AP U.S. History — Practice Exam 3
Format: Section I — 18 multiple-choice questions · Section II — 1 short-answer question (SAQ) Suggested time: 32 min (MCQ) + 20 min (SAQ) · Coverage: Periods 1–9. (Answers spread A–D.)
Section I — Multiple Choice
1. The Columbian Exchange most transformed Native societies by introducing: A) new diseases that caused massive population loss B) the printing press C) democracy D) the steam engine
2. The headright system in the Chesapeake encouraged: A) manufacturing B) religious freedom C) immigration by granting land D) abolition
3. Salutary neglect contributed to the growth of colonial: A) monarchy B) self-government C) tariffs D) slavery only
4. The Declaration of Independence was grounded in the natural-rights philosophy of: A) Marx B) Hobbes C) Adam Smith D) John Locke
5. The Great Compromise (1787) settled the dispute over: A) legislative representation B) slavery's morality C) the national bank D) tariffs
6. Marbury v. Madison (1803) established: A) states' rights B) federal tariffs C) judicial review D) executive privilege
7. Manifest Destiny was the belief the US should: A) abolish slavery B) expand across the continent C) industrialize the South D) avoid all wars
8. The immediate cause of Southern secession in 1860–61 was the: A) Missouri Compromise B) Dred Scott decision C) Emancipation Proclamation D) election of Lincoln
9. The 14th Amendment is most significant for granting: A) citizenship and equal protection B) women's suffrage C) abolition D) the income tax
10. During the Gilded Age, horizontal integration meant: A) controlling all production stages B) bribing officials C) merging with competitors D) forming unions
11. Progressive reformers most aimed to: A) restore monarchy B) expand slavery C) address industrial-era problems D) end all regulation
12. The US entered World War I partly due to: A) Pearl Harbor B) the Great Depression C) the fall of the Berlin Wall D) unrestricted submarine warfare
13. The New Deal most expanded the role of: A) the federal government in the economy B) state militias C) private charities D) foreign powers
14. The Cold War policy of containment sought to: A) spread communism B) stop the spread of communism C) colonize Asia D) disarm the US
15. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) declared: A) poll taxes legal B) unions illegal C) school segregation unconstitutional D) segregation required
16. The Great Society under LBJ created: A) the New Deal B) NATO C) the Marshall Plan D) Medicare and Medicaid
17. Reaganomics emphasized: A) tax cuts and deregulation B) nationalizing industry C) price controls D) higher tariffs
18. A major economic event of 2007–08 was the: A) dot-com boom B) gold rush C) financial crisis/Great Recession D) oil embargo
Section II — Short Answer Question
SAQ (3 points). Regarding the period 1929–1945: (a) Briefly describe ONE cause of the Great Depression. (1 pt) (b) Briefly explain ONE way the New Deal responded to the Depression. (1 pt) (c) Briefly explain ONE way World War II affected the US economy. (1 pt)
Answer key (Section I)
| Q | Ans | Q | Ans | Q | Ans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | 7 | B | 13 | A |
| 2 | C | 8 | D | 14 | B |
| 3 | B | 9 | A | 15 | C |
| 4 | D | 10 | C | 16 | D |
| 5 | A | 11 | C | 17 | A |
| 6 | C | 12 | D | 18 | C |
Key distribution: A×5, B×3, C×6, D×4.
Reasoning (Section I)
1. (A) Old World diseases devastated Native populations. 2. (C) Headrights granted land to attract settlers. 3. (B) Loose oversight fostered self-government. 4. (D) Locke's natural rights shaped the Declaration. 5. (A) The Great Compromise resolved representation. 6. (C) Marbury established judicial review. 7. (B) Manifest Destiny justified continental expansion. 8. (D) Lincoln's election triggered secession. 9. (A) The 14th granted citizenship/equal protection. 10. (C) Horizontal integration merges competitors. 11. (C) Progressives addressed industrial-era problems. 12. (D) Unrestricted U-boat warfare drew in the US. 13. (A) The New Deal expanded federal economic power. 14. (B) Containment aimed to halt communism. 15. (C) Brown ended school segregation. 16. (D) The Great Society created Medicare/Medicaid. 17. (A) Reaganomics = tax cuts + deregulation. 18. (C) The 2007–08 financial crisis.
SAQ rubric (3 pts)
- (a) (1) e.g. overproduction, stock speculation, the 1929 crash, bank failures, unequal wealth distribution.
- (b) (1) e.g. relief jobs (CCC/WPA), Social Security, banking reform (FDIC), the TVA.
- (c) (1) e.g. war production ended unemployment; women/minorities entered the workforce; massive federal spending/debt; industrial boom.
Pedagogy: SAQs reward specificity — name the program or event (e.g. "the WPA created public-works jobs"), not vague generalities.