AP Score Distributions mean the percentage of students who earned each score (from 1 to 5) on Advanced Placement Exams. It’s released annually by the College Board, and the data helps students, educators, and parents to understand how students performed nationwide, exam difficulty, and how many students achieved passing or highest scores in each subject.
Millions of students take the AP exam every year to earn college credit and increase their admission chances. However, the raw AP test score alone is not enough. This is where AP score distributions come in. In July 2025, the College Board will release its score data on how students across the US performed on each AP exam.
Also, keep an eye out for key score release info like When Do AP Scores Come Out? a critical detail for students awaiting results.
However, for students to have a better idea regarding AP exam score distribution, we have included the 2024 AP exam Score Distribution published by the College Board. This will help you understand what to expect.
Analysing the 2024 AP Score Distributions
Take a look at this table for a detailed section of the AP exam scores for each subject.
| Exam | 5 (%) | 4 (%) | 3 (%) | 2 (%) | 1 (%) | 3+ (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Research | 12.6 | 26.0 | 47.5 | 11.5 | 2.4 | 86.1 |
| AP Seminar | 9.4 | 19.8 | 56.5 | 10.3 | 4.0 | 85.7 |
| AP 2D Art & Design | 11.2 | 28.8 | 42.8 | 14.0 | 3.2 | 82.8 |
| AP 3D Art & Design | 6.2 | 24.3 | 41.4 | 23.4 | 4.7 | 72.0 |
| AP Art History | 13.9 | 21.5 | 27.2 | 24.8 | 12.5 | 62.7 |
| AP Drawing | 15.1 | 31.1 | 37.6 | 13.5 | 2.7 | 83.8 |
| AP Music Theory | 19.0 | 17.5 | 23.6 | 25.3 | 14.5 | 60.2 |
| AP English Language & Composition | 9.8 | 21.4 | 23.5 | 28.8 | 16.6 | 54.6 |
| Language and AP English Literature & Composition | 13.7 | 26.9 | 31.8 | 16.5 | 11.1 | 72.4 |
| AP African American Studies | 14.2 | 30.2 | 28.2 | 18.6 | 8.8 | 72.6 |
| AP Comparative Government & Politics | 16.0 | 24.8 | 32.1 | 15.1 | 11.9 | 73.0 |
| AP European History | 13.1 | 33.3 | 25.2 | 20.7 | 7.7 | 71.6 |
| AP Human Geography | 17.9 | 20.5 | 17.8 | 14.3 | 29.5 | 56.1 |
| AP Macroeconomics | 20.7 | 20.7 | 23.8 | 20.8 | 14.1 | 65.1 |
| AP Microeconomics | 22.9 | 23.9 | 20.8 | 19.2 | 13.2 | 67.6 |
| AP Psychology | 19.2 | 23.1 | 19.5 | 11.8 | 26.5 | 61.7 |
| AP United States Government & Politics | 24.3 | 25.0 | 23.7 | 18.1 | 8.9 | 73.0 |
| AP United States History | 12.8 | 33.3 | 26.0 | 19.4 | 8.4 | 72.2 |
| AP World History | 11.9 | 32.3 | 19.6 | 27.4 | 8.8 | 63.7 |
| AP Calculus AB | 21.4 | 27.8 | 15.3 | 22.7 | 12.9 | 64.4 |
| AP Calculus BC | 47.7 | 21.1 | 12.1 | 13.9 | 5.2 | 80.9 |
| AP Computer Science A | 25.6 | 21.4 | 20.1 | 10.8 | 22.0 | 67.2 |
| AP Computer Science Principles | 10.9 | 20.0 | 33.1 | 20.3 | 15.7 | 64.0 |
| AP Precalculus | 25.9 | 23.9 | 25.9 | 14.6 | 9.8 | 75.6 |
| AP Precalculus | 25.9 | 23.9 | 25.9 | 14.6 | 9.8 | 75.6 |
| AP Statistics | 17.5 | 21.8 | 22.5 | 15.9 | 22.3 | 61.8 |
| AP Biology | 16.8 | 23.1 | 28.4 | 21.7 | 10.0 | 68.3 |
| AP Chemistry | 17.9 | 27.4 | 30.3 | 16.9 | 7.5 | 75.6 |
| AP Environmental Science | 9.2 | 27.5 | 17.4 | 25.8 | 20.1 | 54.1 |
| AP Physics 1 | 10.2 | 17.9 | 19.2 | 26.1 | 26.6 | 47.3 |
| AP Physics 2 | 19.1 | 18.0 | 33.4 | 22.9 | 6.6 | 70.5 |
| AP Physics C: E&M | 35.2 | 21.6 | 14.8 | 17.4 | 11.0 | 71.6 |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | 28.5 | 26.8 | 20.9 | 13.2 | 10.5 | 76.3 |
| AP Chinese Language and Culture | 53.3 | 19.4 | 15.9 | 4.9 | 6.5 | 88.5 |
| AP French Language and Culture | 14.5 | 24.9 | 32.9 | 21.7 | 6.0 | 72.2 |
| AP German Language and Culture | 26.1 | 20.3 | 23.1 | 20.1 | 10.1 | 69.9 |
| AP Italian Language and Culture | 22.6 | 22.8 | 27.0 | 17.5 | 10.2 | 72.4 |
| AP Japanese Language and Culture | 49.1 | 10.2 | 16.9 | 7.2 | 16.7 | 76.1 |
| AP Latin | 11.9 | 16.6 | 28.0 | 23.0 | 20.5 | 56.5 |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | 21.2 | 31.4 | 30.4 | 14.0 | 3.0 | 82.9 |
| AP Spanish Literature and Culture | 10.2 | 23.7 | 33.1 | 21.6 | 11.4 | 67.0 |
To better estimate your potential performance, you can also check out our interactive AP Score Calculator for each subject.
Ivy TP’s Explanation for 2024 AP Score Distributions
This table from the 2024 College Board’s AP score distributions gave us some interesting insights. Here are the key takeaways.
Most Competitive Exams (High % of 5s)
These subjects had the highest percentage of students earning where students get a 5 by suggesting either:
- High-performing test-takers
- Well-aligned course and exam content
- Possibly less grading curve pressure
Language and calculus-based physics/math courses attract strong students or native speakers, explaining the high 5-star rating.
Most Challenging Exams (Low % of 3+)
These exams had the lowest percentage of students scoring 3 or higher. This indicates they were more difficult for students overall. AP Physics 1 and AP Environment. Science is popular for its conceptual difficulty and low grades. Latin consistently has low student performance due to limited exposure or teaching depth.
Balanced Exams (Around 70–75% scoring 3+)
These subjects belong to the average difficulty range, where the majority passed, but not excessively high or low. These college-level subjects have the largest number of test takes with different skill levels, so scores are mostly balanced.
Strong Scores in Language and Studio Art Courses
Most AP world language and AP art/design courses have consistently high 3+ pass rates: Project-based or portfolio exams (like AP Drawing or Seminar) allow students to demonstrate strengths beyond test-day performance.
Exams with High 4s and 3s but Fewer 5s
Some subjects show solid middle-tier performance but low high scores: These exams may have broader participation and a flatter curve, good for access, but harder to “ace.”
AP Exam Score Distributions FAQs
Let’s answer your question about AP score distributions
What are AP Score Distributions?
AP score distributions show the percentage of students’ scores for every AP subject.
Where can I find the official AP score data?
Visit the College Board’s 2025 AP Score Distributions page to find official data.
How should students use this info?
Students can assess their performance, plan their classes, and target AP prep. Colleges might align credit with national score patterns.
Which exams had the most 5s in 2025?
AP exams in Physics C (both Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism) had the most 5s in 2025.
Which AP subject challenges most students?
AP English Language, English Literature, Environmental Science, and AP1 had lower pass rates, suggesting tougher curves.
Bottom Line
AP score distributions provide insight into exam success and difficulty around subjects. This data helps the students and educators to set realistic goals, plan their study strategies, and determine what their results may look like.
At Ivy Test Prep, we recommend you use these trends to guide prep, not define it. Every student’s journey is unique. Reach out if you’d like a tailored topic based on AP score distributions, help predicting your results using an AP Exam Score Calculator, or figuring out When Do AP Scores Come Out? to best plan your next step
