Elective units awarded may be applied to UC graduation requirements for specific subjects and/or for general education requirements, as determined by each campus.
For transfer students, AP exams can also be used to meet transfer admission subject requirements in English (UC-E), Math (UC-M) and 4 other courses chosen from the humanities (UC- H), behavioral/social sciences (UC-B) and biological/physical sciences (UC-S).
Although the College Board reports all AP test results to us, students should be aware AP test scores lower than 3 will not adversely affect their chances for admission.
Units granted for AP tests are not counted toward the maximum number of credits required for formal declaration of a major or the maximum number of units a student may accumulate prior to graduation. Students who enter UC with AP credit do not have to declare a major earlier than other students, nor are they required to graduate earlier.
Credit granted for AP exams
Credit is expressed in semester units for Berkeley and Merced, and quarter units for all other campuses. In the left column, the designations (e.g. UC-E, UC-M, etc.) indicate if the AP exam score can be used to meet one of the minimum junior transfer admission requirements. Note: Even an exam with multiple designations can only meet one requirement.
Art and Design | 2-D Art and Design: 5.3 sem/8 qtr
3-D Art and Design: 5.3 sem/8 qtr
Drawing: 5.3 sem/8 qtr
(5.3 sem/8 qtr unit maximum for all three exams) |
Art History (UC-H) | 5.3 sem/8 qtr |
Biology (UC-S) | 5.3 sem/8 qtr |
Chemistry (UC-S) | 5.3 sem/8 qtr |
Computer Science | Computer Science A: 5.3 sem/8 qtr
Computer Science Principles:5.3 sem/8 qtr |
Economics (UC-B) | Microeconomics: 2.6 sem/4 qtr
Macroeconomics: 2.6 sem/4 qtr |
English | Language and Composition (UC-E):5.3 sem/8 qtr
Literature and Composition (UC-E/H):5.3 sem/8 qtr
(5.3 sem/8 qtr maximum for both exams) |
Environmental Science (UC-S) | 2.6 sem/4 qtr |
Government and Politics (UC-B) | United States:2.6 sem/4 qtr
Comparative: 2.6 sem/4 qtr |
History (UC-B/H) | United States History:5.3 sem/8 qtr
European History:5.3 sem/8 qtr
Modern World History: 5.3 sem/8 qtr |
Human Geography (UC-B) | 2.6 sem/4 qtr |
Language Other than English (UC-H) | 5.3 sem/8 qtr for each: Chinese Language and Culture
French Language and Culture
German Language and Culture
Italian Language and Culture
Latin
Japanese Language and Culture
Spanish Language and Culture
Spanish Literature and Culture |
Mathematics (UC-M) | Calculus AB: 2.6 sem/4 qtr
Calculus BC:5.3 sem/8 qtr
(5.3 sem/8 qtr maximum for both exams) |
Music Theory (UC-H) | 5.3 sem/8 qtr |
Physics (UC-S) | Physics 1:5.3 sem/8 qtr
Physics 2:5.3 sem/8 qtr
Physics C Mechanics: 2.6 sem/4 qtr
Physics C Electricity and Magnetism: 2.6 sem/4 qtr
(5.3 sem/8 qtr maximum for all tests) |
Psychology (UC-B) | 2.6 sem/4 qtr |
Statistics (UC-M) | 2.6 sem/4 qtr |
AB subscore on Calculus BC examination
Students who take the Calculus BC examination and earn a subscore of 3 or higher on the Calculus AB portion will receive 4 quarter units for the Calculus AB examination, even if they do not receive a score of 3 or higher on the BC examination (note thatthe maximum credit awarded for both exams is 8 quarter units).
Music Theory subscore
We grant credit for the full Music Theory exam. Students who earn only a subscore will not receive exam credit.
Duplication with college courses
Students should be advised that college courses taken before or after attending UC may duplicate AP, IB and/or A-Level examinations. Additionally, exams may duplicate each other (for example, an AP or IB exam in the same subject area).
If the student does duplicate an exam with another exam of the same subject content, and/or an exam with a college course, we will award credit only once.
FAQs
UC's do not consider AP scores in their admission decisions but taking a rigorous course load in HS which includes AP classes and getting good grades will help your chances. 5's would look good. 3's would not. 4's are good also.
Do admissions officers look at AP scores? ›
AP test scores are not generally a highly weighted component of your college application, but if you choose to submit them, they will generally be reviewed by the admissions committee.
Do you lose points for wrong answers on AP exams? ›
Your total exam score on the multiple-choice section is based only on the number of questions answered correctly. You won't receive or lose points for incorrect answers or unanswered questions.
Should I report a 3 on an AP exam to UC? ›
Although the College Board reports all AP test results to us, students should be aware AP test scores lower than 3 will not adversely affect their chances for admission.
What happens if you don t answer all the questions on an AP exam? ›
Total scores on the multiple-choice section are based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers and no points are awarded for unanswered questions.
Will a bad AP scores affect admission? ›
Colleges will not look at your score
You will not be required to send your AP score to your colleges unless you want to earn college credit.
Does a low AP score affect admission? ›
You can't really fail an AP test. They are generally used for college credit or placement after admission, so you might not get credit, but that doesn't matter much. Most US colleges don't consider AP scores much for admission, and few require you to report them. If you don't do well, just don't report them.
Is a 70% a 5 on the AP exam? ›
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.
Does a 1 on an AP exam look bad? ›
Key Takeaway: AP students who earn a score of 1 or 2, or average a score of 1 or 2 across their AP Exams in high school, have better college outcomes than academically similar college students who did not take an AP course and exam.
Does a 2 on an AP exam look bad? ›
Generally speaking, a 2 is not a good AP score, as it is not considered a passing score by the College Board. If you get a 2 on your AP exam, it might be better not to submit that score to the colleges you're applying to.
A 0 score is theoretically possible but would likely result from a violation of the College Board's exam policies, such as cheating or filling out the answer sheet incorrectly. Simply leaving an exam blank or providing incorrect answers would usually result in a score of 1, not 0.
Should I send a 3 AP score to Harvard? ›
Not submitting AP scores for AP courses students take at their high school can raise red flags. But there are no hard and fast rules, such as not submitting 4s or 3s, as some suggest because, in some cases, students should submit those lower scores since admissions officers will assume even worse if they withhold them.
Is it possible to get a 0 on an AP test? ›
For example, for AP English, multiple choice is worth 45% and free response is worth 55%. Often, composite scores are between 0 and 100, or 0 and 150. The composite score is then converted to a number on the scaled score range 1-5.
Should I send bad AP scores to colleges? ›
Will a bad AP exam score impact college admission decisions? No, colleges consider many factors outside of AP scores when deciding whether to admit an applicant. Generally, students should only submit high AP scores and for subjects related to their major.
Is it better to skip an AP exam or fail it? ›
Although there are no consequences from skipping the exam, you might be missing out on some opportunities. The first and most obvious advantage is the college credit. Although many colleges are highly selective about AP results, or don't accept them at all, some still will give you credit.
Do AP exams penalize guessing? ›
There is no penalty for guessing on any of the AP exams, so it's important to make sure that you try to answer every question. If you're not sure how to answer a multiple-choice question, eliminate any answers that you know are incorrect and choose the best answer from your remaining choices.
Do colleges look at AP scores for admissions? ›
Do Colleges Look at AP Scores for Admission? While you don't typically need to send official AP score reports to colleges you're applying to, some schools will have space on their applications for you to self-report your AP scores. And if your scores are on your application, admissions committees will see them.
Do AP scores matter for admissions? ›
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.
Does Harvard admissions look at AP scores? ›
Yes. Applicants may provide self-reported SAT and ACT test scores (including Subject Tests, Advanced Placement, IB, etc.). Admitted students who decide to enroll at Harvard College will be required to submit official test scores.
Do Ivy Leagues care about AP scores? ›
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.
