AP Exams Key Vocabulary
Essential terms and definitions you must know before exam day.
Key Vocabulary
FRQ
Free-Response Question — written-response section of every AP exam.
DBQ
Document-Based Question — historical sources analyzed to build an argument (AP History exams).
Rubric
Scoring guide AP graders use; published by College Board after each exam year.
Composite score
Weighted combination of MCQ and FRQ raw scores, then converted to 1–5 scale.
Cut score
Threshold raw score for each AP grade (1–5); set by Chief Reader each year.
Vocabulary Study Tips
- 1.Start with the College Board AP Course and Exam Description — it's the official content map.
- 2.Use released past exams from the College Board AP Central — they're the closest to the real test.
- 3.Princeton Review or Barron's prep books are popular and reliable.
- 4.Schedule timed practice tests in the 4 weeks before May.