How high is your AP score to get a scholarship?
giasuib – Many students wonder “how high is your AP score to get a scholarship?”. This is a frequently asked question and the answer is usually on the AP scale.
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What is the average AP score?
The average score on all Advanced Placement exams is slightly below a 3 (a 2.89 in 2018). In 2018, of the more than 5 million AP exams administered, the grades broke down as follows:
| Score | Number of Students | Percentage of Students |
| 5 | 721,962 | 14.2 |
| 4 | 1,014,499 | 19.9 |
| 3 | 1,266,167 | 24.9 |
| 2 | 1,177,295 | 23.1 |
| 1 | 910,401 | 17.9 |
Note that these numbers are the averages for all exam subjects, and that average scores for individual subjects can vary significantly from these averages. For example, the mean score for the Calculus BC exam was 3.74 in 2018 while the mean score for Physics 1 was a 2.36.
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Do scholarships require AP scores?
It is 100% real that AP scores are used as a way to help students achieve their desired scholarships? High performance in AP courses shows colleges that you’re ready to enter higher education. Of course, your progress on the course is important, but it’s the AP exam that allows colleges or universities to compare your performance with students from other high schools. If you score 4 and 5 on the AP test, colleges have a good feeling that they are accepting a student with an academic background that is appropriate for their school.
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How high is your AP score to get a scholarship?
So how high is your AP score to get a scholarship? To be able to answer this question, students need to understand each score on the AP 1-5 scale.
- Score 1: Since a 1 is the lowest you can get on AP exam, this is the worst score a student can get. 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 test without knowing any resources. In fact, on AP scorecard, a score of 1 is described as “no recommendation”. Therefore, there is no university in the US that will accept this score and award you college credits or scholarships.
- Score 2: If you get a 2, College Board has determined that you are “probably eligible” to pass a college-level class of the same subject level. This score is generally not accepted by universities or colleges unless there are extenuating circumstances. A score of 2 means you probably studied hard and prepared. However, something may have happened while taking your test. Maybe you didn’t really understand the documentation or didn’t use it properly.
- Score 3: An AP score of 3 is considered an average score. College Board designates a score of 3 as “qualified”. It means that you have understood and mastered the material to the point where you can pass the exam. You didn’t get the best grade in the class, but the fact that you passed. As a result, many state colleges will accept a 3. Other more selective colleges like Harvard or Yale will not accept a 3.
- Score 4: If you got a 4 on AP exam, then you should be proud of yourself. Getting 4 points means that you have studied non-stop to prepare for the exam and apply the knowledge you have learned thoroughly. For these reasons, an AP score like 4 would be great on your college admissions application. A grade of 4 is accepted at colleges like Penn State, Franklin and Marshall University, among many others. Getting a 4 on AP exam is something to be proud of and many colleges or universities will reward your efforts.
- Score 5: An AP score of 5 is the best you can get on the AP exam. If you get a score of 5, then congratulations! A score of 5 means you have passed this exam with the best results a student can achieve, the scholarship door will be open to you because every college or university accepts this AP score.
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