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Advanced Placement

What Is a Good AP Score for You?

Written by Apoorvaa Agarwal

Updated on: 12 Aug 2024

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1AP Overview2AP Courses3AP Exams4AP Scores5AP Credits6AP Credit Policy7AP Biology Credit Policy8AP Biology Exam9AP Biology Practice Tests10AP Calculus AB Credit Policy11AP Calculus AB Exam12AP Calculus AB Formula Sheet13AP Calculus AB Practice Tests14AP Calculus BC Credit Policy15AP Calculus BC Exam16AP Calculus BC Formula Sheet17AP Calculus BC Practice Tests18AP Chemistry Credit Policy19AP Chemistry Exam20AP Chemistry Formula Sheet21AP Chemistry Practice Tests22AP Computer Science A Credit Policy23AP Computer Science A Practice Tests24AP Computer Science Principles Practice Tests25AP Computer Science A Exam26AP Computer Science Principles Credit Policy27AP Computer Science Principles Exam28AP English Language29AP English Literature30AP Human Geography Exam31AP Macroeconomics Practice Tests32AP Microeconomics Practice Tests33AP Physics 1 Credit Policy34AP Physics 1 Exam35AP Physics 2 Exam36AP Physics 1 Formula Sheet37AP Physics 1 Practice Tests38AP Physics 2 Credit Policy39AP Physics 2 Formula Sheet40AP Physics 2 Practice Tests41AP Physics C E&M Formula Sheet42AP Physics C Electricity and Magnetism Exam 43AP Physics C Mechanics Exam 44AP Physics C Mechanics Practice Tests45AP Physics C Electricity and Magnetism Practice Tests46AP Physics C Mechanics Formula Sheet47AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Credit Policy48AP Physics C: Mechanics Credit Policy49AP Psychology Exam50AP Statistics Exam51AP Statistics Practice Tests52AP Statistics Credit Policy53AP Statistics Formula Sheet54AP US History Practice Tests55AP Spanish Language56AP Enviornmental Science57AP World History Modern58AP US Government and Politics59AP US History Exam60AP European History Exam61AP Comparitive Government and Politics62AP Microeconomics63AP Macroeceonomics64AP PreCalculus65AP Course Placement66AP Score Report67AP Sending Scores68AP Pass Score69AP Exam Dates70AP Exam Fee71AP Free Response Questions72AP Document Based Questions73AP Multiple Choice Questions74AP Performance Task75AP Study Guides76AP Review Books77AP Course Syllabus78AP Course Audit79College Board80AP Course Ledger81AP Exam Fee Reductions82AP Pass Rate83AP Score Distribution84AP Practice Tests85AP Worksheets86AP Formula Sheets87AP Perfect Score88AP Daily Videos89AP Classroom90AP Central91Pre AP92AP Alumni Network93AP Capstone94AP Classroom Resources95AP Self Study Exams96AP Course Grades Vs AP Scores97AP Exam Calculator Policy98AP Scholar Award99AP Course And Exam Description100AP Classes101AP TextBooks102Benefits Of AP103AP Results104Dual Credits105Pre AP To AP Course Map106Digital AP Exams107AP Course Pairs108AP Lab Manuals109AP Daily Instructors110Best Sites for AP Physics Tutoring111Online Tutoring Can Help You With AP Physics Test Prep112Average Cost Of AP Physics Tutoring113Finding An AP Physics Tutor114Finding An AP Chemistry Tutor115Online Tutoring Can Help You With AP Chemistry Test Prep116Cost Of AP Chemistry Tutoring
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  • An AP score of 3 or higher is considered good.
  • What constitutes a good AP score depends on the test you take and which colleges you apply to.
  • Good AP scores can earn you college credit and reduce the amount of time it takes to complete your degree.

What defines a good AP score varies depending on the exam and the colleges to which you apply. An AP score of 3 or higher is considered a good AP score and can earn you college credit and shorten the time it takes to complete your degree. 

With this blog, you will understand what is a good AP score along with how AP exams are scored and what is the minimum AP score required for college credit.

What is a good AP score?

A 3 or higher is usually considered a good AP score. However, you can get a better idea of your AP score by making comparisons to the average score for that test that year.

In 2021, for example, the average AP Biology score was 2.83. Anything above that is considered above average for that test. Because the difficulty of AP exams varies, the average score varies as well. A 3 is above average for AP Computer Science Principles, but it is below average for AP Calculus BC.

How AP exams are scored?

High school students take AP exams and classes to get a jumpstart on college-bound and to earn college credit for general education classes. They may receive college credit for a subject if they pass an AP exam (in addition to high school credit). 

A score of 3 or higher is considered a passing score by the College Board. However, some colleges require a 4 or 5 to grant credit. The colleges you’re applying to will determine whether a 3 is a good AP score.

As shown in the table below, the AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest possible score.

AP Exam ScoreRecommendationCollege Grade Equivalent
5Extremely well qualifiedA, A+
4Very well qualifiedB, B+, A-
3QualifiedC, C+, B-
2Possibly qualifiedN/A
1No recommendationN/A
AP exam score

A 4 or a 5 is the most likely AP score that will earn you college AP credit. Of course, regardless of how well you perform on the AP exam, you will receive a grade for that AP class from your high school. Good AP course grades always look better on your transcript!

What is the minimum AP score required for college credit?

The bad news is that, while the College Board defines a 2 as “possibly qualified” for college credit, almost no college will accept a 2. Most selective colleges will not accept a 3 for college credit.

A student who receives a 4 or 5 will almost always receive college credit. Some selective schools may require a 5 in rare cases. This is especially true in schools that require true mastery of a subject, such as calculus in a strong engineering program. The specific guidelines differ from college to college, and they frequently differ from department to department within a college.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a good AP score is a subjective term that depends on factors like the difficulty of the test, the college you are applying to, and your individual goals. However, in general, a score of 3 or higher is considered a good AP score.

If you are aiming for a high AP score, there are many things you can do to prepare. First, make sure you take a challenging AP course that is well-aligned with the AP exam. Second, study for the AP exam using a variety of resources, such as textbooks, practice exams, and online tutorials. Finally, take the AP exam early in the testing window so you have time to retake it if necessary.

A good AP score can have benefits like earning college credit, reducing the cost of college, and increasing your chances of getting into a selective college.

If you are considering taking AP courses, be sure to research the benefits of AP credit and how your target colleges will use your AP scores.

Additional Resources

When do AP Scores Come Out?

Understanding Your AP Scores!

All About AP Exams

Everything You Need To Know About AP Courses!

AP Pass Score

AP Score Report

AP Sending Scores

Is AP Computer Science A Hard?

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Can you question an AP score?

If you believe the scoring on your paper and pencil AP exam is incorrect, you can have it rescored through the College Board’s Multiple-Choice Rescore Service. It costs $30 to have your exam rescored, and all rescore requests must be submitted by the end of the school year. It is important to note that rescoring is your only option for potentially changing your AP scores that year. Once your rescore is completed, the new score is final; you cannot appeal or have the test rescored again. However, you may retake the test the following year in order to improve your score.

What is a good AP test score?

In most cases, a 3 or higher score is considered a good AP test score. But the best way to determine how good is your score is by comparing to the previous year’s average score for that test.

Is a 2 an acceptable AP score?

A 2 is not a good AP score in general because it is not considered a passing score by the College Board. If you receive a 2 on your AP exam, you should consider not submitting that score to the colleges to which you are applying. On your application, you should only include the most impressive aspects of yourself.

Is a 4 a good AP score?

A 4 is a good AP score for the majority of students. If you’re applying to a prestigious, extremely selective school like Duke, you may need a 5 in order to earn credit for certain subjects.

What is the AP exam passing score?

A 3 can be considered a passing score for the AP exam. Colleges that offer credit and placement for AP courses typically begin with a score of 3 or higher.

What is the highest AP score?

A score of 5 is the highest AP scores one can get.
We hope this article helped you in understanding what is a good AP score and it helped you in fixing your goal. If you want to know more about AP scores, read our latest article, “How to send AP scores?“.

Written by by

Apoorvaa Agarwal

Reviewed by by

Priyanshi Agrawal

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