AP World History: Modern — What the Course Covers
A map of all nine AP World History: Modern units, their time periods, and which four carry the most exam weight.
AP® World History: Modern covers roughly 800 years of global history — from about 1200 CE to the present. That's a lot of ground, so the course breaks it into nine units, each covering a specific time period. This lesson is a map of the whole course before you dive into any one unit.
The nine units, in order
| Unit | Time period | Exam weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Global Tapestry | c. 1200–1450 | 8–10% |
| 2. Networks of Exchange | c. 1200–1450 | 8–10% |
| 3. Land-Based Empires | c. 1450–1750 | 12–15% |
| 4. Transoceanic Interconnections | c. 1450–1750 | 12–15% |
| 5. Revolutions | c. 1750–1900 | 12–15% |
| 6. Consequences of Industrialization | c. 1750–1900 | 12–15% |
| 7. Global Conflict | c. 1900–present | 8–10% |
| 8. Cold War and Decolonization | c. 1900–present | 8–10% |
| 9. Globalization | c. 1900–present | 8–10% |
Units 3–6 carry the most weight
Notice that Units 3 through 6 are each worth 12–15% — together that's 48–60% of the multiple-choice section, more than the other five units combined. These four units cover 1450–1900: the era of land-based and maritime empires, the beginnings of a truly global economy, and the political and industrial revolutions that reshaped it. If your study time is limited, this is where it counts most.
What this lesson series is — and isn't
These lessons build background knowledge and vocabulary for each unit — the people, places, and cause-and-effect chains you need to recognize on sight. They are not a substitute for the free-response portion of the exam (SAQ, DBQ, LEQ), which is about 60% of your score and requires practiced essay-writing skill your teacher or a writing tutor is better positioned to develop. Think of this series as the reading and recall foundation underneath that skill.
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