The 1 to 5 scale
Your score is College Board's recommendation to colleges about how ready you are to get credit for the matching college course. Each score has a label, and College Board compares the top three to a college course grade:
| Score | What College Board calls it | Like a college grade of |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Extremely well qualified | A+ or A |
| 4 | Very well qualified | A−, B+ or B |
| 3 | Qualified | B−, C+ or C |
| 2 | Possibly qualified | None given |
| 1 | No recommendation | None given |
A 3 or higher is what most people mean by “passing,” because that's where many U.S. colleges start giving credit. But there's no official pass mark: each college decides for itself.
How your score is worked out
Most exams have two sections, multiple choice and free response, and they're scored differently.
- Multiple choice is scored by computer. Your score is simply the number you got right.
- Free response (essays, short answers and worked problems) is scored in June by college professors and experienced AP teachers.
The two section scores are weighted and added into one total, and that total is turned into a score from 1 to 5. College Board sets the cutoffs so that a 3 this year means the same as a 3 last year. How much each section counts depends on the exam: see each course's exam at a glance.
You don't lose points for a wrong answer, and you get nothing for a blank one. So never leave a question empty, even if you have to guess.
What colleges do with your score
A good score can help you in college in two ways:
- Credit: the college counts the score toward your degree, as if you'd taken and passed the course there.
- Placement: the college lets you skip the intro course and go straight to the next one.
Some colleges give both. That can save you time and money, or free up room in your schedule for a second major or an internship.
Every college sets its own rules: which scores count, and for which courses. To see a college's policy, use College Board's AP Credit Policy Search, then double-check on the college's own website, since policies change.
Worried a low score will hurt your application? College Board points out that colleges look at much more than exam scores, like how hard your classes were and your grades in them. Taking the course and the exam still shows you're up for college-level work.
When scores come out
Scores are released in July; for this year's exams, that's July 2027. College Board announces the exact day closer to the time. You'll see them by signing in to your College Board account on the AP scores site.
- It's the same account you use for My AP, so make sure you can sign in before July.
- Keep the email address on your account up to date.
- Don't make a second account. Two accounts can hold up your scores.
Your AP teachers and school get your scores too. Your parents don't, unless you share your sign-in with them.
Sending your scores to a college
Each year you take AP exams, you can send your scores to one college, university or scholarship program for free. For 2027 exams, pick it by June 20, 2027 (11:59 p.m. Eastern time) on the free score send page. After that, each report costs $15.
A score report includes all your AP scores from every year, not just this year's. If you need to, you can pay to withhold a score from a particular college, or cancel a score for good. Both have their own rules and deadlines on College Board's site, so read those carefully before you decide.
If you're starting college in the fall, sending your scores to that college for free by June 20 is the easiest way to make sure it has them in time to give you credit.
AP Scholar awards
College Board also gives awards each fall for strong scores across several exams:
- AP Scholar: 3 or higher on at least three exams.
- AP Scholar with Honor: an average of 3.25 or more across all your exams, and 3 or higher on at least four.
- AP Scholar with Distinction: an average of 3.5 or more across all your exams, and 3 or higher on at least five.
Aiming for a 5
The surest way to raise your score is to find what you don't know yet and fix it. This site has unit guides with videos for every course, plus flashcards that bring back the cards you find hard and multiple choice practice that explains every answer. Our study plan guide shows how to fit them together.