Top 200 Vocabulary Word List for Advanced Placement (AP) Exams | Must Know Words for Common Examination Instructions

The 200-word examination instruction list

AP exam instructions tell you what evidence, reasoning or work to put in a response. In AP Biology, justify asks you to connect evidence to a claim. In AP U.S. History, contextualisation connects the specific topic to a broader development. This guide uses those two courses to show how to read the task before answering.

The numbered bank combines commands, task phrases and supporting terms. Use the examples and official sources below to see how an instruction changes the answer you give.

Exam requirements · Worked examples · Fencing Method

AP formats and Biology free response

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
1	Free-response question	Produce your own answer and complete each labelled task.
2	Short-answer question	Answer each required subpart concisely with the evidence or reasoning it calls for.
3	Document-based question	Build an argument using the supplied documents and the evidence required by the rubric.
4	Long essay question	Develop a historical argument with a defensible thesis, context and specific evidence.
5	Stimulus	Use the figure, extract or other material attached to the question.
6	Course and Exam Description	Check College Board’s guide for the named AP course and exam year.
7	Scoring guidelines	Review what the released rubric accepts for each point.
8	Hybrid digital	Check which questions are displayed digitally and which answers go in a paper booklet.
9	Fully digital	Use Bluebook for the tasks and responses as the course directions require.
10	Answer each subpart	Treat each lettered instruction as a separate job.
11	Identify a control	Name the comparison condition relevant to the claim being tested.
12	Predict the outcome	State the expected result in the conditions described.
13	Justify your prediction	Connect your proposed outcome to a mechanism or evidence that makes it plausible.
14	Construct a graph	Set up the axes, scale and labels, then represent the data in the requested form.
15	Plot the data	Place the values on the graph in the correct positions.
16	Identify the independent variable	Name the factor manipulated or selected as input.
17	Identify the dependent variable	Name the outcome that was measured.
18	Sample mean	Use the average of the values in the specified sample.
19	Standard error	Interpret it as uncertainty in an estimated statistic where the question uses that measure.
20	Error bars	Read their meaning from the figure legend before interpreting them.
21	Control treatment	Use the treatment intended to provide a reference comparison.
22	Support the claim	Give evidence that bears on the exact claim in the question.
23	Explain the result	Connect the observation to a biological, historical or other applicable reason.
24	Quantify the change	Give the size of the difference, increase or rate with its unit or percentage.
25	Mechanism	Describe the steps through which an outcome is produced.
26	Experimental design	Use the stated groups, conditions and measurements to judge the experiment.
27	Sample size	Check how many observations or individuals contribute to the result.
28	Repeat the trial	Run the same test again to investigate variation or consistency.

AP U.S. History and course directions

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
29	Defensible thesis	Make a claim that answers the prompt and can be supported with historical evidence.
30	Line of reasoning	Make the connection between the thesis, evidence and supporting ideas visible.
31	Contextualisation	Explain how a broader historical development relates to the question.
32	Primary source	Use evidence created in or directly connected to the period or events under study.
33	Secondary source	Use an analysis or interpretation produced after or about the events.
34	Intended audience	Identify whom a document addresses and why that audience matters to the argument.
35	Historical situation	Explain the relevant circumstances in which the source was produced.
36	Point of view	Identify the standpoint influencing how the source presents events.
37	Sourcing	Explain how a source feature matters to the argument when the rubric calls for it.
38	Evidence beyond the documents	Use a specific historical example not supplied by the documents when the rubric requires it.
39	Specific historical evidence	Name a relevant event, law, group or development and connect it to the claim.
40	Corroborate	Compare sources to see where one supports another’s account.
41	Contradict	Show where two claims or pieces of evidence are incompatible.
42	Causation	Explain how or why one development contributed to another.
43	Continuity	Identify a feature that persisted over the stated period.
44	Change over time	Explain what shifted across the named years and how it shifted.
45	Periodisation	Use meaningful boundaries to organise the development across time.
46	Historical comparison	Use the same criteria to compare the specified cases.
47	Qualification	Limit or refine a claim where the evidence supports a more precise position.
48	Counterargument	Present and address a plausible competing interpretation.
49	Chronological scope	Stay within the dates named in the prompt except where broader context is relevant.
50	Explain one way	Give one specific example and show how it meets the stated condition.
51	Support an argument	Connect the example or document to a reason for accepting the claim.
52	College credit policy	Check how a particular college uses scores for the named AP exam.
53	Released free responses	Use College Board’s published examples and scoring guidance for practice.
54	Exam year	Match your practice and rubric to the year in which you will sit the course exam.

Evidence, reasoning and experimental data

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
55	Hypothesis	State a testable prediction about a relationship.
56	Research question	Specify the focused question that the investigation will answer.
57	Variable	Identify a quantity or feature that can change.
58	Independent variable	Identify the factor changed or selected as the input.
59	Dependent variable	Identify the outcome measured or modelled.
60	Controlled variable	Identify a factor kept constant to help isolate the tested relationship.
61	Raw data	Use the measurements as originally collected.
62	Processed data	Use values calculated, combined or transformed from the original readings.
63	Uncertainty	State or interpret the estimated doubt associated with a measurement or value.
64	Absolute uncertainty	Express the estimated uncertainty in the same units as the quantity.
65	Percentage uncertainty	Express the uncertainty relative to the measured value as a percentage.
66	Outlier	Identify an observation unusually far from the general pattern.
67	Anomalous result	Recognise a result inconsistent with the main pattern or expected relationship.
68	Reliability	Consider whether a result or method gives consistent findings.
69	Validity	Consider whether the evidence or method answers the intended question.
70	Precision	Consider the consistency or resolution of the stated measurements.
71	Accuracy	Consider closeness to a suitable reference value.
72	Resolution	Identify the smallest change that the device or scale can display.
73	Repeatability	Consider agreement when the same method is repeated under the same conditions.
74	Reproducibility	Consider whether results agree when the method is repeated under changed conditions.
75	Limitations	Identify specific boundaries on the conclusions that the method can support.
76	Strengths	Explain features that make the evidence or method fit the purpose.
77	Improvement	Connect a specific modification to the problem it would address.
78	Correlation	Describe how variables vary together within the data.
79	Confounding factor	Identify a factor that could contribute to the apparent relationship.
80	Representative sample	Check whether the selected cases reflect the population of interest.
81	Random sampling	Use a selection process that assigns known selection chances by chance.
82	Model	Use a simplified mathematical or conceptual representation to address the task.
83	Parameter	Identify a quantity that sets a feature of the model.
84	Domain	Give the set of allowed input values in the context.
85	Boundary condition	Identify a requirement at an endpoint or boundary.
86	Interpolate	Estimate within the range covered by the data.
87	Extrapolate	Estimate outside the observed range using an assumed pattern.
88	Fit	Judge how closely a model agrees with the data.
89	Residual	Find the observed value minus the model’s predicted value.
90	Rate of change	Find the change in one quantity per unit change in another.
91	Exact form	Retain the full mathematical value in the requested representation.
92	Approximation	Give a suitably rounded or estimated value.
93	In terms of	Use the specified quantity or symbol in the final expression.
94	Significant figures	Give the requested number of meaningful digits.
95	Decimal places	Give the requested number of digits to the right of the decimal point.
96	Deductive reasoning	Show how a conclusion follows from premises or prior results.
97	Counterexample	Give one valid case that disproves a general claim.
98	Counterclaim	Present a plausible position that challenges the claim.
99	Origin	Identify where a source comes from or who produced it.
100	Purpose	Identify why a text, study or source was produced.
101	Value	Explain what makes the material useful for the specific enquiry.
102	Perspective	Explain the viewpoint from which a claim or event is presented.
103	Bias	Identify a systematic leaning and explain how it may shape the evidence.
104	Implication	Explain what would follow if the claim or finding holds.
105	Extent	State the degree to which the evidence supports the point.
106	Criterion-based judgment	Apply a named standard and explain how the evidence meets it.
107	Synthesis	Combine related evidence into one coherent understanding.
108	Textual evidence	Use a specific passage detail to support your interpretation.
109	Close reading	Link precise features of language, structure or form to meaning.
110	Technique	Identify the method a writer or speaker uses and explain its effect when asked.
111	Effect	Explain what changes or what impression a choice creates in context.
112	Compare both	Keep each named text, case or object visible across the same comparison points.
113	With reference to	Tie each important point to the specified material.
114	With examples	Support the answer with concrete cases from the appropriate material.
115	Two reasons	Give two distinct explanations for the relevant result.
116	Data booklet	Use course reference materials where the exam provides them.
117	Question booklet	Check the course format for where to find the question and where to record the answer.
118	Answer booklet	For a hybrid free response, write in the designated paper booklet at the matching question and subpart.
119	Subpart	Treat each separately lettered or numbered question as its own instruction.
120	Anomaly	Pick out a reading that departs from the general pattern.
121	Control variable	Identify what should be kept constant for a fair comparison.
122	Control group	Identify the comparison group used as a baseline.
123	Repeat	Perform the measurement or procedure again.
124	Fair test	Change the factor being tested while controlling other relevant factors.

Core commands, sources and format

No.	Instruction or term	What it asks you to do
125	Recognise	Find a familiar feature in a new example.
126	Identify	Name or pick out the item the question specifies.
127	Select	Choose only the number of options requested.
128	Match	Pair each item with the option that corresponds to it.
129	Complete	Fill in what is missing while keeping the supplied structure.
130	Label	Attach the correct name to the indicated part.
131	Locate	Find the specified detail, point or region.
132	Indicate	Make the chosen feature or answer clear.
133	Record	Write the result in the space and form provided.
134	Answer	Respond directly to the question being asked.
135	Give	Supply the requested fact, example or result.
136	State	Express the required point directly and clearly.
137	Name	Supply the correct term, person or item.
138	List	Set out the requested items separately.
139	Define	Give the precise meaning used in the subject or question.
140	Describe	Report the relevant characteristics, events or pattern.
141	Outline	Give the main steps or points in brief.
142	Summarise	Select the central points and leave out minor details.
143	Explain	Connect the result to its cause, mechanism or reasoning.
144	Compare	Set the items side by side on the same relevant feature.
145	Contrast	Show how the items differ on a shared point of comparison.
146	Analyse	Break down the evidence and explain how its parts relate.
147	Interpret	Say what a statement, result or display means in context.
148	Infer	Use clues to reach a conclusion the material implies.
149	Predict	Use available evidence to say what is likely to happen.
150	Suggest	Offer a plausible answer suited to the information given.
151	Justify	Give evidence for the claim and explain how that evidence supports, qualifies or defends it.
152	Evaluate	Weigh relevant evidence or criteria before reaching a judgment.
153	Assess	Judge the extent, value or strength of something using evidence.
154	Discuss	Develop a structured response that considers the relevant issues.
155	Distinguish	Give the feature that lets the reader tell two things apart.
156	Support	Supply evidence that helps establish the claim.
157	Illustrate	Make an idea clear with a relevant example or diagram.
158	Demonstrate	Show how a fact, process or result can be established.
159	Determine	Work from the given information to establish an answer.
160	Calculate	Use numbers or other given information to work out a result.
161	Estimate	Find an approximate answer using the available clues.
162	Check	Test the answer against the original instruction or condition.
163	Arrange	Put items into the order or grouping requested.
164	Sequence	Put stages into a meaningful order.
165	Classify	Assign each item to a category using the stated rule.
166	Group	Put items with a shared feature together.
167	Order	Sort items by the criterion given in the prompt.
168	Omit	Leave out the indicated item or detail.
169	Include	Make sure the requested part appears in the response.
170	Exclude	Keep the named item or category outside your answer.
171	Refer to	Use the specified passage, figure or notes when responding.
172	Based on	Ground the answer in the material named in the question.
173	According to	Use what the specified source says.
174	In context	Use the meaning that fits this passage or situation.
175	Most likely	Choose the conclusion with the strongest support among the options.
176	Best supported	Prefer the conclusion backed most directly by the evidence.
177	Explicit	Stated directly in the source.
178	Implicit	Suggested by the source and recoverable from clues.
179	Evidence	A fact, detail or observation that supports a claim.
180	Claim	An assertion that can be tested against evidence or reasoning.
181	Example	A particular case used to make a general idea clear.
182	Conclusion	The result reached after considering the reasoning or evidence.
183	Assumption	A premise taken as given for the purpose of the question.
184	Condition	A requirement that must be satisfied.
185	Constraint	A restriction that shapes the possible answers.
186	Criterion	A standard used to choose or judge an answer.
187	Context	The surrounding information that helps determine meaning.
188	Source	The particular text, figure, notes or data supplied for use.
189	Passage	A stretch of text provided for reading and answering questions.
190	Statement	A complete assertion to examine or respond to.
191	Option	One of the choices the question offers.
192	Section	A group of questions or tasks within a test.
193	Figure	A numbered graph, image or diagram referred to in the task.
194	Table	Information arranged in rows and columns.
195	Graph	A visual display of data or a mathematical relationship.
196	Diagram	A drawing showing features, structure or relationships.
197	Trend	The broad direction or pattern over a range.
198	Pattern	A regularity visible across observations or examples.
199	Scale	The intervals or measurement relationship used in a display.
200	Unit	The standard attached to a measurement, such as minutes or metres.

What the examination requires

Use the guide for your AP course and exam year

Advanced Placement is a U.S.-based programme with exams also taken internationally. Each AP course has its own Course and Exam Description, exam format and scoring guidance. Use the official materials for the course you entered. Check the receiving college’s own policy for how it uses scores.

AP Biology uses a hybrid digital format

College Board says students complete multiple-choice questions in Bluebook, see free-response prompts there and handwrite their free-response answers in a paper booklet. The free-response section contains two long and four short questions. Practise reading the whole prompt on screen, then identifying the matching question and subpart in the booklet.

AP U.S. History changes beginning May 2027

The May 2027 format requires all three short-answer questions, each with source material. There is one required long essay question. The document-based question stays in the exam and can draw on a wider chronological range. Use the current official update and course guide alongside released scoring materials, especially if you learnt the older question-choice format.

Use each verb to decide what the scorer can see

An identification usually needs a clear term or item. An explanation links it to a reason or mechanism. A justification pairs evidence with reasoning. For history, check whether a task asks you to explain how a source’s origin, audience, purpose or situation matters to your argument. For Biology, look for the particular treatment, measured result or model the prompt names.

• Read the complete prompt and mark the required action.
• Check the source, data or part of the question the action applies to.
• Give the requested response in the stated form.

Worked examples of common examination instructions

These original practice examples show the work each instruction calls for.

Identify a control and explain its function

In an invented experiment, seedlings are given identical water and light. One group receives a mineral solution, and the other receives the same volume of the solvent without minerals. Identify the control. The solvent-only group provides the comparison. Explain the value of the control. It helps separate the effect of the minerals from any effect of receiving the solvent.

Predict and justify using a mechanism

Suppose a membrane protein helps glucose move down a concentration gradient and a treatment blocks it. Predict that the initial rate of glucose movement through that pathway will decrease. Justify by explaining that fewer functional transport proteins are available. Keep the conclusion within the named pathway, because other routes are outside the information supplied.

Use sourcing to support a historical claim

Imagine an 1890 city official’s speech arguing for improved sanitation. Its audience is local taxpayers. Identifying taxpayers is the first step. Explaining that the speaker appeals to lower public costs to persuade that audience shows how the source supports a claim about the arguments officials used to secure reform.

Connect context to the specific issue

If a practice question asks about urban reform in the late nineteenth century, a relevant context is rapid urban growth as industrial jobs drew workers into cities. Make the connection explicit by explaining how crowding and strained infrastructure helped make sanitation and housing concerns urgent. A detached list of events gives the reader no connection to judge.

Use the Fencing Method to practise instructions

Start with one accurate sentence. Add a precise detail, then add the link the instruction asks for. Use a fresh example at the end to see whether you can perform the same action without relying on the original wording.

1. The control received no minerals.
2. The control received the same volume of solvent without minerals.
3. The control received the same volume of solvent without minerals, so the groups can be compared while holding solvent volume constant.
4. Apply the same progression to a historical source. Name its audience, add the author’s purpose and link that purpose to the claim you are supporting.

Read the eduKate Fencing Method for Vocabulary.

Practise and check your answers

Use the released scoring guidance

After answering a released free-response question, underline the part of your work that corresponds to each requested job. Compare those parts with the scoring guidance. When you find an uncovered point, rewrite the smallest missing piece, such as a mechanism, connection to context or specific piece of evidence.

Practise how you will record the answer

For a hybrid Biology practice, read the prompt in one place and write the labelled answers in another. For History, practise arranging evidence by the points it supports. Keep a short record of whether a missed point came from subject knowledge, missing reasoning or answering a neighbouring subpart.

Practice 1. The data say mean growth was 12 mm with treatment A and 9 mm with treatment B. How would you quantify the difference?

Treatment A’s mean growth was 3 mm greater than treatment B’s.

Practice 2. An essay prompt asks for one change and one continuity over a named period. What must appear?

Give one feature that changed and one that persisted. State the relevant time span and support each with a specific example.

Practice 3. Why is naming a source’s author insufficient when the prompt asks you to explain the significance of point of view?

Explain how the author’s position helps account for the perspective in the source, then link that perspective to the particular argument.

Practice 4. A Biology subpart asks you to justify a prediction. What should your revision check for?

Check that the prediction, supporting principle or data and the reason they connect are all visible.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a single AP command-word list for all subjects?

Use the Course and Exam Description and released scoring guidelines for your subject. This study list includes common terms and examples from two courses.

Can I use older AP U.S. History papers?

Older papers can help you practise skills and review scoring. Use current instructions to rehearse the May 2027 question choices and source formats.

Do all AP free responses use paper booklets?

Check the course’s current format. AP Biology is hybrid digital, and procedures differ across courses.

Official exam sources and next reading

• AP Biology exam format
• AP Biology Course and Exam Description
• AP U.S. History course
• AP History exam updates for May 2027

Related guide in this series · Digital SAT instructions

Read eduKateSG’s 200-word vocabulary guide for more ways to group and practise vocabulary.

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