What are AP exams? (2024)

FAQs

What are AP exams? ›

What is Advanced Placement and why is it important? AP ^® tests are college-level exams on specific subjects and are administered in May upon the completion of an AP course taken at a student's high school. At many colleges and universities, a high enough score will earn the student college credit.

The purpose of the AP Exams is to validate a student's academic achievement in high school, thus providing insight into their potential to excel at the college level. Whereas GPA might vary from school to school and teacher to teacher, the College Board's grading of these exams ostensibly does not.

AP Exams are standardized exams designed to measure how well you've mastered the content and skills of a specific AP course. Most AP courses have an end-of-year exam, but a few courses have different ways to assess what you've learned—for example, AP Art and Design students submit a portfolio of work for scoring.

In general, AP exams are considered challenging and are designed to test students' knowledge and understanding of college-level coursework. The exams cover a wide range of subjects including math, science, social studies, English, and foreign languages.

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.

Okay, Seriously, Which AP Classes Are the Hardest? United States History, Biology, English Literature, Calculus BC, Physics C, and Chemistry are often named as the hardest AP classes and tests. These classes have large curriculums, tough tests, and conceptually difficult material.

The most substantial consequence to failing an AP exam is that you will not receive college credit for the course. However, many colleges do not even offer credit for AP courses. So, you may not be missing out on an opportunity at all. Either way, you shouldn't look at this as a scary consequence.

AP in-class sessions are rigorous, whereas college homework and other assignments demand more time. In both cases, time for self-study and time you spend on your classes vary. The workload is also more in both cases, from time to time.

To be competitive at some of the most highly selective colleges in the country, 8-12 AP courses may be the sweet spot amount, assuming the student can handle that level of rigor. There are no colleges out there that require you to take 14, 17, or some other obscene number of Advanced Placement offerings.

Is a 3 bad on AP exam? ›

But what is a passing AP score? The College Board considers a score of 3 or higher a passing grade. That said, some colleges require a 4 or 5 to award credit. Whether a 3 is a good AP score depends on the colleges you're applying to.

Since a 1 is the lowest score that you can get on an AP® exam, this is not desirable. Thankfully, not many students leave the exam with a 1 unless complications arise during the test and they need to leave, or they are just trying to take the exam without knowing any of the material.

Scores of 3 or higher are acceptable for credit. Scores of one and two (1 and 2) are not acceptable for credit.

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.

What are letter grades and how do they convert into percentages? Common examples of grade conversion are: A+ (97–100), A (93–96), A- (90–92), B+ (87–89), B (83–86), B- (80–82), C+ (77–79), C (73–76), C- (70–72), D+ (67–69), D (65–66), D- (below 65).

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.

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.

What Are AP Scores Used For? In general, AP scores can be used for college credit, placing out of certain college course requirements, and to show admissions officers that you have pushed yourself academically in high school.

The fact that your AP exam scores aren't a critical factor in college admission does not mean that AP courses are not important. While your actual slate of scores on exams is only of middling importance, AP classes themselves can be very important.

Whether you're taking an AP course for the first time, have experienced an AP course before, or are gearing up for your last AP class as a senior, completing your course by taking an AP Exam always has benefits. All AP Exam scores prove you're willing to work hard and complete college-level work.