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Articles / Preparing for College / 2023 AP Exam Score Distributions

2023 AP Exam Score Distributions

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Written by Sam Jaquez | July 12, 2023
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Photo by Andy Barbour via Pexels

This year’s AP Scores have been released and Trevor Packer, head of the Advanced Placement Program has shared the details of this year’s AP score distributions on Twitter. Packer provided a full breakdown of scores for all 38 AP courses as well as some insights into the scores. Since the AP exams are not curved, each year’s scores are an accurate representation of how exam takers fared overall in their AP courses for the year.

In his breakdown of scores Trevor Packer started with a few reminders about what AP scores mean and how they can affect students.

1. AP scores are not the only indicator of learning or comprehension.

2. AP scores do not determine a student’s full academic potential.

3. A low AP score is not that bad, it just means the student will take that course again in college.

4. Students who score low on the AP exam and retake the course in college outperform the other students in the college course.

Packer also noted that score data and numbers that he has Tweeted are subject to change: “As the remaining late-arriving or make-up exams in each subject are scored, they will slightly shift the score distributions I’ve tweeted.”

2023 AP Scores Distributions

Subject Percent Students Who Scored a 5 Percent Students Who Scored a 4 Percent Students Who Scored a 3 Percent Students Who Scored a 2 Percent Students Who Scored a 1
AP Art and Design 2D Portfolio 12% 31% 41% 14% 2%
AP Art and Design 3D Portfolio 7% 25% 40% 23% 4%
AP Art and Design Drawing 16% 33% 36% 13% 2%
AP Art History 13% 23% 28% 24% 12%
AP Biology 14% 23% 27% 24% 12%
AP Calculus AB 22% 16% 20% 22% 20%
AP Calculus BC 42% 16% 20% 16% 6%
AP Chemistry 15% 27% 33% 17% 8%
AP Chinese 50% 17% 18% 6% 9%
AP Comparative Government & Politics 16% 23% 32% 16% 13%
AP Computer Science A 27% 22% 18% 10% 23%
AP Computer Science Principles 15% 23% 33% 20% 12%
AP English Language & Composition 10% 20% 26% 29% 15%
AP English Literature & Composition 15% 28% 34% 14% 9%
AP Environmental Sciences 8% 28% 17% 27% 20%
AP European History 13% 21% 25% 29% 12%
AP French 12% 25% 37% 20% 6%
AP German 19% 21% 26% 20% 14%
AP Human Geography 16% 20% 18% 14% 32%
AP Italian 20% 22% 29% 18% 11%
AP Japanese 47% 9% 19% 9% 17%
AP Latin 12% 17% 28% 25% 18%
AP Macroeconomics 16% 23% 25% 22% 14%
AP Microeconomics 18% 26% 22% 21% 13%
AP Music Theory 20% 17% 24% 24% 15%
AP Physics 1 8% 18% 19% 28% 27%
AP Physics 2 15% 17% 36% 26% 6%
AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism 31% 24% 13% 20% 12%
AP Physics C: Mechanics 23% 28% 22% 15% 12%
AP Psychology 17% 23% 20% 12% 28%
AP Research 13% 26% 45% 13% 3%
AP Seminar 11% 20% 57% 11% 1%
AP Spanish Language 24% 30% 30% 14% 3%
AP Spanish Literature 8% 22% 37% 23% 10%
AP Statistics 15% 22% 23% 16% 24%
AP US Government and Politics 13% 11% 25% 24% 27%
AP US History 11% 15% 22% 23% 29%
AP World History 15% 22% 28% 22% 13%

Written by

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Sam Jaquez

Sam is a freelance writer. She studied at the University of Massachusetts Boston where she earned a degree in English.

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