Hello, I'm getting a little bit confused about the scoring for AP exams. I know it's 1-5, but how is it determined? What percentage do you need to get each score?
Sure, I'd be glad to demystify the AP exam scoring system for you.
AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, as you mentioned:
1 - No recommendation, corresponds to a grade of D or lower
2 - Possibly qualified, corresponds to a grade of C
3 - Qualified, corresponds to a grade of B
4 - Well qualified, corresponds to a grade of A
5 - Extremely well qualified, corresponds to a grade of A+
Each of these scores essentially signifies the student's recommendation for college credit and placement, but note that the decision ultimately depends on the college the student attends.
The College Board uses a two-step process to determine these scores. First, they convert each student's raw score (the number of points earned from correct answers, with no penalties for wrong answers) to a scale score. This allows for slight variations in difficulty between different versions of the exam.
After determining a raw score, the College Board applies a statistical process known as equating to adjust the scores as needed, so that a given AP score reflects the same level of performance regardless of when the test was taken.
Unfortunately, there isn't a specific percentage you need to achieve on the AP exam to get a certain score. Instead, the distribution of 1-5 scores depends on the specific exam, and on the performance of all students taking that exam in a given year.
I hope this clarifies the process! The important thing to remember is to focus on mastering the content, understanding how the exam is formatted, and answering the questions to the best of your ability.
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