Hey everyone, I'm not totally understanding the AP test grading process. Can anyone break down how they calculate the scores? Do different sections weigh differently? Thanks in advance!
Sure, I'd be happy to break this down!
AP exams are made up of multiple sections, each of which contributes to your total score in a different way. These sections include multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and free-response questions (FRQs), such as essays or problems. The way each section is scored and how they contribute to your final AP score differs depending on the subject but generally follows the same structure.
The multiple choice section is straightforward: you get one point for each correct answer, and no points are subtracted for incorrect answers. Once your raw score is calculated, it's converted into a scaled score using a process called equating, which basically ensures the difficulty of the test doesn't affect your score.
The free-response section is a bit more complex. Your responses are scored by human graders according to specific rubrics that assign points for each part of the question. The points you earn for each response are then added together to get your raw score for the FRQ section. This is also converted into a scaled score.
Each section's scaled score is then combined in a weighted manner to determine the overall AP score (1-5). The exact proportion of the MCQ and FRQ sections will depend on the specific subject. For example, for AP Biology, the multiple-choice section contributes to 50% of the final score, and the free-response section make up the remaining 50%. There might also be changes in the proportion of sub-sections within the FRQs in some subjects; for instance, in AP English Literature and Composition, three types of essays get different weightage.
Do remember, the threshold to get a specific AP score (1-5) isn't always the same and can change year by year based on the overall performance of all students who took that exam.
I hope this is clear enough! If you have further questions, do let me know.
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