Question about AP Music Theory Score

Hey there. So, I'm taking AP Music Theory this year and I was wondering how is the raw score converted to a scale of 1-5. Is there any reliable method to make an educated guess about it?

Sure thing! For AP Music Theory, there are two subscores (1-5), an aural component subscore and a nonaural component subscore. The subscores are determined by combining both your multiple-choice and free-response scores.

1. Multiple-Choice Section: This section makes up 45% of your total score. The raw score from this section is determined simply by the number of questions you answered correctly. There's no penalty for incorrect answers.

2. Free-Response Section: This section accounts for 45% of your final score. It also includes questions calling for the realization of figured bass, realization of a chord progression from Roman numerals, and composition of a bass line to fit a given melody.

3. Free Response: Sight-Singing which comprises 10% of your score. You’ll be asked to sing and record two brief, primarily diatonic melodies (of about 4–8 bars).

Your raw scores from these sections are combined to create a composite score, which is then matched to a score on the 5-point scale. This is based on cutoffs that the College Board sets each year, after the exams have been scored, so it can vary slightly from year to year.

Therefore, there isn't a simple conversion tool for your raw score to the 1-5 scale because the conversion isn't exactly static. However, as a generally helpful guide, aiming for a raw score that's around 70% of the possible points on the exam has historically been a solid target for scoring a 5. To score a 3, you generally need to earn over 50% of the total points. These figures are not guaranteed, but they can give you a ballpark estimation.

Good luck with your studying and on the exam!