AP SCORE SCALE
5 Extremely well-qualified4 Well-qualified3 Qualified2 Possibly qualified1 Not qualifiedQualification is to receive college credit or advanced placement.In its information to AP students, the College Board writes: “You may be very surprised to see that
your composite score can be approximately two-thirds of the total possible score and you could still earn
a grade of 5! ” Earning that score on other exams might translate to an “F” at worst and a “D” at best. In
other words, you do not have to get all the multiple-choice questions right or write perfect essays to get a
high score on the exam.
In the 2006 figures reported by the College Board, 62.1% of all students who took the exam scored a 3
or higher. And while fewer than 10% of students scored a 5 in 2006 (which says a bit about the difficulty
of the exam), you should focus on the high number who passed. A 3, 4, or 5 will earn you college credits.
(Check with your intended colleges for their AP credit policy.)