Ask an Expert, Part 3 - Are There Any Strategies for the Contextualization Point?

Ask an Expert, Part 3 - Are There Any Strategies for the Contextualization Point?

Tony’s back for Part 3 of our “Ask an Expert” series to discuss the contextualization point, why it can be problematic for students (about 1 in 5 AP World students earned the point on the 2019 exam), and how/when to earn the point in your DBQ response on the 2020 exam.

Tony literally wrote the book (several of them, actually - shown below) on how to write a DBQ response. Wanna know more about what makes him an expert? Check out his full bio here.

If you have any AP history questions of your own that you'd like to see Tony answer, feel free to send them to us at hello@sherpalearning.com.

Free Practice DBQs

Authors Tony Maccarella and Mike Henry have modified some of the DBQs from Mastering the Essay and Threads of History to align with the 2020 exam format!

AP European History DBQs
AP U.S. History DBQs
Back to blog

Best Sellers

Shop All Products
Shop All Products

Recently added blog posts

Winning the Sourcing Point: Synthesis and Analysis in AP History (Part 3)

Winning the Sourcing Point: Synthesis and Analy...

Mar 12, 2026

Master the most challenging points on the AP® History rubric by bridging rhetorical and historical analysis to achieve the sophisticated document sourcing and argument synthesis required for top-tier exam scores.

Mar 12, 2026

Winning the Sourcing Point: Synthesis and Analysis in AP History (Part 3)

Master the most challenging points on the AP® History rubric by bridging rhetorical and historical analysis to achieve the sophisticated document sourcing and argument synthesis required for top-tier exam scores.

Read more
Winning the Complexity Point: Using Evidence in AP History (Part 2)

Winning the Complexity Point: Using Evidence in...

Mar 10, 2026

Learn how to master the elusive Complexity point by transforming primary source evidence into a cohesive historical conversation using proven instructional strategies from veteran AP Exam Readers.

Mar 10, 2026

Winning the Complexity Point: Using Evidence in AP History (Part 2)

Learn how to master the elusive Complexity point by transforming primary source evidence into a cohesive historical conversation using proven instructional strategies from veteran AP Exam Readers.

Read more
Mastering the DBQ: How Inquiry Drives Better Writing (Part 1)

Mastering the DBQ: How Inquiry Drives Better Wr...

Mar 04, 2026

Discover how to move students beyond a "flashcard mentality" by using historical inquiry and precise definitions to build the sophisticated lines of reasoning required for AP® History DBQ and LEQ...

Mar 04, 2026

Mastering the DBQ: How Inquiry Drives Better Writing (Part 1)

Discover how to move students beyond a "flashcard mentality" by using historical inquiry and precise definitions to build the sophisticated lines of reasoning required for AP® History DBQ and LEQ success.

Read more