Document based questions can seem overwhelming at first, but once you find the best tools and strategies they really aren’t all that bad. DBQs are meant to test your abilities of analyzing documents, understand context, and build a strong argument with evidence to support your claim. Knowing how to prepare can make a huge difference in your confidence and the way you perform for the exam.

Before you jump into documents you need to know the historical context beyond the claim you are going to make from what you read. Think about major events, important names and overall themes in this period of history. When you know that background it makes it a lot easier to understand the articles and key details of evidence you can use to support you. 

When you are handed your documents you have to remember there are more details behind the statements that stand out. Read with a purpose, think about who wrote this, when was it written, who was it made for, and why. When you understand your documents along with the deeper meanings behind them it makes it a lot easier to write your thesis later on. Your thesis is your main argument and should clearly answer the question you are being asked. For your thesis avoid vague statements, be specific and clear.

Each of your body paragraphs that you are writing should focus on one idea that supports the claim you are making in your thesis statement. Your paragraph should start with a brief explanation of the historical context, so before you put your quote in it adds background to make your evidence understandable. The evidence that you use from your documents needs to back up the idea that you are focusing on in your thesis statement. Remember, the goal is for you to provide evidence to support the claim, not just to show you read the documents. 

The more you practice and prepare for DBQs the less scary they become, and it gets easier to manage all the information and become organized for your writing. Mr. Egorow believes in the importance of a strong thesis, stating, “The best prep for a DBQ is to make sure you understand the documents that you are using to support your evidence” Mr Surgent went on by adding, “I think the best way to study for a DBQ is practice. Understanding the documents is obviously important but as long as you know that they fit you should be ok.”