Hey everyone. I've been stressing out about the AP Calc AB exam since I'm starting the class soon and was wondering if someone could explain the curve to me? I've heard that it's kind of different from other AP exams. Could anyone shed some light on it for me? Thanks!
Absolutely, happy to clarify this for you! The AP Calc AB scoring isn't that far off from other AP exams, but there are some specifics to be aware of.
Firstly, it's important to point out that the AP Calc AB exam isn't exactly "curved" in the sense most students think of. College Board sets the AP score criteria based on set standards, not based on how all test takers perform in a given year. However, the deliberate choice of a pass rate may seem like a curve to most.
Here's how it's usually broken down: the AP Calc AB exam is divided into two sections - multiple choice and free response. Each section is worth 50% of your final score. The multiple choice section comprises 45 questions, and the free response section consists of 6 questions. Your raw scores from the multiple choice and free response sections are added together to form a composite score.
This composite score is then converted into a score on the 5-point AP score scale. Let's note that scoring guidelines differ slightly every year based on the difficulty of each individual question. As an example from a recent year, a composite score of 51 out of 108 might have been necessary to score a 3, a score of 65 for a 4, and a score of 77 for a 5. But again, these numbers can vary from year to year.
Understanding this structure should help alleviate some of the stress about the exam. The exam is designed such that you don't need to answer every question correctly to get a good score. Prioritize understanding the concepts and types of problems you're most likely to see on the exam over trying to get every possible point, and you're likely to do well.
For more information on how AP scoring in general works, I'd check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-are-ap-exams-scored-heres-the-breakdown/
Or, if you'd like to learn more about the content and structure of the Calc AB exam, and even try out some practice problems, I'd check out this post, which provides a comprehensive overview of the test: https://blog.collegevine.com/ultimate-guide-to-the-ap-calculus-ab-exam
I hope this information sheds some light on the scoring process and alleviates your stress. Best of luck with your studies!
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