The AP Human Geography (AP Human) exam is one of the most popular Advanced Placement courses offered by the College Board. Calculating your potential score can be complex because the exam relies on a weighted composite system rather than a simple percentage.
This calculator simulates the official scoring algorithm used in past exams to predict whether you will achieve a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. A score of 3 is generally considered passing, while scores of 4 and 5 are often required for college credit.
How the Exam is Weighted
The exam consists of two main sections, each accounting for 50% of your total score:
Section I: Multiple Choice (MCQ): 60 questions to be answered in 60 minutes. This section accounts for 50% of the total score. There is no penalty for guessing, so you should answer every question.
Section II: Free Response (FRQ): 3 questions to be answered in 75 minutes. Each question is typically scored on a scale of 0 to 7. This section also accounts for 50% of the total score.
The Calculation Formula
To determine your final AP score (1-5), a Composite Score is calculated first. The maximum composite score is typically around 120 points.
Section
Raw Points
Weight Calculation
Max Weighted Score
Multiple Choice
60
Raw Score × 1.0
60
Free Response
21 (3 Qs × 7 pts)
Raw Score × ~2.857
60
Total
81
Composite Score
120
Score Distributions and Cutoffs
The specific "curve" varies slightly every year depending on the difficulty of the exam. However, based on historical data, the composite score ranges for each AP score are approximately:
5 (Extremely Well Qualified): Composite score of approx. 76 – 120
4 (Well Qualified): Composite score of approx. 64 – 75
3 (Qualified): Composite score of approx. 51 – 63
2 (Possibly Qualified): Composite score of approx. 38 – 50
1 (No Recommendation): Composite score of approx. 0 – 37
Strategies for a Higher Score
Since the Multiple Choice section is 50% of the grade but requires less time per point than the FRQs, accuracy here is crucial. Aiming for at least 45 out of 60 on the MCQ puts you in a strong position to pass, even with average FRQ scores. For the FRQs, ensure you understand the "task verbs" (Identify, Define, Describe, Explain) to earn maximum points.
function calculateAPScore() {
// Get Input Elements
var mcqInput = document.getElementById('mcqInput');
var frq1Input = document.getElementById('frq1Input');
var frq2Input = document.getElementById('frq2Input');
var frq3Input = document.getElementById('frq3Input');
var resultBox = document.getElementById('resultBox');
var errorMsg = document.getElementById('errorMsg');
// Parse Values
var mcq = parseFloat(mcqInput.value);
var frq1 = parseFloat(frq1Input.value);
var frq2 = parseFloat(frq2Input.value);
var frq3 = parseFloat(frq3Input.value);
// Validation
var isValid = true;
var errorText = "";
if (isNaN(mcq) || mcq 60) {
isValid = false;
errorText += "MCQ score must be between 0 and 60. ";
}
// Handle empty FRQs as 0 if user leaves them blank, but validate if entered
if (isNaN(frq1)) frq1 = 0;
if (isNaN(frq2)) frq2 = 0;
if (isNaN(frq3)) frq3 = 0;
if (frq1 7 || frq2 7 || frq3 7) {
isValid = false;
errorText += "FRQ scores must be between 0 and 7.";
}
if (!isValid) {
errorMsg.style.display = 'block';
errorMsg.innerHTML = errorText;
resultBox.style.display = 'none';
return;
}
errorMsg.style.display = 'none';
// Calculation Logic
// Section I: MCQ is 50% of score. Max raw is 60.
// Section II: FRQ is 50% of score. Max raw is 21 (3 * 7).
// We need to scale FRQ to match MCQ weight (60 points).
// Multiplier = 60 / 21 = 2.85714286
var frqMultiplier = 2.8571;
var totalFrqRaw = frq1 + frq2 + frq3;
var weightedFrq = totalFrqRaw * frqMultiplier;
var compositeScore = mcq + weightedFrq;
// Round composite to nearest whole number
var finalComposite = Math.round(compositeScore);
// Determine AP Score based on historical cutoffs
// Note: These cutoffs are estimates based on various review prep sources (Albert.io, PrepScholar)
var apScore = 1;
if (finalComposite >= 76) {
apScore = 5;
} else if (finalComposite >= 64) {
apScore = 4;
} else if (finalComposite >= 51) {
apScore = 3;
} else if (finalComposite >= 38) {
apScore = 2;
} else {
apScore = 1;
}
// Color coding for result
var scoreColor = "#dc3545"; // Red for 1-2
if (apScore === 3) scoreColor = "#ffc107"; // Yellow for 3
if (apScore >= 4) scoreColor = "#28a745"; // Green for 4-5
// Update DOM
var scoreDisplay = document.getElementById('finalScoreDisplay');
var compDisplay = document.getElementById('compositeDisplay');
var breakDisplay = document.getElementById('breakdownDisplay');
scoreDisplay.innerHTML = apScore;
scoreDisplay.style.color = scoreColor;
compDisplay.innerHTML = "Composite Score: " + finalComposite + " / 120″;
breakDisplay.innerHTML =
"Breakdown:" +
"MCQ Points: " + mcq + " / 60″ +
"FRQ Raw Points: " + totalFrqRaw + " / 21″ +
"FRQ Weighted: " + weightedFrq.toFixed(2) + " / 60″;
resultBox.style.display = 'block';
}