exam?

Where can i find released frqs from past ap u.s. gov exams.

You can find released past exam FRQs on the College Board AP website for AP U.S. Gov .

• (2023). AP United States Government and Politics . College Board. Retrieved November 22, 2023, from https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-united-states-government-and-politics
• (2023, Fall). AP United States Government and Politics Course and Exam Description . College Board. Retrieved November 22, 2023, from https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-us-government-and-politics-course-and-exam-description.pdf

Read More About the AP U.S. Government & Politics Exam

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AP US Government and Politics Free Response Strategies

Overview of the ap us government and politics exam.

Every AP U.S. Government and Politics exam will contain the same four free-response question (FRQ) types, always in the following order:

• Concept Application : Apply government and politics concepts to a scenario described in a paragraph.
• Quantitative Analysis : Interpret data from an information graphic, and apply the data to government and politics concepts.
• SCOTUS Comparison : Compare a provided description of a non-required Supreme Court case to a required Supreme Court case.
• Argument Essay : Construct an essay with a thesis, support it with evidence, and respond to a view that opposes the thesis.

AP US Government and Politics Writing Strategies

Step 1: analyze the prompt.

• The stimulus. The first three prompts will all include a stimulus, paragraph(s) or an information graphic that serves as the base of the questions that follow. Whether text or visual, analyze the stimulus just as carefully as you do the questions themselves. Take notes, underline key facts, and mark data trends. Most of the questions will be based directly on information from the stimulus, so it is essential to fully understand the stimulus.
• The content of the questions. Consider exactly what topics the questions address. Underline key terms and requirements. Some prompt parts might ask for more than one item—perhaps a “similarity” and a “conclusion based on the similarity”—so make sure you address them all. Read all the questions before starting work on your responses; often, the questions ask for related information or build upon each other, so understanding the set as a whole will help you plan out your response.
• identify : point out a trend or piece of information
• describe : fully lay out the details of something
• explain : describe something, including why or how factors (e.g., what causes it, why it’s important)
• analyze : explain something, considering multiple perspectives, and assert a claim based on evidence and logic

Step 2: Plan Your Response

• Think about what you will write for each part of each prompt. Jot down brief notes—phrases and/or examples—for each part.
• When asked to describe, discuss , or explain , see if you can come up with an example to help support your response.
• Double check your notes against the prompt to make sure you didn’t skip any required tasks.
• Devote an appropriate amount of time to each part, depending on the complexity of the required task. (Parts that only ask you to identify something will require less time than parts that ask you to explain or describe .)

Step 3: Action! Write Your Response

Step 4: proofread.

Learn more about each free response question on the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam. Concept Application   •  Quantitative Analysis   •  SCOTUS Comparison   •  Argument Essay

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Score Higher on AP US Government 2024: Tips for FRQ 2 (Quantitative Analysis)

4 min read • june 18, 2024

FRQ 2 – Quantitative Analysis

This guide organizes advice from past students who got 4s and 5s on their exams. We hope it gives you some new ideas and tools for your study sessions. But remember, everyone's different—what works for one student might not work for you. If you've got a study method that's doing the trick, stick with it. Think of this as extra help, not a must-do overhaul.

• Students are asked to analyze data from a visual representation and come to a conclusion
• 13% of Exam Score
• Spend about 20 min
• Identifies visual data (1)
• Describes similarity/difference (1)
• Draws conclusion (1)
• Explains political concept (1)

💭 General Advice

Tips on mindset, strategy, structure, time management, and any other high level things to know

• Do not overthink it. This information can stem from what you have learned in the past.
• Focus on the clarity and effectiveness of your response, not creativity/originality.
• For most questions for the Quantitative Analysis section, the answers can be very straightforward and is already given to you, just in the form of data and statistics.
• Make sure you fully answer the question. If it asks you to describe the relationship, write out explicitly what the relationship is, do not just say there is a relationship between X and Y. Responses to questions with “explain” require more sentences than other questions and should be the most detailed to fully address the topic.
• Use numbers or specifics when answering the questions that involve looking at number charts or any of the maps keys.
• Use the language of the prompt, this is very general for any FRQ.

🕐 Before you Write

What should a student do in the first few minutes, before they start writing?

• Before doing anything first, read the question and look for what task verbs they’re using as that further clarifies what the question is truly asking you to do or it’s asking of you.
• In addition to the advice above, it may seem like “explain” and “describe” questions are asking the same thing. However they’re not, the key difference is that an “explain” question is looking for a connection or a comparison or something that needs more explaining than what is provided. For “describe” questions, you will likely use just the information given to you (don’t have to search for outside knowledge!).
• Make small notes next to the questions about what it’s looking for and what you’ll likely want to include.

💡 Tips for Earning Each Point

Identify visual data.

• Usually this question is something you can find by looking at the map or stimulus given. Look for a common fact or what the question is asking for. Spend about 5 to 10 minutes if needed to look at the stimulus.
• When identifying the visual data, state what the numbers are that you see in the visual given! Make sure you are looking at the visual correctly, as sometimes students get mixed up and write the wrong thing down.
• It helps if you look at the broader context of the visual data. For example, if you see that a chart or graph has data from the 1960s, remember and perhaps even write down key events or ideas that took place around that time. This will help you understand why a certain trend may occur, which will allow you to apply the reasoning behind why similarities and differences may occur.

Describe Similarity/Differences

• Make sure you actually write out the similarities and differences. Do not just say X and Y are similar/different.
• When describing the difference or similarity, you should use the numbers from the graph or visual in the question. Explain why this difference/similarity occurs or relate it to other pieces of data.

Draw a Conclusion

• If you tend to over-inference or over-explain to the point where the conclusion is hidden, limit yourself to one or two solid sentences that draw the conclusion and concisely explain why.
• You can think of answering it like this: write one sentence for the conclusion you’re drawing and one sentence explaining why or how that conclusion exists based on the information and evidence given.

Explain Political Concept

• Show the grader that you know the concept and are not just using context clues to guess the meaning by possibly applying the concept to a topic also discussed in U.S Gov.
• Using words like ‘gridlock’ and ‘log rolling’ will make you look more knowledgeable and will show the grader that you actually know what you’re talking about. However, it’ll look even better when you define them, it demonstrates to the graders that you truly know the definition of these terms and aren’t just writing/saying them just to say them.

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