Format and Rubric Breakdown
In Section II of the Bluebook exam, you have 1 hour and 40 minutes to write both the Document-Based Question (DBQ) and the Long Essay Question (LEQ). College Board recommends spending 40 minutes on the LEQ, which accounts for 15% of your total exam score.
Unlike older versions of the exam that gave you three prompts to choose from, the current exam gives you one required broad prompt covering roughly half of the course chronology (for example, c. 1200 to c. 1800, or c. 1750 to the present). The choice is now built directly into the prompt itself. An introductory statement suggests themes or regions, and the prompt tells you that you may focus on any relevant historical example and do not need to cover the entire time period.
Your essay is graded on a 6-point rubric. Each point is earned independently, except for Complexity, which builds on Historical Reasoning.
| Rubric Category | Points | What Earns the Points |
|---|---|---|
| Thesis / Claim | 1 | A historically defensible claim that answers the prompt and sets out a line of reasoning (the how or why), stated in one place (the introduction or the conclusion). |
| Contextualization | 1 | A description of broader events, developments or processes (before, during or after the prompt’s period) linked to the topic of the essay; a passing phrase is not enough, and 3–4 sentences is a safe length rather than a rule. |
| Evidence | 2 | 1 point: At least two specific historical examples relevant to the topic of the prompt.2 points: At least two specific, relevant examples used to support an argument that answers the prompt. |
| Analysis and Reasoning | 2 | 1 point (Historical Reasoning): Uses comparison, causation, or continuity and change to structure the argument.2 points (Complexity): Shows a complex understanding as part of the argument, through sophisticated argumentation (e.g., multiple causes, both similarities and differences, or nuanced qualification) or by explaining how at least four specific pieces of evidence support a nuanced argument. |