About AP Scores – AP Students (2024)

FAQs

Do colleges care about your AP exam scores? ›

Colleges and universities use AP exam scores as a factor in the admissions process, but they do so while considering them alongside the student's GPA, extracurricular activities, and other application information. Said differently, AP exam scores are just one factor in making admissions decisions.

Usually, a 70 to 75 percent out of 100 translates to a 5. However, there are some exams that are exceptions to this rule of thumb. The AP Grades that are reported to students, high schools, colleges, and universities in July are on AP's five-point scale: 5: Extremely well qualified.

What Ivy League schools value the most are your transcript, extracurricular activities, essays, and recommendations. However, strong AP scores can indeed be a positive addition to your application, as they show your commitment and ability to handle college-level courses.

To answer your question directly, no, you can't score a literal zero on an AP test; the scores range from 1 to 5. Even if you were to leave the entire test blank, you'd still get a 1. Now, to earn that score of 1, it means the test taker demonstrates no understanding of the material.

You should base this decision on the selectivity of the school you're applying to. If you want to report AP scores, you should definitely report tests on which you received a five, and for many schools, a four is also very impressive.

A score of 3 on an AP exam is considered passing, and while it may not be the most impressive score, it won't necessarily harm your application either.

A 50% is considered a 3 or passing. This is when your AP credit is considered in colleges for being qualified, well qualified or extremely well qualified. Also, most exams have multiple parts to them.

If you scored an 80 in AP Psychics C, you could probably pat yourself on the back, as that can be considered quite the achievement. However, if you scored an 80 in AP Psychology or APUSH, you might want to consider studying harder or asking your teacher for more help.

The hardest AP class is AP Physics 1, covering topics like Newtonian mechanics and electrical charge and force. Students also spend about 25% of their class time performing college-level lab experiments and writing reports.

Either way, colleges will not look down on you for abstaining from taking the exam. Since you won't have any exam scores, nothing will be sent to your prospective colleges.

Is a 4 on AP World bad? ›

What is a good AP® World History score? Scores of 3, 4, and 5 on an AP® exam are passing scores and generally considered a good score. The College Board defines a 3 as 'qualified, 4 as 'well qualified,' and a 5 as 'extremely well qualified.

Congrats on your AP score of 4. While a 5 might be the most sought-after score, a 4 is also considered a strong result and demonstrates substantial understanding of the subject matter.

The good news is that a failed exam does not affect your GPA. In addition, you can retake the AP exam the next year. To prepare, you can re-enroll in the class, study on your own, or hire a tutor who can help you tackle the more challenging subjects on the test.

AP test scores are indeed "curved," but it's more accurate to call it a "scaling process." Instead of a traditional curve that compares your performance to other students' performance, the AP exam scaling process converts your raw score (the number of points you earned through multiple-choice questions and free- ...

Similarly, low AP scores (i.e., 1 or 2) can be a red flag to selective institutions. This is especially true if there's a lot of inconsistency between your AP scores and your grades in AP classes.

Colleges look to see that students have taken the most challenging courses available to them. You may take as many AP exams as you are prepared for each year.

Yes. You can avoid sending your AP score report on your college applications. That will prevent anyone from seeing either good or bad AP scores.

Harvard only accepts AP® scores of 5 for course credit. If you have 4 scores of 5, you can opt to obtain Advanced Standing. You can use AP® credits to opt-out of lower-level classes. Harvard has general academic requirements that all students must take.