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100+ Free AP World History: Modern Practice Questions

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The Meiji Restoration in Japan (beginning 1868) is best characterized as

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Key Facts: AP World History: Modern Exam

55

multiple-choice questions in 55 minutes (40% of the score)

College Board AP Central

9

units covering world history from c. 1200 CE to the present

College Board CED

3h 15m

total testing time across Sections I and II

College Board AP Central

1-5

AP score scale; 3 or higher typically earns college credit

College Board

25%

share of the score from the document-based question (DBQ)

College Board AP Central

$99

standard US AP exam fee for 2025-26, with fee reductions available

College Board

The AP World History: Modern exam has 55 multiple-choice questions answered in 55 minutes (40% of the score), plus 3 short-answer questions (40 minutes, 20%), 1 document-based question (about 1 hour with a 15-minute reading period, 25%), and 1 long essay question (about 40 minutes, 15%). Total testing time is roughly 3 hours 15 minutes. Multiple-choice questions come in sets of 3-4 anchored to a primary or secondary source, image, map, or chart spanning c. 1200 CE to the present. The exam is scored 1-5, and a score of 3 or higher typically earns college credit (source: College Board, AP Central).

Sample AP World History: Modern Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your AP World History: Modern exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which technological and agricultural development most directly enabled the population growth of Song Dynasty China (c. 960-1279)?
A.The introduction of maize from the Americas
B.The invention of the heavy iron plow by the Mongols
C.The adoption of fast-ripening Champa rice from Southeast Asia
D.The collapse of the Grand Canal trade network
Explanation: Champa rice, imported from the Champa kingdom in Southeast Asia, ripened quickly and allowed two harvests per year, dramatically increasing food supply and fueling Song China's population growth and urbanization. This is a classic Unit 1 example of agricultural innovation driving demographic change.
2The spread of Neo-Confucianism during the Song Dynasty is best understood as a synthesis of Confucian thought with which other belief systems?
A.Christianity and Judaism
B.Shinto and Legalism
C.Islam and Zoroastrianism
D.Buddhism and Daoism
Explanation: Neo-Confucianism blended traditional Confucian ethics and social hierarchy with metaphysical and spiritual elements drawn from Buddhism and Daoism. It became the dominant ideology of Song China and reinforced filial piety and the civil-service ideal.
3Which feature of Islamic civilization (Dar al-Islam) around 1200-1450 best illustrates the preservation and transfer of knowledge across cultures?
A.Scholars in centers like Baghdad translating and expanding Greek, Persian, and Indian works
B.The destruction of Greek and Roman texts to promote new learning
C.A complete rejection of mathematics in favor of poetry
D.The prohibition of trade with non-Muslim regions
Explanation: Muslim scholars translated, preserved, and built on Greek, Persian, and Indian texts in fields such as mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. This intellectual flourishing, centered in cities like Baghdad and Cordoba, later helped transmit classical knowledge to Europe.
4The Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526) is significant in South Asian history primarily because it
A.established Buddhism as the dominant religion of India
B.introduced and spread Islamic rule and culture across northern India
C.ended all contact between India and the Indian Ocean trade
D.unified the entire Indian subcontinent under a single Hindu monarchy
Explanation: The Delhi Sultanate was a series of Muslim dynasties that brought Islamic political rule, architecture, and culture to northern India, increasing interaction between Hindu and Muslim traditions. It marks a major spread of Islam into South Asia.
5Which statement best describes the political organization of the Aztec (Mexica) Empire before 1450?
A.A decentralized confederation with no tribute system
B.A maritime empire dependent on Atlantic trade with Europe
C.A tribute empire centered on Tenochtitlan that demanded goods and labor from conquered peoples
D.A nomadic society with no permanent urban centers
Explanation: The Aztec Empire was organized around the capital Tenochtitlan and relied on a tribute system, extracting goods, labor, and sacrificial captives from conquered city-states. This tribute structure financed the state and its religious practices.
6The Inca Empire managed its large mountainous territory most effectively through which administrative system?
A.A written alphabet borrowed from Mesoamerica
B.Private ownership of all farmland by individual peasants
C.Reliance on horse cavalry for rapid communication
D.The mit'a labor system and an extensive network of roads and storehouses
Explanation: The Inca used the mit'a, a mandatory labor tax, to build roads, terraces, and storehouses, and they kept records with quipu (knotted cords). An extensive road network linked the empire and allowed efficient movement of goods and messengers.
7Feudalism and manorialism in medieval Europe (c. 1200-1450) are best characterized as
A.a decentralized system of mutual obligations between lords and vassals tied to land
B.a centralized bureaucratic empire ruled from a single capital
C.a maritime trading network controlled by merchant guilds
D.a theocratic state in which the pope directly governed all kingdoms
Explanation: European feudalism was a decentralized political and military system based on reciprocal obligations between lords and vassals, while manorialism organized the agricultural economy around self-sufficient estates worked by serfs. Both reflected the fragmentation of central authority after Rome.
8Which African state of the period c. 1200-1450 grew wealthy by controlling trans-Saharan trade in gold and salt and is associated with the famous ruler Mansa Musa?
A.The Kingdom of Aksum
B.The Mali Empire
C.Great Zimbabwe
D.The Swahili city-state of Kilwa
Explanation: The Mali Empire dominated West African trans-Saharan trade in gold and salt and reached its height under Mansa Musa, whose 1324 pilgrimage to Mecca displayed Mali's enormous wealth. Mali also became a center of Islamic learning at Timbuktu.
9The Swahili city-states along the East African coast developed a distinctive culture primarily as a result of
A.isolation from all outside contact
B.conquest by the Mongol Empire
C.participation in Indian Ocean trade and interaction with Arab and Persian merchants
D.the trans-Atlantic slave trade with Europe
Explanation: Swahili city-states such as Kilwa and Mombasa thrived on Indian Ocean trade, exchanging gold, ivory, and slaves for goods from Arabia, Persia, India, and China. This commerce produced the Swahili language and culture, blending Bantu and Arab-Islamic influences.
10The Silk Roads during the period c. 1200-1450 are best described as
A.a single paved highway connecting Rome and China
B.exclusively a maritime route through the Indian Ocean
C.a series of canals built by the Mongols across Europe
D.a network of overland trade routes linking East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe
Explanation: The Silk Roads were a network of interconnected overland routes across Eurasia that carried luxury goods such as silk, porcelain, and spices, as well as religions, technologies, and disease. Mongol unification in the 13th century lowered the risks of travel and increased exchange.

About the AP World History: Modern Exam

AP World History: Modern is a College Board course and exam covering world history from c. 1200 CE to the present across nine units. The exam has a multiple-choice section of 55 questions (40% of the score), three short-answer questions (20%), one document-based question (25%), and one long essay (15%), for a total testing time of about 3 hours 15 minutes. It is scored on the AP 1-5 scale.

Questions

55 scored questions

Time Limit

3 hours 15 minutes

Passing Score

Scored 1-5; a 3 or higher typically earns college credit

Exam Fee

$99 (College Board)

AP World History: Modern Exam Content Outline

8-10%

Unit 1: The Global Tapestry (c. 1200-1450)

State building and belief systems across Afro-Eurasia and the Americas before 1450, including Song China and Dar al-Islam.

8-10%

Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (c. 1200-1450)

Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and trans-Saharan trade, the Mongol Empire, and the diffusion of goods, ideas, and disease.

12-15%

Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (c. 1450-1750)

The Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, and Ming/Qing gunpowder empires and how they expanded and legitimized rule.

12-15%

Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections (c. 1450-1750)

European maritime exploration, the Columbian Exchange, the Atlantic slave trade, and mercantilist economies.

12-15%

Unit 5: Revolutions (c. 1750-1900)

Enlightenment thought, Atlantic revolutions, nationalism, and the rise of the Industrial Revolution.

12-15%

Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization (c. 1750-1900)

Imperialism, economic imperialism, migration, and the social effects of industrial society.

8-10%

Unit 7: Global Conflict (c. 1900-present)

World War I and World War II, total war, mass atrocities, and the decline of empires.

8-10%

Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization (c. 1900-present)

The Cold War, decolonization, newly independent states, and superpower proxy conflicts.

8-10%

Unit 9: Globalization (c. 1900-present)

Technological change, global economic integration, human rights, and environmental and demographic shifts.

How to Pass the AP World History: Modern Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Scored 1-5; a 3 or higher typically earns college credit
  • Exam length: 55 questions
  • Time limit: 3 hours 15 minutes
  • Exam fee: $99

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

AP World History: Modern Study Tips from Top Performers

1Learn the time spans of each unit (c. 1200-1450, 1450-1750, 1750-1900, and 1900-present) so you can place any stimulus in the correct era quickly.
2Practice the historical reasoning skills - causation, comparison, and continuity and change over time - because the multiple-choice questions test analysis, not just memorized facts.
3For each stimulus, identify the source's point of view, purpose, audience, and historical situation before answering the set.
4Build comparative charts across regions (e.g., how the Ottoman, Mughal, and Qing empires legitimized power) to handle comparison questions.
5Time yourself at roughly one minute per multiple-choice question and a few minutes per short-answer task to match the real pacing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the AP World History: Modern exam and how long is it?

The exam has 55 multiple-choice questions answered in 55 minutes, 3 short-answer questions in 40 minutes, 1 document-based question, and 1 long essay. Total testing time is about 3 hours 15 minutes.

What time period does AP World History: Modern cover?

The course covers world history from c. 1200 CE to the present, organized into nine units from The Global Tapestry through Globalization.

How is the AP World History: Modern exam scored?

It is scored on the AP 1-5 scale. The multiple-choice section is 40% of the score, short-answer 20%, the document-based question 25%, and the long essay 15%. A score of 3 or higher typically earns college credit.

What do the multiple-choice questions look like?

Multiple-choice questions appear in sets of 3-4 anchored to a stimulus such as a primary or secondary source, image, map, or chart. They emphasize historical reasoning skills like causation, comparison, and continuity and change over time.

How much does the AP World History: Modern exam cost?

The standard AP exam fee in the United States is about $99 for 2025-26. Fee reductions are available for eligible students, and schools may charge additional fees.

What are the historical thinking skills tested on the exam?

The exam tests reasoning skills including developments and processes, sourcing and situation, claims and evidence in sources, contextualization, making connections (comparison, causation, continuity and change), and argumentation.