Understand the 2020 AP Exam Scores
The AP Exam scores were just released; the cumulation of a highly unusual AP cycle. Because of COVID, rather than hosting the traditional three-hour in-person tests with a mix of multiple choice and free response questions, the College Board distributed 45-minute tests consisting solely of free response questions for this year’s online exams.
Some students found it harder to do well on their exams because of the change while others felt the new format enabled them to perform better.
If your student took one or more AP exams this May, you might be wondering how their scores compare to other students’ results. The chart below presents a helpful overview of how all AP students performed on the 2020 exams. The score distribution tables on this page show the percentages of 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s for each AP subject.
|
Exam
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
|
Calculus AB
|
19%
|
20.4%
|
20.5%
|
24.1%
|
16%
|
|
Calculus BC
|
44.2%
|
17.4%
|
19.2%
|
14.4%
|
4.8%
|
|
Chemistry
|
10.4%
|
18.2%
|
26.4%
|
23.8%
|
21.1%
|
|
European History
|
13.7%
|
20.1%
|
25.5%
|
29.2%
|
11.5%
|
|
French Language
|
23.2%
|
31.6%
|
28.3%
|
12.4%
|
4.5%
|
|
Human Geography
|
11.6%
|
22.1%
|
24.5%
|
10.9%
|
30.9%
|
|
Psychology
|
22.3%
|
25.3%
|
23.4%
|
9.6%
|
19.4%
|
|
Chinese Lang. and Culture
|
55.3%
|
15.5%
|
17.8%
|
5.2%
|
6.2%
|
|
English Language
|
12.5%
|
20.4%
|
29.1%
|
26.2%
|
11.8%
|
|
Environmental Science
|
11.8%
|
28.3%
|
13%
|
25.4%
|
21.5%
|
|
Italian Language and Culture
|
18.5%
|
16.9%
|
39.9%
|
19.6%
|
5.1%
|
|
Latin
|
16.3%
|
20.1%
|
32%
|
17.8%
|
13.8%
|
|
Spanish Language
|
30.5%
|
36.4%
|
23.1%
|
8.8%
|
1.2%
|
|
Spanish Literature
|
17%
|
18%
|
37.7%
|
20.7%
|
6.6%
|
|
Statistics
|
16%
|
20.6%
|
22.9%
|
21.6%
|
18.9%
|
|
Computer Science A
|
25.2%
|
21.3%
|
22.8%
|
12.9%
|
17.8%
|
|
Macroeconomics
|
19.5%
|
24.8%
|
18.3%
|
16.2%
|
21.2%
|
|
Microeconomics
|
23.1%
|
28.7%
|
16.5%
|
14.2%
|
17.5%
|
|
Physics 1- Algebra Based
|
8.7%
|
17.7%
|
24.5%
|
26.3%
|
22.8%
|
|
Physics 2- Algebra Based
|
13.9%
|
24%
|
34.6%
|
21.5%
|
6%
|
|
Physics C E&M
|
40%
|
22.1%
|
11.5%
|
16.3%
|
10.1%
|
|
Physics C Mech.
|
40.9%
|
26%
|
16%
|
9.5%
|
7.6%
|
|
World History
|
9.2%
|
22.8%
|
28.2%
|
26.1%
|
13.7%
|
|
Art History
|
15.6%
|
24.6%
|
27.7%
|
21.4%
|
10.7%
|
|
Biology
|
9.4%
|
22.5%
|
36.6%
|
24.2%
|
7.3%
|
|
English Literature
|
9.3%
|
17.3%
|
33.5%
|
27.7%
|
12.2%
|
|
German Language
|
23.9%
|
33.8%
|
16%
|
19.5%
|
6.7%
|
|
Gov’t and Politics, Comp
|
24.3%
|
27.3%
|
18.4%
|
17.3%
|
12.7%
|
|
Gov’t and Politics, US
|
15.3%
|
16.2%
|
25.1%
|
21.8%
|
21.6%
|
|
Japanese Lang and Culture
|
53.9%
|
9.6%
|
20.1%
|
7.6%
|
8.8%
|
|
Music Theory
|
23.8%
|
18.9%
|
25.2%
|
22%
|
10.1%
|
|
2-D Art and Design
|
12.1%
|
26.2%
|
41.2%
|
9.8%
|
.6%
|
|
3-D Art and Design
|
7.2%
|
32%
|
36.5%
|
20.9%
|
3.6%
|
|
AP Research
|
8.8%
|
32.1%
|
31.5%
|
25%
|
2.6%
|
|
AP Seminar
|
6.4%
|
14.5%
|
59.7%
|
17.2%
|
2.3%
|
|
Computer Science Principles
|
10.8%
|
23.3%
|
36.6%
|
17.5%
|
11.8%
|
|
Drawing
|
15.5%
|
40.3%
|
33.3%
|
9.8%
|
1.2%
|
|
US History
|
13%
|
19.2%
|
26.6%
|
20.4%
|
21%
|
Note: Scores from totalregistration.net. The 2020 distributions include May and early June exams, but do not include exemption exams taken the end of June as they are still being scored. Final 2020 score distributions should be available in the fall.
Interpreting AP Exam Results
Whether or not to share AP exam scores with colleges is up to the student. Reporting scores of 4 or 5 can help make a positive impression on admissions officers. Scores of 1 or 2 on an AP exam should not be reported.