AP Exam Prep · AP World History: Modern
AP World History Unit 1 Practice Test: The Global Tapestry
Unit 1 surveys how states and belief systems developed around the world from about 1200 to 1450: Song China, the Islamic world, Hindu and Buddhist states in South and Southeast Asia, the Mexica and Inca, African kingdoms and feudal Europe. The skill that matters most is comparing how different states gained and kept power.
- Exam weighting:
- 8–10%
- Questions:
- 16 multiple choice
- Time:
- about 16 minutes
- Cost:
- Free, no sign-up
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What AP World History Unit 1 covers
Unit 1, The Global Tapestry, makes up 8–10% of the multiple-choice section and usually takes ~10–13 class periods. These are the topics in the current course framework, and every question in the test above is tagged with one of them.
- 1.1Developments in East Asia from c. 1200 to c. 1450
- 1.2Developments in Dar al-Islam from c. 1200 to c. 1450
- 1.3Developments in South and Southeast Asia from c. 1200 to c. 1450
- 1.4State Building in the Americas
- 1.5State Building in Africa
- 1.6Developments in Europe from c. 1200 to c. 1450
- 1.7Comparison in the Period from c. 1200 to c. 1450
Unit 1 key ideas
Song China used tradition to rule
The Song dynasty kept power through a bureaucracy staffed by men who passed the civil service exams, which were based on Confucian texts. Neo-Confucianism shaped family and gender roles, and Champa rice, canals and commercialisation drove economic growth.
Dar al-Islam fragmented but kept growing
As the Abbasid Caliphate declined, new Muslim states such as the Seljuk Turks, Mamluks and Delhi Sultanate rose, often led by Turkic peoples. Muslim scholars preserved and built on Greek, Persian and Indian learning, and Islam spread through trade, merchants and Sufi missionaries.
Belief systems shaped South and Southeast Asia
Hinduism and Buddhism shaped states such as the Vijayanagara Empire, Majapahit and the Khmer Empire. The Delhi Sultanate brought Islam to northern India, and the Bhakti movement offered a devotional form of Hinduism open to all castes.
States in the Americas and Africa were large and organised
The Mexica (Aztec) ruled through tribute from conquered city-states, while the Inca used the mit'a labour system and a road network. In Africa, Great Zimbabwe grew rich from trade, Mali from gold and trans-Saharan commerce, and Ethiopia was a Christian kingdom.
Common Unit 1 mistakes
- Saying the Mexica and Inca ruled the same way; the Mexica used tribute from conquered peoples, the Inca used mit'a labour and direct administration.
- Thinking Islam spread mainly by conquest in this period; merchants and Sufi missionaries were key.
- Calling feudal Europe centralised; power was divided among monarchs, nobles and the Church.
How to study this unit
- Make a chart of each state with three columns: how it got power, how it kept power, and its main belief system.
- For every region, learn one specific example you could use as evidence in an essay.
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More AP World History: Modern practice tests
- Unit 1 · 8–10%The Global Tapestry
- Unit 2 · 8–10%Networks of Exchange
- Unit 3 · 12–15%Land-Based Empires
- Unit 4 · 12–15%Transoceanic Interconnections
- Unit 5 · 12–15%Revolutions
- Unit 6 · 12–15%Consequences of Industrialization
- Unit 7 · 8–10%Global Conflict
- Unit 8 · 8–10%Cold War and Decolonization
- Unit 9 · 8–10%Globalization
About these questions
StudyCoach wrote these questions for this test. Each one is mapped to a topic in the College Board's current AP World History: Modern course framework. Every answer key was also checked by a separate AI review, and any disagreement was rechecked by hand. They have not yet been reviewed by an AP World History: Modern teacher. If you think an answer is wrong, email support@studycoach.io.
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