The AP® United States Government and Politics exam

Multiple choice is scored by computer, and a wrong answer costs you nothing, so answer every question. The free-response answers are scored in June by AP teachers and college professors, using a rubric.

Each section's points are weighted by its share of the score, added up, and turned into a score from 1 to 5. College Board doesn't publish exactly how many points each score needs, and the cutoffs can change a little from year to year.

Want a rough idea of where you stand? Try the US Government score calculator with your practice test results. For the 1 to 5 scale and college credit, see how AP scores work.

Judging by pass rates alone, US Government is one of the easier exams to pass. In 2026, 76% of students scored 3 or higher: tied for the 5th highest pass rate of the 27 exams on this site. 23% got a 5, the 5th highest share of 5s.

AP Gov asks you to apply what you know, not just recall it. You need the required Supreme Court cases and foundational documents well enough to use them in new situations.

Half your score is free response: four questions, including one that compares a required Supreme Court case with a case that isn't on the required list, and an argument essay that uses a foundational document as evidence.

Reading charts and data comes up in both sections, so practice explaining what a graph or table shows.

Pass rates show how students did, not exactly how hard the material is. They also depend on who takes each exam and how much they prepared. See every course's pass rate.