AP European History · Exam guide

AP European History Thesis and Contextualization: Two Points You Can Plan Before You Write

A thesis and contextualization are two of the points on both written essays. One prompt runs through this guide: Evaluate the extent to which the Protestant Reformation changed European politics, 1517 to 1648.

The thesis point

The thesis must make a historically defensible claim that responds to the prompt and sets up a line of reasoning. It cannot restate the prompt or only list topics. It can sit in the introduction or the conclusion.

Does not earn the pointThe Protestant Reformation changed European politics in many ways, including wars and new churches.

It repeats the prompt and lists without claiming.

Earns the pointThe Reformation shifted political power from the Church to the state by giving rulers new control over religion and Church property, but rulers' interests, more than doctrine, decided where Protestantism survived, and the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which settled the wars of religion by compromise, shows that religion had stopped being the main organizing principle of European politics.

It makes a claim about the extent of change, explains the reasoning, and ends with evidence from the end of the period.

Tests for a thesis

Could a reasonable historian argue the opposite?
Does it answer the verb in the prompt?
Does it contain a reason that the body paragraphs can follow?

The contextualization point

Contextualization describes the broader historical situation before, during, or after the period, in more than a phrase.

Does not earn the pointBefore the Reformation the Catholic Church was powerful in Europe.

It is a passing reference, not a description of a situation that explains the topic.

Earns the pointIn the late fifteenth century, the Catholic Church held great wealth and land, collected taxes, and claimed authority over rulers, while many Europeans criticized clergy for corruption. At the same time, monarchs in France, England, and Spain were building stronger central governments and resented outside interference in their kingdoms. The printing press, developed in the 1450s, then made it far easier to spread criticism of the Church. This combination of religious complaint, political ambition, and new technology is the setting for the Reformation's political effects.

It describes the situation before the period and connects it to the thesis.

Where each point lives

Point	Where it goes	How long
Contextualization	The introduction, before the thesis	Three or four sentences
Thesis	The end of the introduction (or the conclusion)	One to three sentences

Common mistakes

A thesis that lists wars and churches without a claim.
Context that retells the topic.
A thesis about religion when the prompt asks about politics.
Stating a new thesis in the conclusion that the paragraphs do not support.

Frequently asked questions

Can the thesis be in the conclusion?

Yes. The rubric accepts it in the introduction or the conclusion.

How long should contextualization be?

More than a phrase. Three or four connected sentences usually does it.

Can I use the same context for the DBQ and the LEQ?

The same skill, but the context must fit the specific prompt.

Is a thesis the same on the DBQ and the LEQ?

The rubric row is the same. The DBQ thesis should also be supported by the documents.

Where can I find the official scoring rules?

Exam formats change a little from year to year, so check the current course and exam description on the College Board site before test day.

Keep practicing

The AP European History course has five practice prompts for the DBQ and LEQ, plus short-answer sets, with a writing space that scores your response against the 7-point and 6-point rubrics. These free lessons also build the skills the free-response section tests:

See the AP European History course Free lessons and lesson list

More AP European History guides (7)

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AP European History Multiple-Choice Guide: 55 Questions in 55 Minutes

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