Major Field Test in History

The Major Field Test in History contains 160 multiple-choice items, some of which are grouped in sets and based on such materials as quotes, maps, graphs, diagrams, tables, cartoons, or artwork.  The questions on the Major Field Test in History cover topics in European, United States, and world history.  The questions, regardless of geographic focus, cover the following types of history: cultural, diplomatic/military, economic, intellectual, political, and social.  Cultural and intellectual history comprises 25-35 percent of the test; economic and social history comprises 35-45 percent of the test; and political and diplomatic/military comprises 30-40 percent.  Click here to review more information about the Major Field Test in History.

The numbers in the table represent scale score means, and the range is from 120-200.  When compared against 2111 individual students from participating colleges and universities nationwide, preliminary results from the Major Field test indicate:

In March,  APUS History students (n=5) scored above the national mean.  The mean total score of APUS students is 153 with a standard deviation of 6.5.  The national mean score is 154.3 with a standard deviation of 13.1.  APUS students scored at or above 70% of students from participating colleges and universities nationwide in March.

Click here to review additional information on comparative data for the Major Field Test in History.

Percent Mean Correct for Assessment Indicators

Student proficiency is measured in the areas of US Colinization to 1800, US 1800-1920, US 1920 to present, European-ancient to 1815, European -1815 to present, and world and comparative history. The following table represents the percent mean correct for the national mean and APUS students for each area of the Major Field test.