Everything below prints as one AP AP African American Studies practice paper set: papers A & B with their answer keys, plus the full-length study package exam. Use the Download PDF / Print button (or Cmd/Ctrl+P) to save it.
Paper A
AP African American Studies — Practice Paper A
Original unofficial practice questions · paper A · answer key on the last page
Total time: see section headers · No guessing penalty
| Section | Questions | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Section I: Multiple Choice | ||
| Section IB: Project Validation Question | ||
| Section II: Free Response | ||
| Individual Student Project |
Section I — Multiple Choice
The antebellum 'peculiar institution' refers to
A. slaveryB. sharecroppingC. jim crowD. tenancyReconstruction officially followed the
A. Civil WarB. RevolutionC. War of 1812D. Spanish-American WarJim Crow laws imposed
A. segregationB. integrationC. free laborD. land reformThe Harlem Renaissance celebrated
A. Black arts and cultureB. colonialismC. prohibitionD. immigrationDu Bois argued for
A. civil rights and higher educationB. separate developmentC. emigrationD. wage slaveryThe Civil Rights Movement's legal turning point was
A. Brown v. Board (1954)B. Plessy v. FergusonC. Dred ScottD. Plessy reversal'Forty acres and a mule' relates to
A. Reconstruction land promisesB. sharecroppingC. the Great MigrationD. reparations todayThe Great Migration was to escape
A. Jim Crow and seek jobsB. the Depression onlyC. warD. droughtBlack Wall Street refers to
A. Tulsa's Greenwood DistrictB. a bankC. a cotton millD. Harlem's clubsRedlining was a practice that
A. denied loans in Black neighborhoodsB. funded schoolsC. hired workersD. built highwaysSection II — Free Response
Explain how the Great Migration both responded to and reshaped American society, using two examples.
6 points · rubric: Push/pull 3 pts, effects 3 pts.
Analyze the relationship between Black artistic movements (e.g., the Harlem Renaissance or hip-hop) and social change in the US.
6 points · rubric: Movement 2 pts, art x social link 3 pts, example 1 pt.
Answer Key
1. slavery — Slavery in the South.
2. Civil War — Post-1865 era.
3. segregation — Legal racial separation.
4. Black arts and culture — 1920s cultural flowering.
5. civil rights and higher education — The Talented Tenth.
6. Brown v. Board (1954) — Desegregation ruling.
7. Reconstruction land promises — Freedmen's promise.
8. Jim Crow and seek jobs — Push-and-pull factors.
9. Tulsa's Greenwood District — Prosperous Black district.
10. denied loans in Black neighborhoods — Housing discrimination.
Free response — rubric notes
1. Push/pull 3 pts, effects 3 pts. · model: Responded to violence and economic exploitation; reshaped by building urban Black communities, fueling the Harlem Renaissance and northern civil rights organizing.
2. Movement 2 pts, art x social link 3 pts, example 1 pt. · model: Art and music gave voice and dignity, challenged stereotypes, and mobilized audiences; hip-hop documented inequality and shaped political consciousness.
Paper B
AP African American Studies — Practice Paper B
Original unofficial practice questions · paper B · answer key on the last page
Total time: see section headers · No guessing penalty
| Section | Questions | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Section I: Multiple Choice | ||
| Section IB: Project Validation Question | ||
| Section II: Free Response | ||
| Individual Student Project |
Section I — Multiple Choice
The antebellum 'peculiar institution' refers to
A. tenancyB. sharecroppingC. slaveryD. jim crowReconstruction officially followed the
A. RevolutionB. War of 1812C. Spanish-American WarD. Civil WarJim Crow laws imposed
A. integrationB. segregationC. land reformD. free laborThe Harlem Renaissance celebrated
A. immigrationB. prohibitionC. Black arts and cultureD. colonialismDu Bois argued for
A. emigrationB. civil rights and higher educationC. separate developmentD. wage slaveryThe Civil Rights Movement's legal turning point was
A. Dred ScottB. Plessy reversalC. Brown v. Board (1954)D. Plessy v. Ferguson'Forty acres and a mule' relates to
A. sharecroppingB. reparations todayC. the Great MigrationD. Reconstruction land promisesThe Great Migration was to escape
A. droughtB. Jim Crow and seek jobsC. warD. the Depression onlyBlack Wall Street refers to
A. a bankB. a cotton millC. Tulsa's Greenwood DistrictD. Harlem's clubsRedlining was a practice that
A. funded schoolsB. built highwaysC. hired workersD. denied loans in Black neighborhoodsSection II — Free Response
Explain how the Great Migration both responded to and reshaped American society, using two examples.
6 points · rubric: Push/pull 3 pts, effects 3 pts.
Analyze the relationship between Black artistic movements (e.g., the Harlem Renaissance or hip-hop) and social change in the US.
6 points · rubric: Movement 2 pts, art x social link 3 pts, example 1 pt.
Answer Key
1. slavery — Slavery in the South.
2. Civil War — Post-1865 era.
3. segregation — Legal racial separation.
4. Black arts and culture — 1920s cultural flowering.
5. civil rights and higher education — The Talented Tenth.
6. Brown v. Board (1954) — Desegregation ruling.
7. Reconstruction land promises — Freedmen's promise.
8. Jim Crow and seek jobs — Push-and-pull factors.
9. Tulsa's Greenwood District — Prosperous Black district.
10. denied loans in Black neighborhoods — Housing discrimination.
Free response — rubric notes
1. Push/pull 3 pts, effects 3 pts. · model: Responded to violence and economic exploitation; reshaped by building urban Black communities, fueling the Harlem Renaissance and northern civil rights organizing.
2. Movement 2 pts, art x social link 3 pts, example 1 pt. · model: Art and music gave voice and dignity, challenged stereotypes, and mobilized audiences; hip-hop documented inequality and shaped political consciousness.