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For many good reasons, thousands of high school students sign up to take AP courses each year. The advanced curriculum in these courses provides an intellectual challenge and a focused learning environment for top students who want to go the extra mile.
For those who don’t know, AP classes can also earn students some college credit at schools that participate. When colleges grant credit for these classes, it can save students a lot of time and money. If you’re considering taking AP classes or have already decided to, your next step will be choosing which ones to take and which to skip.
Why Take AP Courses in High School?
Not only do many colleges grant credit for AP courses, but they all consider AP courses a boon to students’ college applications. Having AP courses on your application for admission tells colleges that you’re ready for college-level coursework and you don’t shy away from a challenge.
Another benefit to taking AP courses while in high school is that they can boost your GPA. Some high schools use a weighted GPA system in which each AP course grants students an extra point on their GPA.
For example, an A grade in a non-AP class might be worth 4.0 points, but an A in an AP course would be worth 5.0 points on a weighted scale. This means that each AP course would boost students’ GPAs with top marks.
However, students don’t gain many benefits from taking these courses if they don’t earn at least an A or a B in the class. For this reason, it’s crucial that you take the right classes—which means taking AP classes that aren’t too difficult for you.
Choosing the Right AP Courses
How do you go about deciding which AP courses are right for you? Aside from your personal curiosity about the subject matter, there are a few tried-and-true tips you can follow to help you prioritize.
Check the Policies of the Colleges You’re Most Interested In
Many colleges offer college credit for AP courses, but some of them don’t. You should research the policies of any schools you are interested in to see if they will give you credit for your AP courses. Thinking strategically when it comes to earning credit can be helpful for getting college courses out of the way.
Some colleges require that students take the corresponding AP exam for courses and score a 3, 4, or 5 in order to earn credit. Other colleges may not offer credit for courses or exams, but might use your scores for placement only.
For example, if most of the schools you’re interested in require a general education math course and accept a score of 3 or above on the AP test to count for credit, you might want to take that course. However, if only a couple of colleges offer credit for the class, you may want to consider a different class — one that more colleges offer credit for.
Consider Your Interests and Strengths
When signing up for AP courses, the final determiners are your strengths and interests as a student. If you’re not interested in a subject, you will likely need to work much harder to get a good grade in the class. If you’re strong in a subject and enjoy it, you may want to strongly consider taking the AP course in that subject. Your passion can drive amazing results!
Similarly, if you struggle in a subject, you may not want to take that AP course, even if many of your peers have taken it and scored high on the test. Your best bet is to take AP courses in the areas you’re most passionate about and interested in.
Consider the Experience of the AP Course Teacher
For the most part, the longer a teacher has been teaching a certain AP course, the better the experience you’ll likely have in the class. You might get more out of the class and enjoy it more, too. If you have the choice of which teacher you can sign up with, consider the following.
Suppose that you’re considering taking either a harder class with an experienced teacher or an easier subject with a new teacher. In that case, an experienced teacher may be the better bet.
However, don’t write off a class you’re interested in just because a teacher hasn’t taught it for too long. It may be worth signing up if you’re passionate about a certain subject!
What Are the Easiest AP Classes?
In some respects, AP course difficulty is a matter of opinion. However, courses can be rated based on how many students score well on the exams. The exams are graded on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest score and 5 being the highest.
For most exams, a score of 3 is considered passing (and is the lowest point at which many colleges will offer credit for the course). However, remember that it’s the lowest point; many colleges won’t give credit unless a student scores a 4 or 5 on the AP exam.
The following is a list of the AP exams that are offered by the College Board, ranked according to the percentage of students who pass those exams. (In the language classes, the “total group” includes native and fluent speakers, while the “standard group” excludes native and fluent speakers.)
- Drawing: 88.3%
- Chinese Language (total group): 86.9%
- 2D Art and Design: 86.6%
- Research: 82.7%
- Seminar: 82.6%
- Spanish Language (total group): 81.7%
- Spanish Language (standard group): 78.4%
- English Literature: 77.9%
- Calculus BC: 76.9%
- Japanese Language (total group): 75.5%
- 3D Art and Design: 73.6%
- Physics Mechanics: 73.4%
- French Language (total group): 71.6%
- Comparative Government and Politics: 70.5%
- Italian Language (total group): 70.5%
- Physics 2: 69.7%
- Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism: 69.4%
- French Language (standard group): 68.5%
- Biology: 67.9%
- Computer Science A: 67.5%
- Italian Language (standard group): 65.8%
- German Language (total group): 65.5%
- Chinese Language (standard group): 64.8%
- Spanish Literature: 64.2%
- Computer Science Principles: 63.5%
- World History: 62.1%
- Music: 61.9%
- Art History: 61.5%
- Statistics: 60.5%
- Microeconomics: 59.0%
- European History: 58.9%
- Psychology: 58.3%
- German Language (standard group): 57.5%
- Latin: 57.0%
- Calculus AB: 55.7%
- English Language: 55.7%
- Chemistry: 54.0%
- Environmental Science: 53.8%
- Japanese Language (standard group): 53.5%
- Human Geography: 53.2%
- Macroeconomics: 51.8%
- United States Government and Politics: 48.6%
- U.S. History: 48.2%
- Physics 1: 43.3%
According to this information, when listing AP classes ranked by difficulty, many people would cite the above percentages and say that Physics 1 is the most difficult AP course and Drawing is the easiest AP class.
Which AP Courses Do Students Say Are the Easiest and Hardest?
This ranking of AP classes by the percentage of students who pass the exams indicates how hard a class might be. However, it isn’t the only indicator, and it gives only a partial picture of the whole story.
Several factors come into play that can skew the passing percentages of students.
For example, one class may attract a small, highly specialized group of people familiar with the subject. That class may have only 16,000 students take the exam. Compare that to a class that attracts a much larger crowd of students, resulting in 220,000 of them taking the exam.
In this scenario, even though 90% of the smaller class passed and just 60% of the larger one did, the stats don’t quite give an accurate picture of the actual difficulty of the classes.
Additionally, it’s common for classes like the smaller, specialized ones to have more strict prerequisites at many schools. These prerequisites work to filter out unqualified students who would have a high chance of not passing the exams.
Finally, not every school offers the same AP courses. Which classes a school offers depends on several things, including location, demographics, school size, and more.
The Three Easiest AP Classes
With that being said, there is enough of a consensus with all information and factors taken into account to give an idea of the three easiest AP classes. These are AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology, and AP Comparative Government and Politics.
AP Environmental Science
Even though this class has a reputation as one of the easiest AP classes, it still isn’t as easy as many students expect. In fact, just over half (53.8%) of students pass the test with a 3 or above. Fewer than 10% (8.9%) pass with a 5, which is one of the lowest passing rates among all AP courses.
The low passing rates are mostly attributed to students underestimating the difficulty of the class and the effort required to pass.
This AP course requires students to have a wide depth of knowledge in many different fields, but if you take this course, you’ll do well if you work hard and have algebra, social studies, biology, chemistry, and geology skills.
AP Psychology
AP Psychology is one of the easiest AP classes. Almost 300,000 students took the exam in 2021! However, similar to AP Environmental Science, only 58.3% of students pass, and 17% earn a 5 on the exam.
This passing rate indicates that students fail to take the class seriously enough. However, the exam is considered to be one of the easiest; it’s only two hours long and is mostly multiple-choice.
AP Psychology is considered to be easier than others because of the uncomplicated class work. A hefty amount of memorization is required, and students need to be familiar with psychology-specific terms, concepts, and details.
If you’re interested in this class, you’ll also need to know facts about important experiments in the field and notable contributors.
AP Comparative Government and Politics
The name of this course might be intimidating, but its numbers tell a different story. Almost three-quarters of students (70.5%) pass the exam, and almost 16% of them score a 5.
The class work is broader than that of many other courses, and it covers the political processes and institutions of six countries:
- The United Kingdom
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- China
- Iran
- Russia
Since six different countries are covered during the class, the content doesn’t go into as much detail or depth as a class like U.S. Government and Politics, which has a pass rate of just 48.6%. The exam for this class is just 2.5 hours long and has 55 multiple-choice questions along with just four free-response prompts.
The Three Most Difficult AP Courses
Three classes have garnered a reputation for being more difficult than the others. These are AP Physics 1, AP U.S. Government and Politics, and AP U.S. History.
AP Physics 1
This course is not just one of the most difficult, it’s also one of the most popular. In 2022, almost 145,000 students took the class. Fewer students pass this exam than any other and only 7.9% of students who do pass score a 5.
If you’re interested in this class, you must brush up on your math skills and be ready for hands-on learning, experiments, and data analysis.
AP U.S. Government and Politics
Almost 300,000 students took this AP class in 2022, but fewer than half passed the exam. Despite its difficulty, it remains among the most popular for students interested in politics and government.
The content covered on the exam focuses on the American political system, so if you’re interested, you’ll need to know facts about the Supreme Court, the Constitution, political parties, and public policy.
AP U.S. History
Even though this course is known as one of the most difficult, it doesn’t scare students away. It’s the second-most popular AP course (taken by 456,520 students in 2022), but the passing rate is third-lowest, at 48.2%. Only 10.8% of students score a 5.
This class is difficult because it covers a slim slice of history compared to World History and European History. You’ll need to do more than memorize information to do well in this class. You must be able to interpret cause and effect, write arguments and analyses, and analyze historical events.
AP Classes Ranked by Difficulty
No matter where they fall on the difficulty list, AP classes offer high school students the chance to take college-level courses and prove they’re ready for that rigor of curriculum.
These classes also let students explore advanced topics in various areas of interest before they reach college. If you’re interested in taking any AP courses, just make sure you are ready to work!
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FAQs
AP Classes Ranked by Difficulty? ›
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.
| AP CLASS | Our OVERALL ASSESSMENT | % Alumnae who DON'T Recommend |
|---|---|---|
| Physics 1 | Very Hard | 20% |
| Chemistry | Very Hard - and hardest to self-study | 13% |
| Physics C - Mechanics | Very Hard - but high pass rate | 3% |
| English Literature | Very Hard - but high pass rate | 26% |
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.
United States History, Biology, English Literature, Calculus BC, Physics C, and Chemistry are often named as the hardest AP classes and tests. These classes have large curriculums, tough tests, and conceptually difficult material.
What is the least passed AP class? ›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%).
High school students often take college-level classes to save time and money in college, but there is one catch: You have to pass the exams in order to get the credit.
What is the easiest AP class ever? ›- AP French Language.
- AP Government & Politics.
- AP Italian Language.
- AP Japanese Language.
- AP Physics C Mechanics.
- AP Research.
- AP Seminar.
- AP Spanish Language.
- AP Italian (2,102 test-takers)
- AP Japanese (2,204 test-takers)
- AP German (4,315 test-takers)
- AP 3-D Art and Design (4,573 test-takers)
- AP Latin (4,889 test-takers)
| Exam | 5 | 4 |
|---|---|---|
| AP Chemistry | 12.5% | 17.0% |
| AP Environmental Science | 8.9% | 27.4% |
| AP Physics 1 | 7.9% | 17.0% |
| AP Physics 2 | 16.3% | 18.1% |
IB is more rigorous than AP because it requires higher grades than other classes do (i.e., A). This means that students who take IB won't necessarily be able to take as many classes at their local community college or state university—they'll need to apply for admission through another route first!
Is it OK if I fail an AP class? ›
What happens if you fail an AP class? If you fail an AP class, then your GPA will likely drop as it would for a normal class. This grade also shows up on your transcript. However, you may be able to retake the class the following year to raise your grade and increase your GPA.
How many AP classes are too many? ›| Year | Recommended Number of AP Classes to Take |
|---|---|
| 9th Grade | 0-2 |
| 10th Grade | 1-3 |
| 11th Grade | 2-4 |
| 12th Grade | 3-4 |
Summing it up
But it's not the end of the world if you don't pass. Your class grade won't be affected, and colleges will still be impressed that you took an AP course. Colleges won't see your scores, and you won't miss out on any opportunities.
If you earn a 4.0 (on an unweighted scale) without taking any honors, AP, IB, or dual credit courses, it will not be as impressive as if you were to earn a 4.0 while taking several advanced classes.
What AP class has the most students? ›- AP English Language and Composition.
- AP United States History.
- AP Psychology.
- AP Calculus AB.
- AP Spanish Language and Culture.
Share this Article. AP Microeconomics is a great choice for those interested in studying economics, business, or finance in college. Microeconomics requires knowledge of calculus, which makes some students say it is more difficult than macroeconomics.
Are AP tests curved? ›Yes, there's a curve on AP exams, especially in relation to the AP Physics C tests. They have a heavy curve, as can be seen by the scoring distributions. A large majority of the test takers pass the exam, and 50 percent score a 5.
What grade is considered failing in an AP class? ›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.
Has anyone gotten a 100% on an AP Exam? ›Felix Zhang, currently a junior at Penn High School in Mishawaka, Indiana, aced the test with 108 points out of the 108 points possible.
What is a good first AP class? ›- Physics C: Mechanics. 84.3% 41.6%
- Calculus BC. 81.6% 44.6%
- Spanish Literature. 75.1% 17.6%
- Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. 74.4% 40.4%
- Physics 2. 73.3% 14.0%
- Computer Science Principles. 71.6% 10.9%
- Psychology. 71.3% 22.4%
- Computer Science A. 70.4% 25.6%
Is taking 1 AP enough? ›
Please know that taking 1 AP course will not make or break you getting accepted to a college. The admissions officer will look at your entire high school career and the courses you took. Taking AP US History vs. US History Honors will probably make no difference whatsoever in your acceptance to that school.
Is 1 AP class enough for college? ›Students can get into a four-year school with just one AP, and in some cases, with none. Students with a high school degree can also attend community college without any AP classes, and then transfer to a four-year school.
What is an impressive number of AP classes? ›To be competitive at some of the most highly selective colleges in the country, 8-12 AP courses may be the sweet spot amount, assuming the student can handle that level of rigor. There are no colleges out there that require you to take 14, 17, or some other obscene number of Advanced Placement offerings.
How many AP classes is ideal? ›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.
What is the highest GPA for all AP classes? ›AP classes can boost your GPA by 1 point because AP courses are graded on a five-point scale. Excellent students can achieve a GPA higher than a 4.0. The 5.0 scale is meant to reward students who excel in AP courses, as well as avoid penalizing students who want to challenge themselves with more difficult courses.
What is a 67 on an AP exam? ›| If you got a percentage of... | If you got a raw score of... (For FINAL EXAM) | Your letter Grade will be... |
|---|---|---|
| 75-86% | 81-94 | A |
| 63-85% | 68-80 | A- |
| 57-62% | 62-67 | B+ |
| 53-61% | 57-61 | B |
...
Step 3: Use the Chart to Estimate Your Scaled Score.
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.
Does Harvard prefer AP or IB? ›Does Harvard prefer IB or AP courses? Harvard does not explicitly state a preference for IB or AP courses. To receive credit for IB classes, accepted students must earn an IB diploma. Incoming students must earn a score of 5 on at least four AP exams to earn college credit at Harvard.
Does MIT prefer AP or IB? ›While AP and IB classes allow you to take the end-of-course exams for college credit, MIT generally does not accept the credit from these tests. The school wants all of its incoming freshmen to start at MIT on equal footing. However, MIT does grant credit for specific AP tests on which you score a five.
Is AP harder than honors? ›
AP classes, however, are more challenging than honors classes. These courses cover information, teach skills and give assignments that correspond to college classes. High school students taking AP courses will be held to the same standard as college students.
Should you report a 2 AP score? ›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.
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.
In fact, on the AP® rubric, a 1 is described as “no recommendation”. Because of that, no college in the United States of overseas will accept an AP® score of 1 and give you college credit.
Is 7 APs enough for Ivy League? ›Aim for four to eight AP exams in your junior and senior years. For competitive Ivy League schools, admission officers also want to see AP courses for core subject areas and additional courses. If possible, aim to pass about seven to 12 AP exams if applying to these highly selective schools.
What is the most APs anyone has taken? ›The record for the most Advanced Placement tests ever taken is 30 — AP scholar Justin Zhu even earned the highest score possible on 26 of the 30 tests he took. Is it a good idea to encourage your child to break Justin's record? Absolutely not.
Is 5 AP classes too much 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.
What if you fail an AP class but pass the exam? ›On the other hand, if you fail the class but pass the exam, the outcome depends a bit on your school's grade policy. Some schools might allow failed grades to be changed on a transcript with a passing AP score, but these policies vary from school to school.
Should I withhold a bad AP score? ›AP scores have very, very little impact on college admissions, especially if the exam has nothing to do with your major. If you don't report, they probably won't really notice. They can't assume you failed, as maybe you never took the exam in the first place. They care more about your grade in the class.
Should I report a 3 on an AP exam to Ivy League? ›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.
What is the highest GPA without AP classes? ›
No matter what kind of coursework a student takes, the highest possible GPA in an unweighted system is a 4.3. NOTE: some schools do not differentiate between an A (5.0 weighted, 4.0 unweighted) and an A+ (5.3 weighted, 4.3 unweighted).
What GPA is a 94 in an AP class? ›An AP Score of 3 or 4 will likely not get you any college credit or respect at a top school like Stanford/Ivies/MIT. A score of 5 may not either — top colleges like to think that their courses are more rigorous than APs and thus should not be passed out of, and earning a 5 is simply expected for top admits.
How many AP classes did the average Ivy League student take? ›How Many AP Classes to Take for Ivy Leagues and Other Top Schools in the US. For students aiming for the Ivy League and Top 20 schools in the United States, a good target is to take (and pass) 10-14 AP classes throughout your high school career — or 3-4 each year.
How many AP classes do Harvard students take? ›Be cautious of overloading your schedule: Harvard would rather see a high GPA with 4 AP courses each year than a low GPA and a daunting 8 AP courses. Consider your AP, honors, and regular options carefully each semester based upon your own self-knowledge, schedule flexibility, and course offerings.
How hard is AP Biology? ›AP Biology is considered quite hard, with class alumnae rating it 6.4/10 for overall difficulty (the 8th-most-difficult out of the 28 large AP classes surveyed). The pass rate is about average vs other AP classes, with 68% graduating with a 3 or higher.
Is AP Psychology worth taking? ›Yes, AP psychology is worth taking. The course will help contextualize other scientific subjects and give you an idea if you want to pursue the subject for your college major. AP Psychology is also a more manageable course than the other AP classes, as you won't have to learn skills to keep up with the workload.
Is AP economics worth it? ›Is AP Macro Worth Taking? In a survey conducted by /r/APStudents, 75% of AP Macroeconomics students would recommend the course, with one advising that you should take the course "only if you have a decent teacher or can self-study if you do not."
Is it hard to get a 1 on AP? ›The lowest possible score you can get on an AP exam, a 1 indicates that students were completely unfamiliar with the material. No U.S. colleges currently offer college credit for a score of 1. In some exams, earning a 1 is extremely rare, like in AP Studio Art, where only 1.1% of students earn a 1.
Is 10 AP classes impressive? ›Taking 10 AP classes can demonstrate commitment to learning and show the college that students can handle challenging courses and prioritize their studies. Additionally, this can potentially lead to higher standardized test scores, improving the chances of admission to certain colleges or universities.
Is a 3.7 with AP class good? ›
An unweighted GPA of 3.7 is good: the national average unweighted GPA of high school students is 3.0. If you took high-level courses such as AP or IB classes, an unweighted 3.7 GPA is good and shows you performed well even when taking the most rigorous curriculum available to you.
Do AP classes affect class rank? ›Class ranking is a mathematical summary of a student's academic record compared to those of other students in the class. It usually considers both the degree of difficulty of the courses a student is taking (AP, honors, college-preparatory, or regular courses) and the grade the student earns.
How much can 1 AP class boost your GPA? ›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.
Should I cancel my AP score if I got a 1? ›It is more important for you to get recognition for taking that AP in the first place than it is to earn your target score. If you earned a 2 or a 1, consider withholding your score. These grades indicate that you did not perform at the college level for the subject.
Is 5 AP in one year too much? ›An Ivy League hopeful might take 3 to 5 AP classes, while if you're aiming for less-selective schools, 2 to 4 would be enough. Senior Year: Take more APs in core subjects and additional subjects, again being careful not to overburden your schedule and to leave time for college applications.
Is 10 APs enough for Ivy League? ›For competitive Ivy League schools, admission officers also want to see AP courses for core subject areas and additional courses. If possible, aim to pass about seven to 12 AP exams if applying to these highly selective schools.
How many APs does Harvard want? ›Credits are earned by scoring 5 on a minimum of four AP tests. Certain AP examinations test material covered in one semester only, and for each of these, Harvard confers only one half credit toward Advanced Standing. For more information, visit Harvard's website.
How many APs to skip a year of college? ›If you manage to take 11 AP classes throughout your high school stay, that's enough (33 credits on average) to skip a whole year of college. While that may too much, even a couple of classes can be enough to give you a semester ahead of your peers coming into college.
Can I get into Harvard with 7 AP classes? ›Does Harvard Accept AP Credit. Harvard does accept AP Credit for classes in which a student earned a 5 on the AP Exam. These credits are accepted under a program called “Advanced Standing.” To qualify, students must earn a 5 on a minimum of 4 AP tests, transferring a total of 32 credits.
What GPA is a 92 in an AP class? ›Are AP classes 5.0 GPA? ›
Students in an AP class with weighted grading receive a five-point weighted average for each of the four-letter grades: As, Bs, Cs, and Ds. As a result, a student who only takes AP classes and receives A's will have a 5.0 GPA.
What GPA is an A in an AP class? ›An unweighted GPA doesn't take into account the rigor of your courses. A weighted GPA, meanwhile, assigns extra value to AP and IB courses, usually a full point on a 4.0 scale, with a 4.0 representing an A. That means if you earn an A in an AP course, it will factor into your GPA as a 5.0.
Is a C+ in an AP class okay? ›I would say that earning a C+ in a class like Calculus AB or Chemistry AP is satisfactory. However, you really should strive to earn at least a B in the class if possible. You may need to reconsider managing your time and improving your learning.