So I took the apwh exam this year, but I’m afraid I might have written one of my essays off topic? The essay asked for economic continuities and changes over time in Afro-Eurasian trade networks, but I talked about the rise and fall of the trans-Saharan gold trade, silk roads, and Indian Ocean trade (not about its taxation or effects on empires), and also talked about the looming presence of empires to watch over them. Can you get a 0 on an essay for it being off/topic?
Sorry this is a little late. If your essay/thesis does not specifically address the question at some point, then yes. However, if you mentioned some economics stuff throughout, you still have a decent chance of getting something for it. Good luck 