AP Physics 1 Score Calculation

How exactly are AP Physics 1 scores calculated? I've been hearing a lot of different things about the scoring algorithm, so I'm a little confused.

The AP Physics 1 score is calculated based on two main section components: the multiple-choice section and the free-response section. Each section contributes to 50% of your total AP score.

For the multiple-choice section, which consists of 45 questions, each correct answer earns you one point. There's no penalty for incorrect answers on the AP exam, so it's generally advantageous to guess if you aren't sure about an answer.

The free-response section has five questions: One experimental design question, one quantitative/qualitative translation question, and three shorter, separate standalone questions. Each of the free-response questions is scored with a different rubric, but in general, you earn points for each correct part of your answer.

After your raw scores from both sections are calculated, they get converted to a composite score range of 1–120. Then, that composite score is converted to the 5-point AP scale:

1-14 points: 1,

15–26 points: 2,

27–42 points: 3,

43–68 points: 4,

69–120 points: 5.

Please note that these ranges are approximations and can change slightly each year due to slight variations in test difficulty and scoring rubrics.