does it look bad if i don't report an ap score (2024)

FAQs

Does it look bad if i don't report an ap score? ›

If you have consistently high grades but low test scores, this can indicate to colleges that there's grade inflation at your high school. However, because you're probably going to self-report your AP scores anyway, there's nothing wrong with simply not reporting one or two scores you're not satisfied with.

Historically, If you are not a senior, there's no big deal if you don't take the test. You won't have anything to report and you won't need to report it. Colleges won't be bothered if they see an AP class but no score.

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.

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.

Sending your AP exam score to colleges is optional.

If your exam score is eligible for credit, self-report it on the college application and send the official report through the CollegeBoard. Never report or send an exam score of a 1 or 2. They are not considered “passing” scores.

On the whole, a bad AP probably won't hurt you in and of itself, but it can be related to other concerns. A bad AP score is often correlated with a poor grade in the corresponding course, which can hurt your GPA.

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. Colleges, especially selective ones, primarily focus on the rigor of the courses you've taken and the grades you earned throughout high school.

The college will not do anything for a bad AP score. This means they will not rescind your admission, but they also won't let you skip the class. All it shows is that you tried to take a college level class and didn't do well on the exam that covered the content in the class.

It is more important for you to get recognition for taking that AP in the first place than it is to earn your target score. If you earned a 3, 2, or a 1, consider withholding your score. These scores are not as strong and you may not want to include them in your application.

An AP Score of 3 or 4 will likely not get you any college credit or respect at a top school like Stanford/Ivies/MIT. A score of 5 may not either — top colleges like to think that their courses are more rigorous than APs and thus should not be passed out of, and earning a 5 is simply expected for top admits.

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.

An AP® score of 3 is a respectable score. The College Board designates a 3 to be “qualified”. That means that you understood and executed the material to the point that you could pass the college class. While you did not receive the highest grade in the class, you did pass.

At many high schools, AP Physics is notorious for its difficulty level. In addition, it has the lowest overall pass rate of any AP exam.

Whether you decide to send in your scores or not won't affect your chances at getting accepted into your top schools. Colleges will look at your transcript and see the classes you took. It's really not about what you score that colleges are looking for, it's more about what courses you are taking.

While a score of 2 on an AP exam is typically considered below the threshold for college credit, there are some exceptions. Some smaller schools or less competitive colleges may be more lenient and accept a 2 for placement purposes or elective credit, rather than for specific course credit.

UCLA awards college credit for AP exams with scores of three or higher. The specific credit you receive depends on the college/school your major belongs to: AP Credit for the The College.

AP scores have very, very little impact on college admissions, especially if the exam has nothing to do with your major. If you don't report, they probably won't really notice. They can't assume you failed, as maybe you never took the exam in the first place. They care more about your grade in the class.

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.