What is a good AP score?
Giasuib.com – The AP certificate like the SAT is one of the college admissions certificates that plays an important role in helping schools accurately assess the academic qualifications of candidates. So what is a good AP score for admission?
Related posts:
How to choose the appropriate AP subjects?
Appropriate SSAT materials choosing experiences
What is a good AP score?
AP exam scores are a combination of two sections: the multiple-choice which are scored by computer and free-response sections are scores by AP teachers who have experience teaching corresponding college courses. AP exam is scored from 1 to 5 point as below:
| AP Exam Score | Assessment | College Course Grade Equivalent |
| 5 | Extremely well qualified | A+ or A |
| 4 | Very well qualified | A-, B+ or B |
| 3 | Qualified | B-, C+ or C |
| 2 | Possibly qualified | |
| 1 | No recommendation |
Some universities and colleges in the US accept AP scores for course credit, others accept to place students into higher-level courses, and some do both. The requirements of each university are different, but most will require a minimum score of 3 or 4 to enter the university.
For more: Does HCM city have Biology in English tutoring centers?
Percentage of students achieving average scores in AP courses
After you know what is a good AP score, let’s look at which 2021 AP exams have the highest passing rates—a.k.a. rates of scores over 3. We also note the percentage of students who get a 5, the highest score.
| Exam Name | Passing Rate (3+) | 5 Rate |
| Chinese Language and Culture (Total Group) | 88% | 57% |
| Art and Design: Drawing | 87% | 14% |
| Art and Design: 2-D Design | 87% | 10% |
| Seminar | 85% | 11% |
| Spanish Language and Culture (Standard Group) | 84.2%* | 17%* |
| Research | 82% | 14% |
| French Language and Culture (Standard Group) | 80.9%* | 15.7%* |
| Spanish Language and Culture (Total Group) | 80% | 17% |
| Calculus BC | 75% | 38% |
| Japanese Language and Culture (Total Group) | 74% | 47% |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 73% | 23% |
| Italian Language and Culture (Total Group) | 73% | 21% |
| Italian Language and Culture (Standard Group) | 72.2%* | 11.1%* |
| Gov. and Politics – Comparative | 72% | 17% |
| Art and Design: 3-D Design | 72% | 7% |
| Japanese Language and Culture (Standard Group) | 71.4%* | 23.6%* |
| French Language and Culture (Total Group) | 71% | 13% |
| Chinese Language and Culture (Standard Group) | 70.9%* | 23.8%* |
| Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism | 70% | 33% |
| German Language and Culture (Standard Group) | 67.9%* | 11.8%* |
| Computer Science A | 67% | 25% |
| Computer Science Principles | 67% | 13% |
| German Language and Culture (Total Group) | 65% | 18% |
| Physics 2 | 65% | 15% |
| Spanish Literature | 65% | 8% |
| Music Theory | 61% | 20% |
| Biology | 61% | 7% |
| Microeconomics | 60% | 20% |
| European History | 59% | 14% |
| Statistics | 58% | 16% |
| Latin | 57% | 10% |
| English Language and Composition | 57% | 8% |
| Psychology | 55% | 15% |
| Human Geography | 54% | 15% |
| Art History | 54% | 11% |
| Macroeconomics | 52% | 18% |
| World History | 52% | 10% |
| Calculus AB | 51% | 18% |
| Chemistry | 51% | 11% |
| Gov. and Politics – United States | 49% | 11% |
| United States History | 48% | 11% |
| Environmental Science | 48% | 6% |
| English Literature and Composition | 44% | 5% |
| Physics 1 | 42% | 7% |
The above statistics are extracted from the official website of the College Board, the organization that designs and organizes the AP exam. For language subjects, “Total Group” includes all students, while “Standard Group” includes only those students who didn’t indicate they speak this language at home or spent more than four weeks studying it abroad.
These year-to-year AP score statistic tables will give students a perspective to refer to the percentage of candidates taking the AP subject that they want to take most likely to achieve a pass or maximum score or not, then having the right study plan to easily achieve a high AP score makes applying to universities more convenient.
For more: AP exam preparation tips
giasuib.com – A place to share experiences of learning international programs such as IB, AP, A-level, IGCSE, GED… If you have any questions, please contact us directly by email or hotline for free advice.