APCSP scoresAnswered
I am a rising sophomore. Got my first AP score which I took in freshman year. I took APCSP outside school (self study) and got a 3. Is this a bad score ?
Does it make sense to give the AP exam again.? Since this was taken outside school I have not yet submitted my scores to my school.
Earn karma by helping others:
3 answers
A 3 is a "passing" score and you'll see on the collegeboard website that some colleges will accept the score. A safer score is a 4 or 5 because most colleges accept these scores and will give you credit for the course. A 3 is a little on the fence and you'll have to check if a college you want to attend will accept the score.
If you're not sure what college you want to attend and it's an available option, retaking for a better score will ensure that you get the credit. Sorry if this explanation is bad this is just how I understand it!
This is NOT a bad score. Look up "college name AP credit" for the colleges you are interested in. If you find that most of the colleges you are interested in want a 4 or 5 to get credit, consider retaking it, if they only need a 3, don't sweat it, you're set!
Some personal advice: I took this class this year too, and also got a 3 (not retaking it in case you're wondering). Keep in mind that this is a class that is easier to pass (get a three), but difficult to master (get a 5). Some classes are harder in general just to pass (think APUSH or the AP English's) Because of this, it will naturally be harder to get a 5 than other APs you might take. Final thing- take some time to think back to your performance task vs. the paper test and think of which (if any) you think you can improve on. If you take it again, make sure to study the weird college board pseudo code a lot, understanding that is a big chuck of the test, even if you can code really well. I know I struggles with it. Good luck with whatever you choose to do!!
I was in a similar position last year. I didn't think that I would pass, as freshman year was pretty disastrous for me, CSP as a class in particular. I ended with a C in both semesters. But no, it's not worth retaking. AP scores are having less of an impact in college admissions, and CSP, especially a freshman year exam, will not matter as much. Focus on going ahead. If you do well in CSA, that will really help. If not, oh well. Many colleges don't take much credit for CSP anyways.
I just received a 4 for self studying APES after getting a 2 last year, so it's possible, but you definitely lose a lot of knowledge in one year.
Your chance of acceptance
Your chancing factors
Community Guidelines
To keep this community safe and supportive:
- Be kind and respectful!
- Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
- Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!
I understand. Thanks for explaining.