Excel: the button above exports this calculation as a spreadsheet with live formulas, or download the blank template.
How AP scores are calculated
Every AP exam has a multiple choice section and a free-response section, and each is worth a fixed share of the score set by the College Board: 50/50 for most sciences and math, 45/55 for the English exams, 40/60 for the histories (split across short answers, a DBQ, and a long essay), and two thirds to one third for Psychology and Economics. The calculator divides each section's raw score by its maximum, multiplies by the section's weight, and adds the pieces into a composite out of 100:
composite = sum over sections of (raw / max) x weight
AP score = 5 if composite >= cutoff5, 4 if >= cutoff4, 3, 2, else 1
The College Board's own worksheets use an integer composite (108 for Calculus, 150 for many others), but the proportions are identical, so a 100-point composite is simply the percent of available weighted points you earned. The cutoffs are where the estimating happens: the College Board equates each exam form after it is given and never publishes the current year's cutoffs, so every subject page uses estimates from released exams and labels them as such.
The 1 to 5 scale
| AP score | Recommendation | Typical college policy |
|---|
| 5 | Extremely well qualified | Credit or placement almost everywhere |
| 4 | Well qualified | Credit at most colleges |
| 3 | Qualified | Credit at many public universities; placement elsewhere |
| 2 | Possibly qualified | Rarely accepted |
| 1 | No recommendation | Not accepted |
Worked example: AP English Language at the defaults
The form starts on AP Lang with 32 of 45 multiple choice correct and 4 of 6 on each essay. Multiple choice is 45% of the score, so 32 / 45 x 45 = 32 composite points. The three essays are 55% together: 12 / 18 x 55 = 36.67. The composite is 68.67, which sits 5.3 points below the estimated 5 line of 74 and above the 4 line of 62, so the predicted score is a 4. Change the subject in the form and the fields, weights, and cutoffs switch to that exam.
Every AP subject
Each page below has the exam's section table, the composite formula with per-question values, estimated cutoffs, and a worked example. The estimated composite for a 5 ranges from 60 (AP Physics C E&M) to 78 (AP Chinese); the difference reflects how hard each exam's free-response rubrics are, not how "easy" the course is.
| Subject | Multiple choice | Free response | Est. composite for a 5 | For a 3 |
|---|
| AP African American Studies | 60 questions, 50% | 50% | 70 | 45 |
| AP Art History | 80 questions, 50% | 50% | 68 | 44 |
| AP Bio (Biology) | 60 questions, 50% | 50% | 68 | 42 |
| AP Calc AB (Calculus AB) | 45 questions, 50% | 50% | 63 | 36 |
| AP Calc BC (Calculus BC) | 45 questions, 50% | 50% | 62 | 41 |
| AP Chem (Chemistry) | 60 questions, 50% | 50% | 68 | 43 |
| AP Chinese (Chinese Language and Culture) | 70 questions, 50% | 50% | 78 | 52 |
| AP Comp Gov (Comparative Government and Politics) | 55 questions, 50% | 50% | 70 | 44 |
| AP CSA (Computer Science A) | 40 questions, 50% | 50% | 70 | 42 |
| AP CSP (Computer Science Principles) | 70 questions, 70% | 30% | 73 | 48 |
| AP Lang (English Language and Composition) | 45 questions, 45% | 55% | 74 | 48 |
| AP Lit (English Literature and Composition) | 55 questions, 45% | 55% | 73 | 47 |
| AP Environmental Science | 80 questions, 60% | 40% | 70 | 45 |
| AP Euro (European History) | 55 questions, 40% | 60% | 66 | 42 |
| AP French (French Language and Culture) | 65 questions, 50% | 50% | 74 | 48 |
| AP German (German Language and Culture) | 65 questions, 50% | 50% | 74 | 48 |
| AP Human Geography | 60 questions, 50% | 50% | 70 | 45 |
| AP Italian (Italian Language and Culture) | 65 questions, 50% | 50% | 74 | 48 |
| AP Japanese (Japanese Language and Culture) | 70 questions, 50% | 50% | 78 | 52 |
| AP Latin | 50 questions, 50% | 50% | 70 | 44 |
| AP Macro (Macroeconomics) | 60 questions, 66.67% | 33.33% | 72 | 44 |
| AP Micro (Microeconomics) | 60 questions, 66.67% | 33.33% | 72 | 45 |
| AP Music Theory | 75 questions, 45% | 55% | 70 | 45 |
| AP Physics 1 (Physics 1: Algebra-Based) | 40 questions, 50% | 50% | 70 | 42 |
| AP Physics 2 (Physics 2: Algebra-Based) | 40 questions, 50% | 50% | 68 | 42 |
| AP Physics C E&M (Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism) | 40 questions, 50% | 50% | 60 | 34 |
| AP Physics C Mech (Physics C: Mechanics) | 40 questions, 50% | 50% | 62 | 36 |
| AP Precalc (Precalculus) | 40 questions, 62.5% | 37.5% | 72 | 46 |
| AP Psych (Psychology) | 75 questions, 66.67% | 33.33% | 72 | 46 |
| AP Spanish (Spanish Language and Culture) | 65 questions, 50% | 50% | 74 | 48 |
| AP Spanish Lit (Spanish Literature and Culture) | 65 questions, 50% | 50% | 72 | 47 |
| AP Stats (Statistics) | 40 questions, 50% | 50% | 66 | 38 |
| AP Gov (United States Government and Politics) | 55 questions, 50% | 50% | 70 | 46 |
| AP APUSH (United States History) | 55 questions, 40% | 60% | 68 | 43 |
| AP World (World History: Modern) | 55 questions, 40% | 60% | 66 | 42 |
Reading your result
The result shows the composite, the predicted score, and the composite points to the next score, translated into multiple choice questions with your free-response scores held fixed. Because every raw point has a fixed composite value, the section table tells you where practice pays: an essay rubric point on AP Lang is worth about three multiple choice questions, while on AP Statistics a point on the investigative task is worth 1.67 points on any other free-response question. Enter a range such as 30~38 in any field to see the spread of outcomes instead of a single number.
Predicted scores are estimates. Section weights follow each course and exam description; cutoffs are estimates from released exams and the College Board sets the real conversion every year. AP Seminar, AP Research, and the AP Art and Design portfolios are scored on rubrics without a composite and are not included.
Frequently asked questions
How is an AP score calculated?
Each section's raw score (questions correct, rubric points) is weighted by the section's share of the exam and summed into a composite. The College Board then maps composite ranges to scores of 1 to 5 using cutoffs set after each exam. This calculator does the same arithmetic on a 100-point composite with estimated cutoffs.
What is a passing AP score?
A 3 is labeled "qualified" and is the score most colleges treat as passing for credit or placement. A 4 is "well qualified" and a 5 "extremely well qualified". Some selective colleges only award credit for a 4 or 5, and a few award none.
Are AP exams curved?
Not against the other students in your year. The College Board equates each exam so that a given score reflects the same level of mastery across years, which means the composite needed for a 5 shifts slightly from form to form. Cutoffs are not published for the current year.
Is there a penalty for wrong answers on AP exams?
No. Since 2011 only correct multiple choice answers count, so you should answer every question. Free-response questions earn points for what you get right and nothing is deducted for errors.
How accurate are AP score calculators?
The section weights are official, so the composite is exact for the raw scores you enter. The uncertainty is in the cutoffs, which are estimates from released exams and practice scoring worksheets. Treat a result within about three composite points of a line as a coin flip.
When are AP scores released?
Early July, in your College Board account. Scores from earlier years stay in the same account, and you can send, withhold, or cancel them before they go to a college.