Hey everyone, I'm super confused about how the AP exams are scored. For example, what percentage of correct answers typically corresponds to a score of 2? Trying to set some realistic goals for myself here.
Hello there! It's great that you're setting goals for your AP exams. The scoring for AP exams converts the raw scores (the number of questions you get right) into a scaled score between 1 and 5.
Each year, the exact percentage needed for each score can vary slightly because the College Board uses a process called equating, which takes into account the difficulty of the particular exam that year. Equating exists because the College Board wants a 5 earned in 2024 to reflect the same level of mastery of the subject as a 5 earned in 2023, even though the exams themselves were different.
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.
For the most accurate information, refer to the score distributions released by the College Board after the exams. If you're interested in knowing more about the AP grading process, beyond just which raw percentages translate to a particular score on the five-point scale, check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-are-ap-exams-scored-heres-the-breakdown/
Best of luck with your studying and your exams!
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.