How the AP United States Government and Politics Exam is Scored
The College Board calculates your AP Government score by combining two equally weighted sections. Understanding the breakdown helps you target specific areas for improvement during your study sessions.
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
This section consists of 55 questions and accounts for 50% of your total score. You have 80 minutes to complete it. There is no penalty for guessing, so you should answer every question. In our calculator, we multiply your raw MCQ score by approximately 1.09 to scale it to the 60-point weighted section maximum.
Section 2: Free Response Questions (FRQ)
The FRQ section also accounts for 50% of your total score. It consists of four distinct types of prompts:
Concept Application (3 pts): Explaining political institutions and processes in context.
Quantitative Analysis (4 pts): Interpreting data from charts, tables, or graphs.
SCOTUS Comparison (4 pts): Comparing a required Supreme Court case with a non-required case.
Argument Essay (6 pts): Writing a thesis-driven essay using foundational documents and course knowledge.
Score Ranges and Cutoffs
While the College Board adjusts "cut scores" every year based on exam difficulty, the general composite score (0-120) mapping typically follows this pattern:
AP Score
Estimated Composite Range
Qualification
5
90 – 120
Extremely Well Qualified
4
75 – 89
Well Qualified
3
60 – 74
Qualified
2
45 – 59
Possibly Qualified
1
0 – 44
No Recommendation
Study Tips for a 5
To maximize your score, focus on mastering the Foundational Documents (like the Federalist Papers and Brutus No. 1) and the 15 Required SCOTUS Cases. For the Argument Essay, ensure your thesis is defensible and that you explicitly link your evidence back to that thesis to earn the reasoning point.
function calculateAPGovScore() {
var mcqCorrect = parseFloat(document.getElementById('mcq_correct').value) || 0;
var f1 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('frq1').value) || 0;
var f2 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('frq2').value) || 0;
var f3 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('frq3').value) || 0;
var f4 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('frq4').value) || 0;
// Validation
if (mcqCorrect > 55) mcqCorrect = 55;
if (f1 > 3) f1 = 3;
if (f2 > 4) f2 = 4;
if (f3 > 4) f3 = 4;
if (f4 > 6) f4 = 6;
// Weighting Logic
// Total MCQ weight is 60 points (50% of 120)
// 60 / 55 = 1.090909
var weightedMCQ = mcqCorrect * 1.0909;
// Total FRQ weight is 60 points (50% of 120)
// Total raw FRQ points = 3 + 4 + 4 + 6 = 17
// 60 / 17 = 3.529411
var rawFRQ = f1 + f2 + f3 + f4;
var weightedFRQ = rawFRQ * 3.5294;
var compositeScore = Math.round(weightedMCQ + weightedFRQ);
var apScore = 1;
var color = "#e74c3c";
var text = "No Recommendation";
if (compositeScore >= 90) {
apScore = 5;
color = "#27ae60";
text = "Extremely Well Qualified";
} else if (compositeScore >= 75) {
apScore = 4;
color = "#2ecc71";
text = "Well Qualified";
} else if (compositeScore >= 60) {
apScore = 3;
color = "#f1c40f";
text = "Qualified";
} else if (compositeScore >= 45) {
apScore = 2;
color = "#e67e22";
text = "Possibly Qualified";
}
// Display Results
var resultArea = document.getElementById('result-area');
var scoreBox = document.getElementById('ap-score-box');
var compText = document.getElementById('composite-score');
var descText = document.getElementById('score-description');
resultArea.style.display = 'block';
resultArea.style.backgroundColor = color + "15"; // Very light version of the color
resultArea.style.border = "2px solid " + color;
compText.innerText = compositeScore + " / 120″;
scoreBox.innerText = apScore;
scoreBox.style.color = color;
descText.innerText = text;
}