AP Psychology Exam Grading Scale

Hey everyone, can someone help me understand the grading scale for the AP Psych exam? I know there are multiple-choice questions and free-response questions, but how are the scores calculated and what score do I need to get a certain AP grade? Thanks!

Sure, I can help explain the AP Psychology exam grading scale! The AP Psych exam consists of two sections: multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and free-response questions (FRQs). Each section is worth a specific weight towards your final score, and then this raw score is translated into an AP score between 1 and 5.

1. Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs): There are 100 multiple-choice questions, and this section is worth 2/3 (66.67%) of your total exam score. Each correct answer earns you one point, so the maximum score you can get in this section is 100. There's no penalty for incorrect answers.

2. Free-Response Questions (FRQs): There are two free-response questions, and this section accounts for 1/3 (33.33%) of your total exam score. Each FRQ is scored on a scale of 0-7, so you can get a maximum of 14 points in this section.

The total raw score for your exam is a combination of your MCQ and FRQ scores (maximum of 114 points). Then, the raw score gets translated into an overall AP score between 1 and 5 according to the scoring guidelines used by the College Board. Although these guidelines can vary slightly each year depending on the difficulty of the particular exam, in general, a break down of AP scores is as follows:

- AP Score of 5: Typically requires 88-114 raw points

- AP Score of 4: Typically requires 68-87 raw points

- AP Score of 3: Typically requires 48-67 raw points

- AP Score of 2: Typically requires 30-47 raw points

- AP Score of 1: Typically requires 0-29 raw points

In summary, your scores from the multiple-choice and free-response sections will be combined and translated into a final AP score between 1 and 5. To achieve a specific AP grade, you'll need to aim for the corresponding raw score range. Keep in mind that the exact cut-offs can adjust slightly each year. Good luck with your AP Psych exam preparation!