Is it possible to score a 6 on an AP exam? (2024)

FAQs

Is it possible to score a 6 on an AP exam? ›

The talk of a '6' on an AP exam is indeed just a myth. Advanced Placement (AP) exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest possible score. The College Board, which administers the AP exams, has never awarded a 6 on any AP exam.

AP Exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. Many U.S. colleges grant credit and/or advanced placement (that means they let you skip the equivalent course once you get to college) for scores of 3 and above.

To clarify, it's quite rare and quite difficult to get a score of 0 on an AP exam. Typically, scores range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest possible score that indicates the student likely wasn't prepared for the level of the content on the 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.

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.

If you fail an AP exam, you will not receive college credit for that course. The good news is that a failed exam does not affect your GPA.

Final thoughts

But it's not the end of the world if you don't pass. Your class grade won't be affected, and colleges will still be impressed that you took an AP course. Colleges won't see your scores, if you don't report them. So, even if you are unsure if you'll pass, it's a good idea to opt to take an AP course.

As a general guide, though, you can consider roughly more than 70% correct as being in the 5 range, 50-69% for a score of 4, 40-49% for a score of 3, 30-39% for a 2, and below 30% would likely be a 1. Again, these ranges are approximations and can vary by subject and by year.

Is a 50% a 5 on the AP test? ›

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.

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- ...

Scores can be canceled at any time, but for scores not to be sent to the college, university, or scholarship program indicated online through My AP, the AP Program must receive your request by June 15 of the year you took the AP Exam.

If you're looking at pass rates, Physics 1 is the toughest AP exam. And less than 8% of test-takers received a perfect score. Of course, the hardest AP exam depends on your strengths.

As you can see, while at least 5% of test takers scored a 5 on each AP exam, the perfect scores are teeny, teeny, teeny percentages.

As you can see, while at least 5% of test takers scored a 5 on each AP exam, the perfect scores are teeny, teeny, teeny percentages. The only exams with a percentage of perfect scorers higher than 1% were AP Research and Studio Art Drawing.

Since scaling varies year to year, there are no exact cutoff numbers for scores for AP tests, and the College Board does not release detailed scoring data. Furthermore, you will not see what your composite score was on your AP score report—you'll only get the final number between 1 and 5.

AP tests are scored on a scale from 1 (low) to 5 (high). Get a 4 or higher, and you may be able to earn college credit without paying college tuition!

Students who earn a 1 on their first AP Exam are also very likely (49%–70%) to take more AP courses and exams in high school. Many students who first earn an AP Exam score of 1 or 2 will then earn a higher score on the subsequent AP Exams they take.