AP Psychology Curve?

Hello, friends! I was just curious about how the AP Psychology exam is curved. What's considered a good score, and how does the curve work? Any insight would be much appreciated!

Hello! The AP Psychology exam, like other AP exams, uses a process called equating rather than a traditional curve. Equating ensures that scores are consistent across different years and exams, by taking into account slight variations in difficulty. The College Board, which administers AP exams, wants to make sure that, for example, a 5 earned in 2024 reflects the same mastery of the material as a 5 earned in 2023.

Due to this equating process, it can be challenging to predict the exact number of questions you need to answer correctly to achieve a specific score. That said, the exam is graded on a scale of 1-5. A score of 3 is generally considered passing, while a score of 4 or 5 is seen as a strong performance. Most colleges and universities will grant course credit or advanced placement for scores of 4 or 5, although some may accept a score of 3 depending on their policies.

The AP Psychology exam consists of two sections: multiple-choice and free-response. The multiple-choice section has 100 questions, and you are given 70 minutes to complete it. The free-response section consists of 2 questions, and you have 50 minutes to complete this section. The multiple-choice section contributes 2/3 (66.67%) to the final score, while the free-response section accounts for 1/3 (33.33%) of the final score.

To increase your chances of achieving a high score, make sure to study key concepts, theories, and terms covered in AP Psychology. Practice multiple-choice questions and free-response questions from official College Board materials to get a feel for the types of questions and their difficulty level, gauge your understanding of the material, and identify areas where you may need to improve.

You could also check out CollegeVine's comprehensive overview of the AP Psychology exam, which includes a detailed breakdown of the topics covered, sample questions, and study tips: https://blog.collegevine.com/ultimate-guide-to-the-ap-psychology-exam/. Good luck with your preparation!