Advanced Placement exams - AP Scoring System

Understanding Your Exam Score When you receive your exam results, you'll get a score on a five-point scale. Understanding how raw scores translate to this scale and what each score means is essential for knowing how well you performed. How Raw Scores Convert to Reported Scores Your exam is first scored as a raw score—a percentage based on the total number of points available. Most exams follow a consistent pattern: if you earn between 75% and 100% of the total available points, you'll receive a score of five. This is the highest score on the reported scale. However, it's important to note that different exams may use slightly different thresholds. While 75% is the typical cutoff for a five, some exams may have different minimum percentages for achieving this highest score. This variation exists because different exams have different difficulty levels and question types that require adjustment. What Each Score Means The reported five-point scale translates your raw performance into a standardized score that has clear meaning: Score of Five: "Extremely Well Qualified" This indicates mastery of the material. It's equivalent to earning an A or A+ in a college-level course. Score of Four: "Very Well Qualified" This represents strong performance. It corresponds to grades of A−, B+, or B in college courses, showing you have solid command of the content. Score of Three: "Qualified" This score indicates you have acceptable knowledge of the subject matter. It falls in the range of B−, C+, or C grades in college courses. Score of Two: "Possibly Qualified" This score suggests you may have some understanding of the material, though your performance is below the "qualified" threshold. Score of One: "No Recommendation" This is the lowest score, indicating that you have not demonstrated sufficient knowledge of the subject. The key point to understand is that a score of three or higher ("qualified" or better) is generally considered successful performance, as it indicates genuine competency with the course content.