Estimate your score on the AP US History exam based on your performance in each section. Enter your raw scores below to see your projected composite and final AP score (1-5).
How the AP US History Score is Calculated
The AP US History exam is a comprehensive assessment of your knowledge of American history from c. 1491 to the present. Your final score, on a scale of 1 to 5, is derived from a composite score calculated from your performance on four distinct parts of the exam. Understanding how these parts are weighted can help you strategize your studying and practice.
The Four Sections of the APUSH Exam
Section I, Part A: Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ): This section consists of 55 questions to be answered in 55 minutes. It accounts for 40% of your total exam score.
Section I, Part B: Short-Answer Questions (SAQ): You will answer three questions in 40 minutes. Each question is scored on a 0-3 point scale, for a total of 9 possible points. This section is worth 20% of your score.
Section II, Part A: Document-Based Question (DBQ): This is an essay question where you must analyze historical documents to build an argument. You have 60 minutes (including a 15-minute reading period) to write your response. It is scored on a 0-7 point scale and is worth 25% of your score.
Section II, Part B: Long Essay Question (LEQ): You will choose one of three essay prompts to answer in 40 minutes. This essay is scored on a 0-6 point scale and accounts for the final 15% of your score.
Understanding the Weighting
To determine your final AP score, the raw points you earn in each section are converted into a weighted composite score. This calculator uses the official percentage weights to create a composite score out of 100, making it easier to understand your performance.
MCQ Contribution = (Your MCQ Score / 55) * 40
SAQ Contribution = (Your SAQ Score / 9) * 20
DBQ Contribution = (Your DBQ Score / 7) * 25
LEQ Contribution = (Your LEQ Score / 6) * 15
The sum of these four values gives your total composite score, which is then mapped to the 1-5 AP scale.
Example Calculation
Let's imagine a student who performed reasonably well on a practice exam:
MCQ Correct: 48 out of 55
SAQ Total Score: 7 out of 9
DBQ Score: 5 out of 7
LEQ Score: 4 out of 6
Using the formula, their score would be calculated as follows:
This composite score of 78.33 would likely earn the student an AP Score of 5.
Estimated AP Score Conversion
The exact composite score needed for a 3, 4, or 5 can vary slightly each year based on the difficulty of the exam. However, the following table provides a reliable estimate of the composite score ranges (out of 100) for each AP score.
Composite Score Range (0-100)
Estimated AP Score
What it Means
78 – 100
5
Extremely well qualified
65 – 77
4
Well qualified
54 – 64
3
Qualified
43 – 53
2
Possibly qualified
0 – 42
1
No recommendation
Disclaimer: This calculator is a tool for estimation purposes only. The College Board determines the final scoring rubrics and score distributions for each year's exam. The ranges provided here are based on previously released data and common scoring models.
function calculateApushScore() {
var mcqCorrect = parseFloat(document.getElementById('mcqCorrect').value);
var saqScore = parseFloat(document.getElementById('saqScore').value);
var dbqScore = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dbqScore').value);
var leqScore = parseFloat(document.getElementById('leqScore').value);
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('result');
// Validation
if (isNaN(mcqCorrect) || isNaN(saqScore) || isNaN(dbqScore) || isNaN(leqScore)) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = 'Please enter a valid number in all fields.';
resultDiv.style.display = 'block';
return;
}
if (mcqCorrect 55 || saqScore 9 || dbqScore 7 || leqScore 6) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = 'Please check your inputs. One or more scores are outside the valid range.';
resultDiv.style.display = 'block';
return;
}
// Calculation
var mcqContribution = (mcqCorrect / 55) * 40;
var saqContribution = (saqScore / 9) * 20;
var dbqContribution = (dbqScore / 7) * 25;
var leqContribution = (leqScore / 6) * 15;
var compositeScore = mcqContribution + saqContribution + dbqContribution + leqContribution;
// Determine AP Score
var apScore;
if (compositeScore >= 78) {
apScore = 5;
} else if (compositeScore >= 65) {
apScore = 4;
} else if (compositeScore >= 54) {
apScore = 3;
} else if (compositeScore >= 43) {
apScore = 2;
} else {
apScore = 1;
}
// Display Result
var resultHTML = 'Your Estimated Composite Score is: ' + compositeScore.toFixed(2) + ' / 100';
resultHTML += 'This likely translates to an AP Score of: ' + apScore + '';
resultDiv.innerHTML = resultHTML;
resultDiv.style.display = 'block';
}