7 points
DBQ rubric
Thesis, contextualization, evidence from and beyond the documents, sourcing and complexity, for the document-based question.
Free, no sign-up · 2026 scoring guidelines
AP Essay Rubrics:
DBQ, LEQ and AP Lang Scoring Tools
Free scoring tools built on the official 2026 AP rubrics. Pick a rubric, mark each row for every essay, and see which points your class misses most.
AP History rubrics
Shared by AP U.S. History, AP World History: Modern and AP European History.
AP English rubrics
AP English Language and Composition.
How it works
How the scoring tools work
The same three steps for every rubric, from the first essay to the class overview.
01
Pick the rubric
Open the DBQ, LEQ or AP Lang rubric. For AP Lang, choose the synthesis, rhetorical analysis or argument essay.
02
Mark each row
Check the points the essay earns on each row. The score updates, with the list of points the essay missed.
03
See the whole class
Save each essay and move to the next one. The tool shows which rows the class misses most, and copies every score for your gradebook.
Grading a full stack of AP essays?
The scoring tools help you grade one essay at a time. To grade the whole stack, Examino reads typed or handwritten essays and scores every row of the rubric, with a quote from the essay behind each point. Use the AI DBQ grader for DBQs and LEQs, and the AI grader for ELA for AP Lang essays. You review and edit every score before exporting.