AP Pass Rates & Score Distributions
How many students earn each score, subject by subject, and what counts as a 'good' result relative to peers.
Pass rates (the share of students scoring 3 or higher) and 5-rates vary widely by subject - often more because of who self-selects into the exam than because of raw content difficulty. A small, specialized cohort (like AP Physics C, usually taken by students already strong in calculus) tends to post higher rates than a large, broad-enrollment exam like AP Human Geography, which is often a student's very first AP course.
Three numbers matter when reading any of the tables below: the 5-rate (share earning a 5), the pass rate (share earning 3 or higher), and the mean score. An exam can have a low pass rate but still be a smart choice for you if you're strong in the subject - the averages describe the whole cohort, not your personal odds.
Reading tip: don't pick (or avoid) a course on pass-rate alone. Use a subject calculator with your actual practice scores to see where you stand, then weigh credit at your target colleges with the credit guide.
5-rate by subject
Sorted from highest to lowest. Hover or tap a bar, or use the sortable table below.
Full distribution table
| Subject | 5-rate | Pass rate (3+) | Mean score | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP African American Studies | 34% | 73% | 3.48 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Art History | 14% | 57% | 2.84 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Biology | 16% | 64% | 3.04 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Calculus AB | 21% | 57% | 2.94 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Calculus BC | 45% | 83% | 3.83 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Chemistry | 18% | 61% | 2.93 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Chinese | 50% | 86% | 4.01 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Comparative Government | 16% | 53% | 2.82 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Computer Science A | 24% | 66% | 3.15 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Computer Science Principles | 14% | 70% | 3.1 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP English Language | 10% | 57% | 2.82 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP English Literature | 13% | 57% | 2.78 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Environmental Science | 9% | 55% | 2.78 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP European History | 13% | 52% | 2.7 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP French | 15% | 70% | 3.12 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP German | 22% | 71% | 3.25 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Human Geography | 18% | 57% | 2.87 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Italian | 20% | 70% | 3.19 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Japanese | 50% | 84% | 3.98 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Latin | 16% | 60% | 2.89 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Macroeconomics | 16% | 56% | 2.87 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Microeconomics | 18% | 59% | 2.92 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Music Theory | 20% | 62% | 3.0 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Physics 1 | 8% | 45% | 2.51 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Physics 2 | 15% | 66% | 3.0 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Physics C: E&M | 27% | 63% | 3.2 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | 25% | 65% | 3.2 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Precalculus | 25% | 59% | 2.99 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Psychology | 18% | 65% | 3.08 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Research | 13% | 83% | 3.4 | Digital portfolio |
| AP Seminar | 11% | 62% | 2.97 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Spanish Language | 24% | 79% | 3.49 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Spanish Literature | 20% | 67% | 3.16 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Statistics | 17% | 63% | 3.0 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP Studio Art | 13% | 69% | 3.12 | Digital portfolio |
| AP US Government | 13% | 52% | 2.69 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP US History | 12% | 49% | 2.6 | Digital (Bluebook) |
| AP World History | 16% | 60% | 2.93 | Digital (Bluebook) |
Click a column header to sort. Figures are rounded, approximate recent distributions.
Highest vs. Lowest 5-Rates: Why the Numbers Mislead
Students looking at national AP distributions often assume that exams with high 5-rates are "easy" and exams with low 5-rates are "brutal." In reality, the numbers reflect cohort self-selection rather than pure exam difficulty:
| Exam Category | Exam Examples | Typical 5-Rate | Why the Rate Looks Like This |
|---|---|---|---|
| High 5-Rate · Filtered Cohorts | AP Calculus BC (~45%), AP Physics C: Mech (~33%), AP Chinese (~50%) | 30% – 50%+ | Students taking Calculus BC or Physics C have already mastered Precalculus or Physics 1; foreign language exams include heritage speakers. The test is exceptionally demanding, but the test-takers are intensely prepared. |
| Low 5-Rate · Broad Gateway Courses | AP Environmental Science (~9%), AP US History (~11%), AP Human Geo (~16%) | 8% – 16% | These are frequently taken as a student's very first AP class in 9th or 10th grade. Many test-takers have not yet developed advanced college-level DBQ writing or analytical timing skills, pulling down the national average. |
| Moderate 5-Rate · Core Disciplines | AP Biology (~15%), AP Psychology (~17%), AP English Language (~10%) | 10% – 20% | Well-balanced curves where solid content recall and consistent rubric execution reliably produce scores of 4 and 5. |
3 Strategic Rules for Using Pass Rates
- Never avoid a subject because of a low national 5-rate: A 10% 5-rate on AP US History does not mean your personal chance is 10%. Students who practice timed DBQs and track weak units on our APUSH calculator consistently score in the top band.
- Never underestimate a "high pass rate" course: Do not choose AP Calculus BC thinking it is an "easy 5." The syllabus covers double the material of Calculus AB at twice the velocity.
- Focus on composite cutoffs, not cohort percentages: While you cannot control how other students across the nation perform, you have 100% control over your raw points. Use our score conversion charts to find the exact raw composite target for your course.
Want the modeled composite-to-score cutoff for a specific subject instead of these historical rates? Open its calculator page, or browse all 38 in one place on the score conversion charts page.
AP pass rates FAQ
What is a good AP pass rate?
Across all subjects, about 64% of AP test-takers earn a 3 or higher, and the average 5-rate is about 19.7%. What counts as 'good' depends on the subject - a 45% pass rate on AP Physics 1 tells you more about who takes it than about the exam's fairness.
Why do some hard exams have high pass rates?
Because of self-selection. Exams like AP Physics C or AP Chinese are mostly taken by students already strong in the subject (calculus-ready, or heritage speakers), so their 5-rates run far above the average despite the material being genuinely demanding. A big, broad-enrollment exam like AP Human Geography or AP Environmental Science pulls in many first-time AP students, which drags the averages down.
Which AP exam has the highest 5-rate?
In the most recent published distributions, AP Chinese tops the list at about 50% earning a 5 - the world language and Physics C exams consistently lead because of their specialized cohorts.
Which AP exam has the lowest 5-rate?
AP Physics 1 is consistently at the bottom, with about 8% earning a 5. It is one of the largest exams and a common first AP course, so the low 5-rate says more about the testing pool than the difficulty of the content.
Where do these numbers come from?
The figures here are rounded approximations cross-checked against public College Board score-distribution reports (most recent released year per subject, ~2025). They move every year. For the exact cutoffs this site models per subject, see the conversion charts or any subject calculator.