What Happens If You Fail An AP Exam Or Class? (2024)

FAQs

What Happens If You Fail An AP Exam Or Class? ›

What happens if you fail an AP exam? If you fail an AP exam, you will not receive college credit for that course. The good news is that a failed exam does not affect your GPA. In addition, you can retake the AP exam the next year.

Since a 1 is the lowest score that you can get on an AP® exam, this is not desirable. Thankfully, not many students leave the exam with a 1 unless complications arise during the test and they need to leave, or they are just trying to take the exam without knowing any of the material.

But what happens if you fail an AP exam? Basically, nothing happens if you fail an AP exam. Whether you get a passing or failing AP exam grade, you can still go to college. Colleges do not take a look at the AP exam as the only a criterion for accepting or rejecting a student.

Total scores on the multiple-choice section are based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers and no points are awarded for unanswered questions.

The most important thing to understand is that college admissions officers are looking for the overall rigor of a student's profile which means they care less about if exams are retaken and more about the student's overall achievements. However, they will notice these small inconsistencies.

The good news is that a failed exam does not affect your GPA. In addition, you can retake the AP exam the next year. To prepare, you can re-enroll in the class, study on your own, or hire a tutor who can help you tackle the more challenging subjects on the test.

Students who earn AP scores of 2 are well prepared to succeed in introductory college coursework. Compared to academically similar college peers who did not take the AP course, AP students who earn scores of 2 perform as well or better when they take those introductory college courses.

AP Physics 1

Physics 1 has the lowest pass rate of any AP exam (43.3%) along with one of the lowest percentages of students scoring a 5 (just 7.9%).

AP Physics 1 is the hardest AP class with the least passing rate of 51.6. It means almost half of the students fail this exam. It's 3 hours exam consist of 50 MCQs and 5 free-response questions.

Does a bad AP score hurt you? ›

You may also take AP exams and never reveal your scores to universities if you're not happy with your results. This means that even a bad AP score can't negatively affect your application. Every year, students get into top universities without any AP scores on their resumes.

Students can score a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 on the AP Exam, and a 3 is considered passing. Post-secondary institutions that offer college credit for AP Exam scores typically begin offering credit to students with a score of 3 or higher.

Do Colleges Care About AP Scores? As with many college-admissions related questions, the answer to this question is, “It depends.” However, as a general rule, your AP exam scores aren't going to be a major make-or-break factor in whether you get into a college or not.

Finally, AP Calculus BC is the toughest AP math exam, if not one of the hardest AP exams period. AP Calculus AB is also challenging, but covers less material and moves more slowly.

Dropping a class is much better for your GPA than failing a class or getting a C or D in it is because a dropped class does not affect your grade point average. Dropping a class may also raise your GPA because it can allow you to spend more time on other classes and raise your grades in them.

The first thing that you should do is check the AP Score credit policy for the colleges that you are applying to. If they will give you credit for the 3, then by all means report it! On the other hand, if they only give credit for a 5 on that exam (not even for a 4), you may want to hold off.

Most AP tests have a pass rate of around 60% or higher.

But what is a passing AP score? The College Board considers a score of 3 or higher a passing grade. That said, some colleges require a 4 or 5 to award credit.

First, it's important to know that you are not alone in this situation. Many students, especially those taking an AP for the first time, will fail to score the 3 needed to receive college credit. It's important for AP students to go through the following checklist and make the best of a bad situation.

What is the easiest AP math class? ›

Calculus BC

AP Calculus BC has earned a reputation as an easy AP course because many of its students master the material. Most AP Calculus BC students perform at an advanced level — at least one year ahead of their high school class in math — helping them achieve a high pass rate.

Colleges are generally looking for a 4 (“well-qualified”) or 5 (“extremely qualified”) on the AP exam, but some may grant credit for a 3 (“qualified”). These scores mean you have proven yourself capable of doing the work in an introductory-level college course.

The hardest and most time-consuming AP exams are in the top-right corner. Physics C – E&M earns the top difficulty rating based on real student reviews. The easiest and least time-consuming are in the bottom-left corner. Computer Science Principles earns the easiest difficulty rating based on real student reviews.

Chakravarty says students are academically unprepared for the difficulty of AP courses, whether they are taking the course too early in their high school career or without the appropriate preparatory courses.

Consequently, both Physics C courses (Mechanics as well as Electricity & Magnetism) are regarded as two of the hardest AP classes that you can take in high school. You'll cover topics like electrostatics, conductors, and electromagnetism over the course of five units.

GPA Weight

At many high schools, honors and AP classes both offer more heavily weighted training compared to regular classes. While honors courses usually add 0.5 points to your GPA, AP classes often add 1 point. In other words, a 3.5 GPA would be boosted to a 4.0 in an honors class and a 4.5 in an AP class.

Poor performance in AP classes

Students who earn a “C” or below in an AP class will decrease the likelihood that they will be admitted into the colleges and universities at the top of their lists.

Colleges won't see your scores, and you won't miss out on any opportunities. So, even if you are unsure if you'll pass, it's a good idea to opt to take an AP course.

Do colleges look at low AP scores? ›

Most of the time, it is up to you whether a college will look at your AP exam scores during the admissions process. The vast majority of colleges do not require that you submit your scores at the time of application. If you scored a 4 or 5 on all of your AP exams then by all means self-report.

Sending your AP exam score to colleges is optional.

If your exam score is eligible for credit, self-report it on the college application and send the official report through the CollegeBoard. Never report or send an exam score of a 1 or 2. They are not considered “passing” scores.

Any score that's 3 or higher is considered a passing score, though some colleges only accept 4s and 5s for credit. (See AP's college database for specific policies at each university.) Getting a 5 is especially desirable because, for most exams, it puts you in the top 10-20% of scorers.

Yes, a 60 is a passing rate in AP classes. The average passing rate in AP is 60-70%.

Colleges like them both. Both honors and AP courses are rigorous courses that most high schools weight more heavily on your transcript. AP courses, however, culminate in the AP Exam. Good AP scores show colleges you are ready to succeed at college-level work and can even earn you college credits.

Junior Year

Depending on what kind of school you want to go to, you should be taking between 3 and 5 AP® classes this year. You will need to manage your time well, however, as you also need to study for the SAT® or ACT® during this time.

Senior APs do count. Colleges look at your senior courses to see that youre still taking challenging courses and your grades in your midyear report.

Junior year

This is when you should start taking your AP core classes. Take 3 to 5 if you are aiming for a highly selective school, and 2 to 4 if you are aiming elsewhere. Note that many students describe this year as significantly harder than past ones. And you'll also likely be taking your standardized tests.

AP Calculus AB Topics

Just because AP Calculus AB is the easier of the two courses, doesn't mean students should expect to breeze through this class.

Is getting B in AP classes bad? ›

If you take AP classes and get B's, don't worry too much. Colleges take the difficulty of your classes into consideration, and a lot of admissions officers are impressed by students who challenge themselves with the tougher courses.

This is because a "B" in an AP class demonstrates that the student was able to handle a high level of coursework and achieve a good grade in a challenging environment.

In theory, a “B" in an AP or honors class is “better" than an “A" in a regular class, but many applicants to top colleges will have all A's in the top classes.

AP® Score of 3

The College Board designates a 3 to be “qualified”. That means that you understood and executed the material to the point that you could pass the college class. While you did not receive the highest grade in the class, you did pass. Because of this, many state colleges will accept a 3.

However, a low AP exam score is very unlikely to hurt your application. If you get a 1 or a 2, you can choose not to report it, and if you get a 3, it's up to you, as it will likely have no impact one way or another. A 3 is a passing score, so it won't help you but probably won't hurt you.

Harvard only accepts AP® scores of 5 for course credit. If you have 4 scores of 5, you can opt to obtain Advanced Standing. You can use AP® credits to opt-out of lower-level classes. Harvard has general academic requirements that all students must take.

A score of 3 or higher is generally considered good, because that means you passed the exam! A 4 is considered very good, and a 5 is especially impressive since it is the highest score. Also keep in mind that every college sets its own policy about AP credit. Some schools only give credit for scores of 4 or 5.

While strong AP exam scores can help your application, they are not the only factor that matters. However, it's fair to note that more competitive schools, like Ivy League institutions, get many applicants who mainly took AP classes by their senior year and did well on the exams.

Do bad AP scores affect admission? ›

If you're struggling with an AP course or not doing quite as well as you like, there's no doubt you were wondering if AP scores affect admission. Thankfully, you don't have to worry. It's still absolutely beneficial to do well on the exam, but it won't hurt your chances of admission.

The first thing that you should do is check the AP Score credit policy for the colleges that you are applying to. If they will give you credit for the 3, then by all means report it! On the other hand, if they only give credit for a 5 on that exam (not even for a 4), you may want to hold off.

Physics 1

This class combines physics, scientific inquiry, and algebra. AP Physics 1 is considered one of the hardest AP classes, covering topics like Newtonian mechanics and electrical charge and force. Students also spend about 25% of their class time performing college-level lab experiments and writing reports.

While honors courses usually add 0.5 points to your GPA, AP classes often add 1 point. In other words, a 3.5 GPA would be boosted to a 4.0 in an honors class and a 4.5 in an AP class. This boost can prove particularly useful if you want to challenge yourself with more difficult training without punishing your GPA.

After all, if not many students can pass an AP test, doesn't that mean it's one of the hardest tests? But when you look at the data, the exams with some of the highest passing rates (Spanish, Chinese, Physics C: Mechanics) are often considered among the hardest.

Usually, a 70 to 75 percent out of 100 translates to a 5. However, there are some exams that are exceptions to this rule of thumb. The AP Grades that are reported to students, high schools, colleges, and universities in July are on AP's five-point scale: 5: Extremely well qualified.

But what is a passing AP score? The College Board considers a score of 3 or higher a passing grade. That said, some colleges require a 4 or 5 to award credit.

1. AP Physics 1. Despite a reputation as one of the most difficult AP classes, Physics 1 is also one of the most popular—144,526 students took it in 2022. Physics 1 has the lowest pass rate of any AP exam (43.3%) along with one of the lowest percentages of students scoring a 5 (just 7.9%).

In other words, AP scores are not graded on a curve but instead calculated specifically to reflect consistency in scoring from year to year.