How AP Exams are scored

Step by step

1. Multiple choice: the computer counts your right answers. There’s no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave one blank.
2. Free response: in early June, college professors and experienced AP teachers score your written answers at the AP Reading, using the scoring guidelines.
3. Each section is weighted. On AP Biology, for example, each section is 50%. On AP Psychology, multiple choice is 67% and free response is 33%.
4. The weighted scores are added into a composite score.
5. College Board converts the composite to 1 to 5 using statistical methods, so a 3 means the same thing from year to year.

Section weights for popular exams

Weights come from each course’s exam page as of October 2026. Check your subject’s page, since courses are revised from time to time.

Some courses are scored differently

AP Seminar, AP Research, AP Computer Science Principles, AP African American Studies and the Art and Design courses include work done during the year, or are scored only on a portfolio. Their course pages explain how each part counts.

About AP score calculators

Online calculators use old scoring worksheets or guesses to turn your raw points into a 1 to 5 score. They can give a rough idea, but they aren’t official, and the real conversion can shift from year to year.

A simpler way to track progress: score released free-response questions with the official scoring guidelines, and aim to get most multiple-choice practice questions right. We use 60% as the practice target in our own test.

When scores come out

Scores are released in July. In 2026 they came out on July 6. Your scores go to you, your school, and the college you picked for your free score send, if you chose one by June 20.