Hey guys! I've been wrapping my head around the AP Human Geography points system. Anyone know how the exam scores are calculated? I'm trying to get an idea of how many points I might need to aim for on test day to secure a good score.
The AP Human Geography exam, like other AP exams, is scored on a composite scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score. The score is calculated using both the multiple-choice and free-response sections of the exam.
The multiple-choice section contributes to 50% of your final score. It consists of 60 questions that you answer in 45 minutes. Each question yields one point if you answer correctly, there is no negative penalty for incorrect answers, so it is in your best interest to answer all of them. You'll get a raw score at the end, which corresponds to how many questions out of 60 you answered correctly.
The free-response section also contributes to 50% of your final score. This section consists of three questions, each of which is graded on a rubric that assigns points for specific parts of the answer. The points you can accrue per question range from 0 to 7, making a total maximum of 21 points for the whole section.
Finally, your raw scores from the two sections are combined into a composite score, which is then converted into the 1-5 AP scale. The conversion scales can vary slightly from year to year due to differences in tests. On average, a composite score of around 107-120 typically corresponds to a 5, 92-106 to a 4, 77-91 to a 3, and so on.
Remember to practice well for both the sections and aim to answer all the questions in the multiple-choice section. For the free-response section, focus on answering all parts of each question to gain maximum points. Good luck with your preparation!
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