How the AP US History Exam is Scored
The AP US History exam is designed to test your knowledge and historical thinking skills across nine periods of U.S. history. Your final score, on a scale of 1 to 5, is a composite of your performance on two main sections, each with two parts. Understanding how these parts are weighted is key to a smart study strategy. This APUSH score calculator uses a common weighting formula to convert your raw scores from a practice test into an estimated final AP score, helping you gauge your progress and focus your efforts.
Breaking Down the Sections and Weights
Your total composite score is calculated from four separate components, each contributing a specific percentage to your final grade:
- Section I, Part A: Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ): This section consists of 55 questions to be answered in 55 minutes, accounting for 40% of your total score.
- Section I, Part B: Short-Answer Questions (SAQ): You must answer three SAQs in 40 minutes. This section is worth 20% of your score.
- Section II, Part A: Document-Based Question (DBQ): This is a single essay question where you must analyze historical documents. You are given 60 minutes, and it accounts for 25% of your score.
- Section II, Part B: Long Essay Question (LEQ): You choose one of three essay prompts to answer in 40 minutes. This final section is worth 15% of your score.
From Raw Points to Your Final AP Score (1-5)
Our calculator translates your raw scores into a final AP score through a two-step process. First, it calculates a composite score on a scale of 0-150. While the exact weighting can vary slightly by test administration, we use a standard model:
- MCQ Score is multiplied by a weight of 1.1.
- Total SAQ score (out of 9) is multiplied by a weight of 3.333.
- DBQ score (out of 7) is multiplied by a weight of 5.3571.
- LEQ score (out of 6) is multiplied by a weight of 3.75.
These weighted scores are added together to create your composite score. This composite is then converted to the final 1-5 AP score based on a curve. A typical curve might look like this:
- 5: 112-150
- 4: 94-111
- 3: 79-93
- 2: 66-78
- 1: 0-65
What Do the Scores Mean for College?
While this calculator provides a great estimate, it's important to understand what the final score means for college applications and credit. Most colleges and universities grant credit or advanced placement for scores of 3, 4, or 5; however, more selective institutions often require a 4 or a 5. For official information on the AP US History exam and college credit policies, the best resource is the College Board's official AP US History page. Improving your score involves not just knowing historical facts, but also mastering the logical reasoning needed for the essays, a skill related to what our Order of Operations Calculator helps to build in a mathematical context.